Toronto, ON – October 2, 2025 — Creative Destruction Lab (CDL) today announced the launch of CDL Defence, a global program designed to accelerate the development and deployment of dual-use technologies.
The program will identify and support up to 25 science-based ventures each year focused on founders developing dual-use technologies that directly address operational needs in defence, national security, and critical infrastructure.
CDL Defence addresses a critical gap in how emerging technologies are leveraged for dual-use opportunities. The program will provide a structured environment for ventures to collaborate directly with mentors, scientists, investors, and operators across CDL’s global network, while also helping founders navigate complex procurement processes. CDL will deliver three procurement workshops to bring together the two sides of the marketplace – end users defining critical problems and innovators identifying solutions – to accelerate pathways to deployment.
The launch comes at a pivotal time. The evolving global landscape has triggered renewed urgency around dual-use innovation and strategic deterrence. NATO-aligned countries are calling for agile new frameworks to accelerate innovation, and CDL is uniquely positioned to respond with a network already active in domains such as AI, quantum, cybersecurity, energy, health, oceans, and space.
CDL Sites across Canada and Europe are collaborating to launch this initiative (CDL-Atlantic, CDL-Berlin, CDL-Estonia, CDL-Rockies, CDL-Toronto, and CDL-Vancouver), with additional partners to follow. CDL-Atlantic at Dalhousie University will serve as the host site for the inaugural CDL Defence Session in November 2025, with CDL-Berlin at ESMT Berlin and CDL-Toronto at the University of Toronto hosting subsequent sessions.
Applications for CDL Defence open on October 2, 2025, with selected ventures beginning the nine-month program this fall.
John Risley, former Board Chair at MDA, and CDL-Atlantic Founding Partner and Mentor: “Defence and security challenges today demand novel solutions that move quickly from the lab to market. CDL Defence will catalyze an innovation-driven industrial base that connects deep-tech science and research with the expertise, partners, and advanced manufacturing required to scale. This global program will enable dual-use technologies to be developed and deployed where they are needed most.”
Andrew Thompson, CDL-Estonia Founding Partner and Mentor: “CDL Estonia’s successful Security and Resilience stream leverages the country’s geopolitical significance and extraordinary tech eco-system. The new global CDL Defence program should broaden our capacity to make a global impact.”
Thorsten Lambertus, Site Lead, CDL-Berlin and Managing Director, Institute of Deep Tech Innovation (DEEP) at ESMT Berlin: “By bringing CDL Defence to Germany, right ahead of the Munich Security Conference, we connect ventures not only with Europe’s world-class industry and startup ecosystem, but also with the very heart of global security dialogue. This unique position allows startups to build deep-tech solutions with trusted partners, scale within Europe’s innovation ecosystem, and engage directly with decision-makers shaping the future of defence and security.”
About Creative Destruction Lab
Creative Destruction Lab (CDL) is a nonprofit organization that delivers an objectives-based program for massively scalable, seed-stage, science- and technology-based companies. Its nine-month program allows founders to learn from experienced entrepreneurs, increasing their likelihood of success. Founded by Professor Ajay Agrawal in 2012 at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, the program has expanded and now has 15 sites across nine countries: Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal, Halifax, Paris, Madison, Seattle, Estonia, Berlin, Melbourne, College Station, Milan, London, and San Sebastian. Learn more at creativedestructionlab.com.
