Creative Destruction Lab (CDL)

The Creative Destruction Lab (CDL) is a seed-stage acceleration program founded in 2012 at the Rotman School of Management in Toronto, Canada. It is dedicated to supporting massively scalable, science- and technology-based ventures by providing a unique coaching process focused on specific objectives. CDL connects startups with experienced entrepreneurs and leading scientists across various sectors, including artificial intelligence, healthcare, quantum computing, blockchain, energy, and cleantech. The program has expanded its reach, operating in six cities: Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Montreal, Halifax, and New York City, and emphasizes the commercialization of scientific and technological advancements.

Rob Barbara

Associate

Charles Conn

Associate

Todd Crescenzo

Associate

Mark Evans

Associate

Bernard W. Gray

Associate

Bettina Hamelin

Associate

Christophe Jurczak

Associate

Patrick Kappel

Venture Manager, Space stream

Sue Marks

Associate

Oliver Plunkett

Associate

Jay Rhind

Associate

KJELL SKAPPEL

Founding Partner and Associate

Katharine Tomko

Associate

Tony Bommel

Associate

Past deals in British Columbia

Iris Dynamics

Non Equity Assistance in 2021
Iris Dynamics is a Canadian technology startup specializing in magnetic force controlled actuator motors. Its innovative process enhances human-machine interfaces, benefiting diverse markets such as aircraft controls, robotics, and industrial automation. The company also develops high-performance stabilization platforms and supports electromagnetic research at major Canadian universities.

Lucent BioSciences

Non Equity Assistance in 2021
Lucent Biosciences specializes in the development of innovative biofertilizers aimed at enhancing agricultural sustainability. The company offers a unique class of micronutrient fertilizers that promote higher crop yields and nutrient levels while being environmentally friendly. Their products are designed to improve soil health and sequester carbon, contributing to climate-positive farming practices. By utilizing sustainable bioactive crop nutrition, Lucent Biosciences enables farmers to cultivate nutrient-dense crops without polluting groundwater, thereby supporting regenerative agriculture and reducing overall costs per hectare.

Vodasafe

Seed Round in 2020
Vodasafe Inc. develops AquaEye, a handheld scanning sonar device used by emergency responders, lifeguards, and recreational users for water-based search and rescue. The device uses sonar and artificial intelligence to detect submerged persons, provides distance and direction to victims, records rescue data, and can connect via Bluetooth to other devices. The company is based in Kelowna, Canada.

BarrelWise Technologies

Non Equity Assistance in 2020
BarrelWise Technologies specializes in developing advanced technical systems for the wine industry. Its flagship product, the FS1 System, enables wineries to perform routine free SO2 checks on-site, reducing analysis time from days to minutes while maintaining lab-level accuracy.

Open Ocean Robotics

Non Equity Assistance in 2020
Open Ocean Robotics is a company that specializes in collecting ocean data using solar-powered autonomous boats. Founded in 2018 and based in Victoria, British Columbia, the company operates unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) equipped with sensors, cameras, and communication devices. These boats can gather real-time information from various locations across the ocean, providing valuable insights for environmental protection and sustainability. Their data collection capabilities are instrumental in monitoring ocean traffic, detecting illegal fishing activities, studying marine mammals, and understanding the effects of climate change. By offering a safe, efficient, and cost-effective alternative to traditional crewed vessels, Open Ocean Robotics contributes to the preservation of marine ecosystems and the promotion of responsible ocean management.

Covalent

Non Equity Assistance in 2020
Covalent Research & Development Inc. is a technology company based in Vancouver, Canada, focused on enhancing transparency and accountability in the cryptocurrency sector. Established in 2018, Covalent develops a data analytics suite that addresses significant infrastructure challenges obstructing blockchain adoption. Its offerings include on-chain data and analytics for the Ethereum network, as well as APIs that provide visibility and transparency across various blockchain networks. The company aims to bridge centralized databases with decentralized blockchain technologies, thereby facilitating adoption among enterprises and consumers. Covalent supports several leading decentralized finance protocols and is actively building tools like SafeKeeep, which aims to improve data availability and record-keeping in the DeFi space. The company’s team comprises industry veterans with extensive experience in database and distributed systems, underscoring its commitment to driving innovation in blockchain technology.

