Los Angeles AI investors nourishing machine learning companies in 2026

Los Angeles raised $8.3B across 450+ deals in 2025, with AI companies capturing $2.1B of that total. The city has strong AI activity in entertainment tech, autonomous vehicles, healthcare AI, and enterprise applications. LA's AI scene is different from SF - less hype, more revenue-focused, and deeply tied to entertainment and aerospace industries. You won't find as many pure research plays here, but applied AI with clear business models gets funded easily.

Quick list

Why Los Angeles for AI fundraising

Los Angeles has 25+ active AI-focused investors and another 30+ generalist funds that invest heavily in AI. AI deals in LA averaged $4.7M for seed rounds and $18M for Series A in 2025. That's competitive with SF for seed but 30% lower for growth rounds.

The entertainment industry drives unique AI opportunities. Studios need content generation, deepfake detection, voice synthesis, and recommendation systems. Disney, Netflix, Paramount, and Warner Bros all test AI tools with LA startups before broader rollout. If you're building AI for media, LA beats SF for customer access and domain expertise.

Autonomous vehicles and aerospace create another AI cluster. SpaceX, Tesla design center, and dozens of AV startups operate here. Computer vision, sensor fusion, and robotics AI get funded more easily in LA than most cities. The talent pool from these companies feeds AI startups.

Healthcare AI is growing fast. Cedars-Sinai, UCLA Health, and Kaiser Permanente partner with LA AI startups on diagnostic tools, drug discovery, and patient monitoring. Healthcare investors here understand both the tech and regulatory paths better than generalist AI funds.

LA lacks the depth of AI research talent compared to SF or Boston. You'll pay 20-30% less for engineers but have a smaller pool to recruit from. Most LA AI startups end up hiring remote or opening SF satellite offices for specialized ML roles.

Picking the right Los Angeles AI investor

Local presence determines access to entertainment and aerospace customers. LA investors can intro you to studio executives, streaming platforms, and AV companies. That's the main reason to raise here versus SF. Remote funds won't give you those warm intros, and cold outreach to Hollywood barely works.

Portfolio companies show sector understanding. If they've backed three computer vision companies, they know the technical challenges and customer objections. Check if their AI portfolio companies actually use ML in production or just claim "AI-powered" for marketing. LA has some investors who don't understand the difference.

Check sizes for LA AI seed rounds range $1M-$5M, with most rounds in the $2-3M range. Upfront and Crosscut lead larger seeds at $3-5M. Mucker and Fika write $1-2M initial checks. Series A rounds for AI companies in LA typically hit $10-20M, smaller than SF's $20-30M but with better terms. Use Ellty to share your deck and see which investors actually spend time on your technical architecture slides versus just skimming the pitch.

Technical depth varies wildly among LA investors. Some understand transformers, diffusion models, and ML infrastructure. Others just know "AI is hot" and can't evaluate your approach. Ask about their technical diligence process and which portfolio companies use similar architectures to yours.

Entertainment connections matter if you're building media AI. CAA Ventures, Watertower, and some Upfront partners have direct studio relationships. They can get you pilots with Netflix or Disney much faster than typical enterprise sales. For B2B AI outside entertainment, these connections matter less.

Follow-on capacity is critical for AI companies with high burn rates. Most LA seed funds reserve capital for Series A but can't lead $20M+ rounds. You'll likely need coastal or strategic investors for growth rounds. Ask explicitly about their pro-rata rights and who they co-invest with regularly.

How to find and approach Los Angeles AI investors

Research local deals through dot.LA, which covers every LA tech deal including AI funding. TechCrunch tracks larger rounds. Check PitchBook for detailed AI deal data in LA. See which funds led recent rounds in your AI category - computer vision, NLP, generative AI, or ML infrastructure.

Leverage local ecosystem starting with Plug and Play Tech Center in El Segundo, which runs an AI-specific accelerator program. Cross Campus in Santa Monica hosts AI meetups. USC and UCLA both have AI research labs that connect with investors. Get involved where your specific AI application fits.

Build relationships first at LA Tech Week events and Applied AI Summit. The LA AI community is smaller than SF but more accessible. Investors here respond better to warm intros from portfolio founders than cold emails. Join LA CTO Forum or AI LA meetup to meet technical founders who can make intros.

