CDL operates as a non-profit "marketplace for judgment" where science and deep-tech founders meet rotating groups of world-class entrepreneurs and investors every eight weeks, with mentors collectively deciding which startups continue based on progress toward quantified objectives rather than taking equity or providing capital directly. Founded within University of Toronto's business school and now spanning top universities globally, CDL uses these frontier science startups as live teaching labs for MBA students while focusing exclusively on massively scalable ventures in AI, quantum, space, climate, and other deep-tech domains.