Founded by Ajay Agrawal, a professor from the Rotman School of Management in Toronto, CDL now operates five sites (universities/colleges) in Canada, three in the United States, and four in Europe. Recently, this includes the University of Tartu in Estonia.
The program shares some elements with the popular Dragon’s Den television show. Companies accepted into the CDL program meet with mentors and angel investors during five sessions over a nine month period, to track their progress, receive feedback, and if deemed worthy, to receive mentorship between the sessions. Companies that are not viewed as worthy of further mentorship after each session are dropped from the program.
The calibre of the mentors is very impressive. They include accomplished entrepreneurs, experienced operators, active angel and venture investors, world-leading scientists, engineers, and economists. One well-known mentor is Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield.