Share your pitch deck through Ellty with tracking links for each investor. You'll see which funds actually review your model architecture and technical approach versus just reading the executive summary. LA AI investors typically respond within 3-5 days if interested, slower than SF but faster than East Coast.

Attend local events including LA Tech Summit, AI LA monthly meetups, and USC Viterbi AI demos. Upfront Ventures and Crosscut both host office hours at tech events. CAA Ventures scouts entertainment AI at content festivals. dot.LA hosts quarterly AI investor panels worth attending.

Connect with portfolio founders of your target funds. Ask specifically about technical diligence - do they bring in external ML experts or rely on partner judgment? LA has some investors who can't evaluate AI deeply and outsource diligence. You want funds that understand your architecture. Strong password protection helps ensure only approved investors and partners can access your shared files.

Organize due diligence in an Ellty data room with your model documentation, training data approach, and technical roadmap. LA AI investors want to see compute costs, data acquisition strategy, and path to model improvement. Entertainment-focused funds also care about content rights and licensing if you're training on media.

Understand local pace - LA AI deals close in 8-16 weeks, slower than SF's 4-8 weeks. Investors here do more customer diligence and want to see product demos. Expect 4-6 meetings including technical deep dives. They're less likely to bet on just a team and idea compared to SF AI investors.

Los Angeles-specific considerations for AI startups

LA investors strongly prefer applied AI over pure research. If you're building foundation models or novel architectures without clear business applications, you'll struggle here. Enterprise AI, media AI, and healthcare AI with revenue traction get funded. SF is better for cutting-edge research plays.

Entertainment AI gets unique attention. Voice cloning, content generation, video synthesis, and recommendation systems connect directly to LA's core industry. Studios will pilot your tech faster here than anywhere else, but expect intense focus on content rights, royalties, and union concerns. Your legal structure matters as much as your model performance.

Autonomous vehicle AI benefits from local expertise. Investors here understand sensor fusion, HD mapping, and simulation better than most markets. The talent pool from Tesla, Aurora, and Cruise gives you hiring advantages. But competition for engineers is fierce and you'll pay SF-level salaries.

Healthcare AI faces regulatory scrutiny. LA investors with healthcare focus understand FDA clearance paths and HIPAA compliance. They're more patient with longer sales cycles than generalist AI funds. If you're building diagnostic or clinical tools, target funds with healthcare portfolio companies and regulatory experience.

Compute costs matter more in LA than SF. Investors here push for capital efficiency and want to see your path to reducing inference costs. Entertainment AI especially needs low-cost inference to scale. Have clear answers on model optimization, quantization, and cost per inference.

16 top AI investors in Los Angeles

1. Upfront Ventures

LA's largest and most active VC with strong AI portfolio including enterprise software and government tech.

• Recent Deals: OpenGov $51M Series D (2021), Scopely $200M Series D (2020), TrueCar early rounds (IPO'd)
• LinkedIn: Mark Suster
• Sector Focus: Enterprise AI, SaaS with ML, computer vision, data infrastructure
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: 10000 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles
• Website: upfront.com

2. Mucker Capital

LA-based seed fund with track record including Honey and multiple AI-powered commerce companies.

• Recent Deals: Honey (acquired by PayPal for $4B), Chime early seed rounds (now $25B valuation), multiple LA AI startups
• LinkedIn: Will Hsu
• Sector Focus: Consumer AI, fintech ML, recommendation systems, pricing optimization
• Stage Focus: Pre-seed, seed
• Office Location: 1540 2nd St, Santa Monica
• Website: mucker.com

3. Crosscut Ventures

Early-stage LA fund with investments in Ring, Honeylove, and multiple computer vision companies.

• Recent Deals: Ring (acquired by Amazon for $1B+), Honeylove $11M Series A (2021), Coda early rounds
• LinkedIn: Brian Garrett
• Sector Focus: Computer vision, consumer AI, smart home, security tech
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Office Location: 801 Montana Ave, Santa Monica
• Website: crosscut.vc

4. Greycroft

Bicoastal fund with active LA presence investing in AI-powered consumer and healthcare companies.