Miru Smart Technologies

Seed Round in 2019
Miru Smart Technologies, formerly known as Click Materials, is a Vancouver-based company specializing in advanced materials, particularly in the development of electrochromic windows for residential, commercial, and automotive applications. Founded as a university spin-off, Miru leverages over a decade of academic and industrial research to innovate traditional thin film production. This advanced fabrication process is designed to provide superior performance at lower manufacturing costs compared to existing technologies. By focusing on strategic partnerships, Miru aims to integrate its window technology into the growing trends of connected smart buildings and voice-activated smart homes, contributing to reduced greenhouse gas emissions and enhanced energy efficiency.

QReserve

Non Equity Assistance in 2019
QReserve is a platform that helps organizations manage, promote, and share resources such as meeting rooms, equipment, and facilities. It provides analytics tools to track utilization rates, revenues, capacity, and performance. The platform enables users to discover, access, and book these resources, serving notable clients like SickKids, UBC Okanagan, and McMaster University.

BeatDapp

Non Equity Assistance in 2019
BeatDapp is a music technology company that provides streaming fraud detection and data integrity solutions for the music industry. The platform authenticates and validates media streamed in real time to reduce discrepancies between digital service providers and rights holders, helping labels, artists, and distributors ensure fair compensation and lower audit costs. With offices in Vancouver, Los Angeles, and Toronto, BeatDapp serves streaming services, labels, collection societies, creator tools, and distributors by delivering accurate streaming data and insights to combat fraud and improve royalty reporting.

Miru Smart Technologies

Non Equity Assistance in 2019
Miru Smart Technologies, formerly known as Click Materials, is a Vancouver-based company specializing in advanced materials, particularly in the development of electrochromic windows for residential, commercial, and automotive applications. Founded as a university spin-off, Miru leverages over a decade of academic and industrial research to innovate traditional thin film production. This advanced fabrication process is designed to provide superior performance at lower manufacturing costs compared to existing technologies. By focusing on strategic partnerships, Miru aims to integrate its window technology into the growing trends of connected smart buildings and voice-activated smart homes, contributing to reduced greenhouse gas emissions and enhanced energy efficiency.

GenXys Health Care Systems

Pre Seed Round in 2018
GenXys Health Care Systems Inc., based in Kelowna, Canada, specializes in precision prescribing software and pharmacogenetic solutions designed to prevent adverse drug reactions. The company has developed a platform that integrates medication interactions, genetic data, and health information, allowing clinicians to make informed prescribing decisions with enhanced accuracy. This platform is utilized by molecular lab companies for the clinical translation and interpretation of pharmacogenetic tests, delivering real-time, clinically relevant information at any point of care. GenXys's software addresses the significant health challenge of adverse drug reactions, which are among the leading causes of death globally. The company aims to revolutionize prescription practices worldwide, contributing to the advancement of precision medicine for all patients.

Zennea Technologies

Pre Seed Round in 2018
Zennea Technologies is a medical device company based in Surrey, Canada, specializing in the development of therapeutic wearables aimed at reducing snoring and improving overall health through enhanced sleep quality. The company's flagship product, ZENS, is a comfortable and discreet sleep wearable that targets the root cause of snoring, thereby assisting individuals with chronic snoring and mild obstructive sleep apnea. Zennea conducts clinical trials to validate the efficacy of its device, which not only helps reduce snoring but also tracks sleep quality, providing valuable insights for users to make informed decisions about their health and sleep habits.

