CDL-Rockies recruitment overview
Umay - 2021/22 Prime stream graduate. Photo credit: Adrian Shellard.
GeologicAI - 2018/17 Energy alumni company. Photo credit: Adrian Shellard.
CDL-Rockies is recruiting startups for the 2022/23 program year. The team is eager to connect with science and technology-based startups looking to reach their full commercial potential. CDL-Rockies offers an intensive objectives-based mentorship program over a nine-month period, admitting startups into two industry-focused program streams called Ag and Energy, and one industry-agnostic stream called Prime. When we speak to founders and community organizations we often talk about “the CDL fit.” This means that we recruit startups that meet specific criteria related to team, tech, market, stage and goals. Some of the criteria we use as general guidelines when evaluating companies includes: Founder magic Are the founders coachable? Is the team positioned to get the most value out of the program?
IP strategy Does the startup have novel and defensible intellectual property?
Types of technology Is the startup’s product at a technology readiness level between 5-7?
Market size Does the business model and market opportunity allow for massive scalability? (In excess of $100M)
It’s important to note these criteria are not applied as a hard and fast rule; every startup is unique and there may be other factors that contribute to its competitive advantage for admittance into the program. Because each startup is different, we take a case-by-case approach when evaluating its readiness and fit for CDL. CDL-Rockies is one part of the innovation ecosystem, with a specific role to play for a select group of startups. We are complementary to other entities in the ecosystem and are one resource of many that support early-stage founders. Some of the unique aspects of our program include: Peer-review advice Advice comes from a group of expert entrepreneurs who challenge each other and hold one another accountable
Venture elimination Founders that do not achieve their objectives or attract the interest of at least one mentor do not continue in the program
Opportunities for investment CDL encourages and enables investment when companies need it rather than at an investment event (like a "demo day")
Equity and Intellectual property There is no cost to take part in the CDLRockies program, and we do not retain any equity or IP
MBA integration MBA students from top business schools provide support to participating ventures
Our alumni have a track record for success post-program. In the five years of CDL-Rockies, our alumni companies generated $1.7 billion in equity value. They've raised $570 million in capital and created more than 950 jobs. Our team welcomes referrals from our community. If you know of a deep tech or science-based startup that you believe could be the right fit for one of CDL-Rockies’ streams, or for another stream within our larger network, please reach out to us. Applications for next year’s cohort are open until July 31.