• Recent Deals: Trusted Health $149M Series C (2021), Venmo early rounds (acquired by PayPal), Bird early rounds
• LinkedIn: Dana Settle
• Sector Focus: Healthcare AI, consumer ML, marketplace optimization, logistics AI
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: 2450 Broadway, Santa Monica
• Website: greycroft.com

5. March Capital

LA growth investor backing enterprise AI and B2B companies with ML infrastructure.

• Recent Deals: ServiceTitan $500M Series E (2021, LA unicorn), DataRobot $270M Series E (2019), C3.ai early growth
• LinkedIn: Sumant Mandal
• Sector Focus: Enterprise AI, ML platforms, AI infrastructure, vertical SaaS with AI
• Stage Focus: Series B, Series C, growth
• Office Location: 2450 Colorado Ave, Santa Monica
• Website: marchcp.com

6. Amplify Partners

Highly technical seed fund backing AI infrastructure and developer tools from SF with LA investments.

• Recent Deals: Scale AI $325M Series E (2021), Weights & Biases $135M Series C (2021), Snorkel AI $85M Series C (2021)
• LinkedIn: Rene Reinsberg
• Sector Focus: ML infrastructure, AI development tools, data platforms, MLOps
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Office Location: SF-based but active LA AI investor
• Website: amplifypartners.com

7. Fika Ventures

LA-based seed fund focused on enterprise software including ML platforms and AI applications.

• Recent Deals: Dandelion Energy $30M Series B (2020), Vestwell $70M Series C (2021), multiple LA AI companies
• LinkedIn: Eva Ho
• Sector Focus: Enterprise AI, vertical SaaS, fintech ML, HR tech with AI
• Stage Focus: Seed
• Office Location: 130 W Union St, Pasadena
• Website: fika.vc

8. CAA Ventures

Entertainment industry investment arm focused on media AI and content technology.

• Recent Deals: Cameo $100M Series C (2021), Dumme AI seed (2024), multiple entertainment AI tools
• LinkedIn: Michael Yanover
• Sector Focus: Media AI, content generation, deepfake detection, voice synthesis, recommendation systems
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Office Location: 2000 Avenue of the Stars, Los Angeles
• Website: caa.com/ventures

9. Telstra Ventures

Global VC with LA office investing heavily in autonomous vehicles and computer vision.

• Recent Deals: Aurora Innovation $530M Series B (2020), Covariant $80M Series C (2021), May Mobility early rounds
• LinkedIn: Mark Sherman
• Sector Focus: Autonomous vehicles, computer vision, robotics AI, sensor fusion
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B
• Office Location: 611 N Brand Blvd, Glendale
• Website: telstraventures.com

10. GFR Fund

Early-stage LA fund backing enterprise AI and B2B software with machine learning.

• Recent Deals: Outreach $114M Series F (2020), Carta early rounds (now $7B+ valuation), multiple LA AI startups
• LinkedIn: Gordon Rubenstein
• Sector Focus: Enterprise AI, sales automation, marketing ML, analytics platforms
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Office Location: 1999 Avenue of the Stars, Los Angeles
• Website: gfrfund.com

11. Watertower Ventures

Media-focused fund investing in AI tools for creators, content, and entertainment.

• Recent Deals: Descript $50M Series C (2021), Kapwing AI features, Substack early rounds
• LinkedIn: Lori Weintraub
• Sector Focus: Creator economy AI, content tools, video generation, audio synthesis
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Office Location: 10250 Constellation Blvd, Los Angeles
• Website: watertowerventures.com

12. Kairos

LA seed fund with focus on computer vision and NLP applications for enterprise.

• Recent Deals: Multiple LA computer vision startups, enterprise NLP tools, AI security companies
• LinkedIn: Ankur Jain
• Sector Focus: Computer vision, natural language processing, AI security, facial recognition
• Stage Focus: Pre-seed, seed
• Office Location: Los Angeles (remote-first)
• Website: kairosinvests.com

13. NAventures

Corporate VC from North America focusing on enterprise AI and B2B platforms.

• Recent Deals: DataRobot growth rounds, H2O.ai early funding, multiple enterprise ML platforms
• LinkedIn: Rajeev Madhavan
• Sector Focus: Enterprise AI platforms, predictive analytics, AI-powered CRM, workflow automation
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B
• Office Location: Active in LA market
• Website: naventures.com

14. Science Inc

LA venture studio that builds AI companies from scratch with in-house expertise.