Dooly

Non Equity Assistance in 2017
Dooly Research Ltd. is a Vancouver-based company that specializes in developing artificial intelligence-driven software designed to enhance the efficiency of sales teams. Founded in 2015, Dooly's platform automates the customer relationship management process by monitoring and sharing digital notes, fields, and tasks from meetings and customer interactions. This software facilitates the seamless transfer of information between team members and systems, thereby addressing the challenges of note-taking and information sharing. By organizing workflow systems in real-time, Dooly's platform enables businesses to minimize administrative tasks, allowing sales teams to concentrate on core activities essential for closing deals.

Routific

Non Equity Assistance in 2017
Routific, Inc. is a Vancouver-based company that specializes in route optimization solutions for delivery businesses. Its platform automates and enhances vehicle routing and scheduling operations, serving small and medium-sized enterprises both in Canada and internationally. Inspired by the foraging behaviors of honey bees, Routific's technology helps local delivery businesses efficiently plan routes, resulting in significant reductions in time and fuel consumption, as well as lowering carbon emissions by 20-40%. The software includes features such as intelligent route optimization, dispatch and live tracking, and delivery notifications, enabling companies to reduce delivery costs, improve driver efficiency, and enhance customer satisfaction.

Elevated Signals

Non Equity Assistance in 2017
Elevated Signals provides a digital operations platform for regulated industries, combining IoT-enabled cultivation environment management with real-time data capture, traceability, and flexible workflows across production, quality, and finance. The cloud-based platform supports seed-to-harvest cultivation, compliant record keeping for Health Canada GPP/GMP, cultivar-specific workflow management, high-resolution environmental monitoring linked to plant IDs, and reporting and analytics. It serves cannabis, nutraceutical, food and beverage manufacturers, helping them optimize controlled environments, achieve audit readiness, avoid waste, and scale operations. Founded in 2016 and based in Vancouver, it aims to streamline end-to-end batch production tracking and compliance reporting with a central source of truth accessible across departments.

Industrial Plankton

Non Equity Assistance in 2017
Industrial Plankton Inc. is a Canadian company established in 2010 and based in Victoria, British Columbia, specializing in the manufacturing of algal bioreactors for algae culture. The company prioritizes quality by producing all equipment in-house. Its flagship product, a 1000L algae bioreactor, was launched in 2012, followed by a 100L research reactor in 2014 and a full LED 1250L reactor in 2016. The company's bioreactors are fully automated, self-sterilizing, and self-cleaning, integrated with an application that streamlines the algae production process, reducing the time and skill needed by users. Additionally, an automated rotifer reactor is scheduled for launch, further expanding its product line.

Mesentech

Non Equity Assistance in 2017
Mesentech Inc. is a regenerative medicine company based in Vancouver, Canada, focused on developing innovative therapies for bone-related diseases. Established in 2013, the company specializes in a prodrug platform that delivers therapeutics selectively to bone, addressing challenges associated with conventional drug delivery methods. Mesentech's lead product, MES1007, is a bone-targeted prodrug of a prostaglandin mimetic that aims to reverse bone loss associated with conditions such as osteoporosis and Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The company's proprietary technology enhances the delivery of small-molecule and biological drugs to the bone's surface and interior, allowing for more effective treatment while minimizing side effects. This approach is particularly significant given the inherent difficulty in accessing bone tissue due to its hard surface and low porosity. Mesentech's focus on selective drug delivery not only aims to improve treatment efficacy but also hopes to accelerate bone healing and address complications associated with low bone density disorders.

Clir Renewables

Non Equity Assistance in 2017
Clir Renewables Inc. is a company that specializes in cloud-based renewable energy asset management and reporting software. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, with an additional office in Glasgow, United Kingdom, Clir's software-as-a-service platform is designed to assist asset managers and owners in optimizing the performance and profitability of renewable energy plants. By integrating deep domain expertise with artificial intelligence, Clir’s platform enhances annual energy production, monitors asset health, and effectively manages financial and technical risks associated with renewable energy assets.

