Supply Chain

For founders applying artificial intelligence to supply chain visibility, optimization and improvement.

The Supply Chain Stream at CDL-Montreal supports ventures using AI to build scalable solutions along the supply chain, such as: operational planning, sourcing, distribution to delivery and services. Located in the epicentre of AI research in North America, this stream supports ventures working across diverse industries from retail, manufacturing, transportation and logistics.

CDL startups work with these mentors to sharpen objectives, prioritize time and resources, raise capital, and engage with experts working on the frontiers of research.

The startups attend five in-person objective-setting sessions between October and June. CDL is a non-profit organization. There are no fees for participation and CDL does not take any equity. Learn more about the CDL program.

Who Should Apply?

The Supply Chain Stream is particularly suited to coachable teams with diverse expertise and a strong technical background. This stream is tailored towards early-stage companies (early venture or growth); however, startups at all levels of maturity will be considered.

Example Innovation Areas

Planning:

• Demand forecasting and planning: demand prediction for new goods and services that use AI/machine learning by matching capacity to expected production requirements.
• Capacity and resource utilization planning: algorithms allowing to match demand with internal resource utilization such as raw material sourcing and inventory, factory and store replenishment.
• Warehouse and inventory planning: product flow improvement that leverages optimization techniques combined with robotics to enable more efficient warehouse operations.

Sourcing:

• Supply, contracting, procurement: solutions to automate supplier selection, sourcing, and integrate cross-provider schedule and operations to improve performance.

Logistics & Production

• Automated in-plant logistics and warehousing: automate the handling of items of various dimensions by developing robotic actuators and support systems (vision recognition, motor control, etc).
• Scheduling/predictive disruption analysis: leverage AI technology for maintenance to better predict when machines and other assets will fail or require maintenance, as well as identify needed resources (ie. manpower)
• Transportation/fleet management: identification of optimal package distribution among warehouses, optimal delivery routes, use of autonomous vehicles and other solutions to drive efficiencies in shipments.
• Sustainable industrial transformation: innovations enabling reduced waste and recycling, reduction in energy utilization or an enhanced ability to deal with unexpected natural and other disasters.

Sales & After-Sales:

• Quality control management: implementation of imaging technologies for post production verification to improve QC acceptance rates.
• Customer satisfaction and relationship management: automation of customer request and feedback intake through AI-enabled tools such as chatbots to improve customer relationship

The list above is not exhaustive. Contact cdl-montreal@creativedestructionlab.com to discuss the program and your venture with someone from the Supply Chain Stream.

Our Mentors

CDL mentors include accomplished entrepreneurs, experienced operators, active angel and venture investors, world-leading scientists, engineers, and economists. Mentors meet every eight weeks in Montreal to help founders set objectives over the program’s nine-month duration.

Companies accepted to the CDL Supply Chain Stream benefit from business and technical expertise from mentors experienced in the areas of manufacturing, IoT, sensors and robotics. These experts meet with companies periodically to evaluate their technologies, suggest improvements, and to explore formal advising engagements.

See all Supply Chain mentors ▶︎

For more information or to schedule an introduction meeting with the CDL-Montreal team on the Supply Chain Stream, email Pedro Herrera, Supply Chain Stream Lead, CDL-Montreal: pedro.herrera@creativedestructionlab.com