Anne Robinson
Founder, Strategic Advisor, Robinson Insights
Chaîne d'approvisionnement
CDL Supply Chain is a 9-month startup program offered at HEC Montréal, designed to amplify the impact of early-stage companies developing practical, innovative solutions to improve global supply chain operations. Beginning in October and concluding in June, the program supports ventures focused on minimizing costs, enhancing transparency, increasing efficiency, and driving sustainability across supply chains.
Located in one of North America’s leading AI research hubs and a major transportation and logistics center, CDL Supply Chain serves a wide range of industries, including retail, manufacturing, transportation, and logistics.
The program prioritizes startups that can demonstrate measurable outcomes and maintain the effectiveness of other supply chain solutions, emphasizing evidence-based results rather than unproven approaches.
The program consists of up to 4 objective-setting sessions where ventures refine their goals, optimize resources, and attract investment. Additionally, graduating ventures could participate in “CDL Super Session,” an international networking event that connects startups with investors, industry leaders, and partners.
Qui doit poser sa candidature ?
The CDL-Montreal Supply Chain stream is best suited for:
- A technical founding team with at least one full-time co-founder (typically without a formal board).
- Ventures developing practical and defensible supply chain technologies (e.g., patents, trade secrets, proprietary datasets).
- Startups with a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of at least 4, ideally 5 to 8. TRL 3 ventures may be evaluated on a case-by-case basis if they demonstrate strong potential.
CDL Technologie de la chaîne d'approvisionnement/applications industrielles
Planification :
- Demand Forecasting and Planning: AI/machine learning tools to predict demand for novel goods and services, ensuring production capacity meets anticipated requirements.
- Capacity and Resource Utilization Planning: Algorithms to align demand with internal resource utilization, such as raw material sourcing, inventory, and factory/store replenishment.
- Domain-Specific AI & LLMs: Startups developing specialized language models trained on proprietary operational data (e.g., contracts, maintenance logs, procurement documents) to improve accuracy and reliability.
- Agentic AI & Multi-Agent Orchestration: Autonomous AI agents capable of planning and executing tasks across procurement, logistics, and inventory workflows, beyond analytics dashboards.
- Warehouse and Inventory Planning: Optimization techniques and robotics to boost warehouse efficiency and improve product flow.
Sourcing:
- Supply, Contracting, Procurement: Solutions to automate supplier selection, sourcing, and integration of cross-provider schedules and operations to improve performance.
- Ethical & Circular Sourcing: Technologies promoting sustainable materials, ethical procurement, and closed-loop supply chains.
- Geopolitical Resilience & Nearshoring Tools: Solutions that help companies model and adjust supply chains in response to tariffs, reshoring, or changing trade conditions.
Logistique et production
- Automated Warehousing & Logistics: Robotics, AI, and vision systems to automate material handling and warehouse operations.
- Physical AI & Robotics: Integration of AI with autonomous mobile robots, robotic manipulators, or other embodied systems in warehouses and logistics operations.
- Predictive Maintenance & Risk Analysis: Machine learning solutions for asset health monitoring, downtime reduction, and risk mitigation.
- Fleet & Transportation Optimization: Platforms improving last-mile delivery, route efficiency, and autonomous freight management.
- Eco-Efficient Industrial Processes: Innovations reducing waste, improving recyclability, and lowering energy consumption.
- Clean Tech Logistics: Zero-emission transport solutions, freight electrification, and renewable energy integration.
- IoT & Digital Twins for Supply Chain Resilience: Real-time monitoring and analytics to enhance supply chain visibility and adaptability.
- Data Infrastructure & Interoperability: Solutions enabling real-time data integration, cross-system interoperability, and reliable information flows across supply chain networks.
Vente et après-vente :
- Automated Quality Control: AI-powered tools for defect detection and post-production verification.
- Customer Engagement & Relationship Management: Predictive analytics and automation to improve customer experience and service efficiency.
- Reverse Logistics & Waste Reduction: Solutions for product returns, refurbishment, and recycling to support circular economy initiatives.
The CDL-Montreal Supply Chain stream aims to:
- Identify and support high-impact supply chain ventures focused on efficiency, transparency, and sustainability.
- Build a strong portfolio of startups leveraging AI, automation, and clean tech innovations to transform global supply chains.
- Accelerate the development of sustainable, resilient, and tech-driven supply chains through mentorship, funding, and industry connections.
- Support startups that produce measurable, verifiable results, providing solutions that integrate effectively with existing supply chain processes.
CDL Supply Chain entreprises des anciens élèves
Les anciennes entreprises du CDL changent le monde tous les jours en tant que nouvelles entreprises influentes qui cherchent à améliorer la commercialisation de la science pour le bien de l'humanité. Voici quelques exemples d'entreprises qui ont été diplômées du CDL Supply Chain :
Nos mentors
Les mentors sont l'épine dorsale du programme Creative Destruction Lab, car ils fournissent des conseils d'experts aux entreprises technologiques en phase de démarrage afin qu'elles se développent et améliorent leurs chances de réussite. Le CDL réunit des entrepreneurs expérimentés, des scientifiques de renommée mondiale et des investisseurs actifs (VCs et angels) avec des startups technologiques en phase de démarrage pour aider à guider les entreprises. Voici quelques exemples de mentors de CDL Supply Chain :
Pour contacter un représentant de la filière CDL Supply Chain, veuillez envoyer un courriel à cdl-montreal@creativedesrtuctionlab.com afin d'en savoir plus sur la manière dont cette filière peut profiter à votre entreprise.