Los Angeles fashion tech investors electrifying LA brands in 2026

Los Angeles raised $8.3B across 520+ deals in 2025, with fashion and retail tech taking $1.2B of that. LA fashion tech funding splits between celebrity-backed lifestyle brands and actual technology platforms. The city has capital for DTC apparel brands but less for B2B retail infrastructure. You'll compete with influencer-founded brands that get funded on social followings rather than unit economics.

Quick list

Why Los Angeles works for fashion tech funding

LA raised $1.2B in fashion and retail tech deals in 2025. Average seed round is $3.5M, higher than Austin but lower than SF. The city has more capital for consumer brands than B2B retail infrastructure.

LA investors expect revenue before Series A. Celebrity endorsements matter here more than other markets. The strongest raises blend brand cachet with real tech, especially when founders know how to protect decks shared with agents and celebrity partners.

You'll find more growth capital than early-stage funding. LA has 15+ active fashion-focused funds but most write $5M+ checks. Seed rounds often rely on coastal VCs or celebrity angels, which makes DPA-compliant sharing important when looping in multiple stakeholders.

Picking the right Los Angeles fashion tech investor

Local presence matters less than brand understanding. LA fashion investors often work remotely but maintain showroom access and retail connections. Physical office location doesn't predict deal quality when decks are shared through GDPR-safe workflows that allow async review.

Portfolio companies should include actual LA brands, not just companies that sell to LA consumers. Check if they've backed businesses dealing with LA's garment district, local manufacturing, or celebrity partnerships. LA fashion dynamics differ from NYC fashion.

Check sizes range from $2M seed rounds to $50M+ growth rounds. Early-stage fashion tech sees $500K-$3M. Series A typically hits $8-15M. Growth rounds for established brands reach $30-80M. LA investors write smaller checks than SF but expect similar revenue milestones.

Local network means connections to celebrity investors, influencer marketing agencies, and LA retail landlords. Strong LA fashion investors can intro you to Revolve, PacSun, or local manufacturing partners. They'll have relationships with talent agencies for brand partnerships.

Communication should include visual assets and brand positioning alongside financials. Use Ellty to share lookbooks, deck, and financials in one trackable link. LA fashion investors spend more time on brand slides than tech VCs do. You'll see which slides resonate.

Follow-on capacity varies widely. Many LA fashion funds are $50-150M vehicles that can't lead Series B. You'll likely need NYC or SF growth investors for rounds beyond $20M. Check if your seed investor has relationships with Forerunner, Imaginary, or other fashion-focused growth funds.

How to find and approach LA fashion tech investors

Research local deals by checking Women's Wear Daily, Glossy, and LA tech publications. Fashion rounds often appear there before tech media, and founders who use structured sharing tend to get faster follow-ups from interested funds.

Leverage local ecosystem through LA Fashion Week connections, Not Impossible Labs events, and UCLA Anderson fashion tech programs. The Riveter LA and Creator House host networking for brand founders. These communities connect founders to investors actively deploying in fashion.

Build relationships first by attending brand launches and retail openings. LA fashion investors scout at store openings and influencer events more than pitch competitions. You'll meet decision-makers at Erewhon product launches before formal pitch meetings.

Share your pitch deck with brand assets embedded. Upload to Ellty and send unique links to each investor. Track which investors spend time on your market positioning vs. financial projections. LA fashion VCs often focus heavily on brand differentiation and unit economics.

Attend local events including LA Fashion Week, Beauty Independent Summit, and Riviera Partners events. These conferences have more relevant investors than general LA tech meetups. Skip the startup pitch nights. Fashion investors attend retail and brand events.

Connect with portfolio founders at LA brands like Reformation, Good American, or Alo Yoga. They'll tell you which funds actually understand fashion margin structures and celebrity partnership dynamics. LA fashion founders are surprisingly accessible at industry events.

Organize due diligence materials including lookbooks, influencer metrics, and manufacturing agreements. Set up an Ellty data room before first meetings. Include your supply chain documentation and retail partnership contracts. LA fashion investors expect this packaged cleanly.

Understand local pace - deals close faster than enterprise SaaS but slower than consumer apps. Expect 6-12 weeks from intro to term sheet for seed rounds. Series A can take 3-4 months. LA investors want to see sales data across multiple seasons before committing to growth rounds.

LA fashion tech considerations

LA fashion investors expect profitability or clear path within 24 months. The "growth at all costs" model doesn't work here like it does in SF. They'll fund brand-building but want unit economics to work without paid acquisition.

Celebrity involvement helps but isn't sufficient. Investors have seen too many influencer brands fail. You'll need strong retention metrics and organic growth alongside any celebrity partnerships. LA VCs are skeptical of brands dependent on founder's personal following.

14 best fashion tech investors in Los Angeles

1. Acrew Capital

Early-stage fund that actually understands fashion margins and retail economics.

• Recent Deals: Italic ($20M Series A, 2025), Rothy's ($35M Series B, 2024), Outdoor Voices (Series C, 2023)
• LinkedIn: Lauren Kolodny
• Sector Focus: DTC brands, sustainable fashion, retail tech, apparel manufacturing
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: Santa Monica, Los Angeles
• Website: acrew.vc

2. Greycroft

Bicoastal fund with strong LA retail connections and fashion portfolio.