Mangrove Water Technologies

Non Equity Assistance in 2017
Mangrove Water Technologies Ltd. is a Vancouver-based company established in 2017, specializing in wastewater desalination systems. The company has developed a modular and mobile technology that effectively treats and purifies contaminated well water, converting saline wastewater and waste gases into desalinated water and value-added chemicals for on-site use. This innovative technology has progressed from a laboratory concept to a commercial-scale demonstration over four years, reflecting significant advancements in its capabilities. The technology originated from research conducted at the University of British Columbia's Chemical Engineering Department, with support from various funding sources aimed at reducing emissions and promoting economic development.

Damon Motors

Convertible Note in 2017
Damon Motors Inc. is a technology company focused on transforming urban mobility through innovative motorcycle design and safety features. Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, with additional offices in San Rafael, California, Damon develops advanced systems aimed at enhancing rider safety and situational awareness. Its flagship product, the 360º Advanced Warning System, incorporates cutting-edge sensor fusion, robotics, and artificial intelligence to provide comprehensive environmental awareness for motorcyclists. The company’s proprietary electric powertrain, HyperDrive, powers motorcycles that boast impressive speed, distinctive design, and new features such as CoPilot and Shift. Damon Motors is committed to establishing a new benchmark for motorcycle safety and sustainability, successfully appealing to a new generation of riders in the United States and internationally.

Ecoation Innovative Solutions

Seed Round in 2017
Ecoation Innovation Solutions specializes in providing greenhouse growers with advanced tools for the early detection of pests, diseases, and nutrient deficiencies that can impact crop value. By harnessing proprietary artificial intelligence and plant signal data, Ecoation's system delivers daily updates on crop health directly to growers through desktop and smartphone applications. This technology empowers growers to take prompt actions that enhance crop value, lower operating costs, and minimize pesticide usage. Based in Canada, Ecoation's innovative platform integrates elements of biology, automation, sensing, and robotics, aiming to transform agricultural practices and improve overall crop productivity. The company is currently conducting paid field trials in British Columbia greenhouses to demonstrate the effectiveness of its solutions.

Plantiga

Non Equity Assistance in 2016
Plantiga Technologies Inc. is a Vancouver-based company that specializes in biometric sensing technology for footwear. Founded in 2006, it focuses on human movement intelligence, offering deep insights into health through the analysis of movement patterns. The company's platform aims to optimize health, prevent injuries, and monitor recovery by detecting changes in functional movement that are often imperceptible to the naked eye. Plantiga's innovative foot-strike analytics technology combines the rigor of human performance analysis with the immediacy of wearable devices, allowing users to evaluate athletic performance, health, and productivity effectively.

A&K Robotics

Non Equity Assistance in 2016
A&K Robotics Inc. is a Canadian company based in Vancouver, founded in 2015, that specializes in designing and building advanced robotic systems. The company focuses on developing intelligent navigation systems that enable robots to work collaboratively with humans. A&K Robotics also creates electric micro-mobility platforms and self-driving robotic pods, which aim to enhance mobility in large facilities such as airports, malls, and museums, as well as in crowded urban environments. By pushing the boundaries of robotics technology, A&K Robotics seeks to improve quality of life and promote environmental sustainability through innovative real-life applications.

FTSY

Pre Seed Round in 2016
FTSY, based in Vancouver, Canada, is an innovative footwear matching platform that simplifies the shoe shopping experience for customers. By utilizing proprietary AI technology, FTSY provides accurate size and style recommendations akin to those of an experienced salesperson, enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty. The platform facilitates seamless integration with major point-of-sale, e-commerce, and customer relationship management systems, allowing footwear brands to quickly implement its services. FTSY's unique approach eliminates the need for traditional sizing methods, enabling users to match their feet to shoes effortlessly by simply taking a photo. Founded in 2015, the company leverages a skilled team with expertise in retail, e-commerce, computer vision, AI, and CRM to drive sales, reduce returns, and create memorable shopping experiences.

Starling Minds

Non Equity Assistance in 2015
Founded in 2013, Starling Minds offers digital mental health solutions, including cognitive behavioral therapy programs. It caters to businesses, healthcare providers, and educational institutions, aiming to enhance emotional resilience, manage stress, anxiety, and depression, thereby improving workplace productivity.
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