• Recent Deals: DogVacay (acquired by Rover), Dollar Shave Club (acquired for $1B), multiple AI projects
• LinkedIn: Mike Jones
• Sector Focus: Consumer AI, personalization, recommendation engines, marketplace ML
• Stage Focus: Company creation, seed
• Office Location: 1333 2nd St, Santa Monica
• Website: science-inc.com

15. BDMI

Early-stage deep tech fund focused on AI, machine learning, and data infrastructure.

• Recent Deals: Anduril Industries $1.5B Series D (2022), Shield AI $165M Series D (2021), LA defense AI
• LinkedIn: Steve Brotman
• Sector Focus: Defense AI, autonomous systems, ML infrastructure, data platforms
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Office Location: 2029 Century Park East, Los Angeles
• Website: bdmi.com

16. Stellation Capital

Backs LA AI companies in autonomous systems, robotics, and aerospace applications.

• Recent Deals: Reliable Robotics $100M Series C (2021), Zipline early rounds, autonomous delivery startups
• LinkedIn: Sarah Hodges
• Sector Focus: Autonomous vehicles, robotics, aerospace AI, drone technology
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B
• Office Location: El Segundo (aerospace hub)
• Website: stellation.vc

Start tracking your LA AI investor outreach

These 16 investors closed 180+ AI deals in Los Angeles in 2025-2026. Before reaching out to LA funds, set up proper tracking.

Upload your deck to Ellty and create unique links for each AI investor. You'll see exactly which slides they review and how long they spend on your model architecture, training approach, and compute costs. LA AI investors typically skip high-level vision slides but deep-dive into technical feasibility and unit economics. That data helps you tailor follow-ups.

When AI investors request technical documentation, share an Ellty data room instead of scattered Google Drive folders. Your model cards, training data sources, benchmark results, and compute budget in one secure place with view analytics. Entertainment-focused funds also want to see content licensing and rights documentation if you're training on media.

Common questions

Do I need to be based in Los Angeles to raise from LA AI investors?

Not necessarily, but it helps for entertainment and aerospace AI. If you're building media AI tools, LA investors expect you to be local for studio partnerships. For enterprise AI or general ML infrastructure, remote is fine. Most LA AI funds care more about customer access than founder location.

How does Los Angeles compare to San Francisco for AI fundraising?

LA has less AI capital but better access to entertainment and aerospace customers. SF has deeper technical talent and more AI-focused funds. LA investors want revenue sooner and care less about novel architectures. Raise in LA if you're building applied AI for media, healthcare, or autonomous systems. Go to SF for foundation models or pure research plays.

What types of AI companies get funded most in LA?

Media AI dominates - content generation, recommendation systems, video synthesis, voice cloning. Autonomous vehicles and robotics AI are second, followed by healthcare AI and enterprise ML applications. Pure research AI or foundation models rarely get funded here. LA investors want clear business models and near-term revenue.

Should I raise from LA investors or go straight to SF?

Raise in LA if you need entertainment industry connections or autonomous vehicle expertise. The customer access is unmatched. Go to SF if you're building AI infrastructure, developer tools, or need $10M+ seed rounds. Many successful LA AI companies raise seed locally, then Series B from SF or strategic investors.

Do LA AI investors understand technical AI deeply?

It varies significantly. Amplify Partners and March Capital have technical partners who understand transformers and ML systems. CAA Ventures and Watertower know entertainment applications but less about model architectures. Ask about their technical diligence process and whether they bring in external ML experts. Some LA funds can't evaluate novel AI approaches.

What's the AI talent pool like in Los Angeles?

Smaller than SF but growing fast. USC and UCLA produce ML talent. SpaceX, Snap, and Google LA employ strong ML teams. You'll pay 20-30% less than SF but have a smaller candidate pool. Most LA AI startups hire remote for specialized roles like research scientists or MLOps engineers. Entertainment AI can recruit from studio technical teams.

How important are entertainment industry connections for AI fundraising in LA?

Critical if you're building media AI, irrelevant if you're not. CAA Ventures, Watertower, and some Upfront partners can get you studio pilots in weeks versus months of cold outreach. For enterprise AI, healthcare AI, or infrastructure, entertainment connections don't matter. Target funds based on your customer segment, not just "AI investor" labels.