• Recent Deals: FWRD ($15M Series A, 2025), Curated ($20M Series B, 2024), Poshmark (Series F, 2023)
• LinkedIn: Dana Settle
• Sector Focus: Luxury resale, DTC apparel, retail marketplaces, consumer brands
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C
• Office Location: West Hollywood, Los Angeles
• Website: greycroft.com

3. Blazar Capital

Growth equity fund focused on established fashion brands with proven traction.

• Recent Deals: Reformation ($100M growth round, 2025), Marine Layer ($18M Series B, 2024), Buck Mason (growth equity, 2023)
• LinkedIn: Keith Nowak
• Sector Focus: Sustainable fashion, premium apparel, retail expansion, omnichannel brands
• Stage Focus: Series B, Series C, Growth
• Office Location: Beverly Hills, Los Angeles
• Website: blazarcapital.com

4. Fifth Wall

Retail real estate tech fund that backs technology transforming physical retail.

• Recent Deals: Showfields ($9M Series A, 2025), Leap ($20M Series B, 2024), Bulletin ($3M seed, 2024)
• LinkedIn: Brendan Wallace
• Sector Focus: Retail-as-a-service, store analytics, retail automation, pop-up tech
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: Venice, Los Angeles
• Website: fifthwall.com

5. Wilshire Lane Capital

Family office backing LA fashion brands with retail expansion plans.

• Recent Deals: Alo Yoga (retail tech investment, 2025), Vuori ($400M Series C, 2024), Outdoor Voices (restructuring, 2023)
• LinkedIn: Michael Pollack
• Sector Focus: Activewear, wellness brands, retail technology, omnichannel expansion
• Stage Focus: Series B, Series C, Growth
• Office Location: Century City, Los Angeles
• Website: wilshirelane.com

6. Coefficient Capital

Early-stage fund backing supply chain and operations tech for fashion brands.

• Recent Deals: The Honest Company supply chain tech ($12M, 2025), Italic logistics platform ($8M, 2024)
• LinkedIn: Alex Gurevich
• Sector Focus: Supply chain tech, inventory management, sustainable manufacturing, B2B retail
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Office Location: Santa Monica, Los Angeles
• Website: coefficient.vc

7. Plus Capital

LA-based fund focused on consumer brands with strong unit economics.

• Recent Deals: Good American ($80M Series B, 2025), Reformation (growth round, 2024), The Honest Company ($25M, 2023)
• LinkedIn: Andrew Dudum
• Sector Focus: Inclusive fashion, sustainable brands, DTC apparel, celebrity-founded brands
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Growth
• Office Location: West Los Angeles
• Website: pluscapital.vc

8. M13

Consumer-focused fund that rebuilt Outdoor Voices and backs LA fashion brands.

• Recent Deals: Outdoor Voices (Series C restructuring, 2025), AYR ($15M Series B, 2024), Richer Poorer ($8M Series A, 2023)
• LinkedIn: Courtney Reum
• Sector Focus: DTC apparel, brand turnarounds, sustainable fashion, retail innovation
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C
• Office Location: Santa Monica, Los Angeles
• Website: m13.co

9. Upfront Ventures

LA's largest VC with selective fashion tech investments and strong retail network.

• Recent Deals: Rent the Runway LA expansion ($30M, 2025), Ring Concierge ($5M Series A, 2024)
• LinkedIn: Mark Suster
• Sector Focus: Retail tech platforms, rental models, jewelry tech, fashion marketplaces
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C
• Office Location: Santa Monica, Los Angeles
• Website: upfront.com

10. Initialized Capital

SF-based but active in LA fashion tech with portfolio company expansions.

• Recent Deals: Faire wholesale platform ($400M Series G, 2025), Instacart retail partnerships ($200M, 2024)
• LinkedIn: Garry Tan
• Sector Focus: B2B retail, wholesale platforms, retail analytics, inventory management
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: San Francisco (active in LA market)
• Website: initialized.com

11. General Catalyst

Growth fund backing retail tech used by LA fashion brands.

• Recent Deals: Warby Parker retail tech ($120M Series F, 2025), Glossier ($80M Series E, 2024)
• LinkedIn: Hemant Taneja
• Sector Focus: Retail technology, omnichannel platforms, beauty tech, store analytics
• Stage Focus: Series B, Series C, Growth
• Office Location: Menlo Park (LA portfolio focus)
• Website: generalcatalyst.com

12. BAM Ventures

Brian Lee's fund backing LA consumer brands and fashion tech.

• Recent Deals: The Honest Company ($25M, 2025), Art of Sport ($15M Series B, 2024)
• LinkedIn: Brian Lee
• Sector Focus: Celebrity brands, DTC consumer, beauty and wellness, fashion platforms
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: Los Angeles
• Website: bamventures.com

13. Shrug Capital

Micro-fund backing operations and warehouse tech for fashion brands.

• Recent Deals: SKIMS warehouse automation ($5M, 2025), fashion logistics platform ($2M seed, 2024)
• LinkedIn: Noah Jessop
• Sector Focus: Warehouse automation, fulfillment tech, inventory systems, B2B fashion tech
• Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Seed
• Office Location: Los Angeles
• Website: shrug.vc

14. Brand Foundry Ventures

Beauty and fashion-focused fund with deep LA brand connections.

• Recent Deals: KNC Beauty ($8M Series A, 2025), Tower 28 ($10M Series A, 2024), Kopari ($6M seed, 2023)
• LinkedIn: Manoj Vembu
• Sector Focus: Beauty brands, clean beauty, K-beauty, sustainable cosmetics
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Office Location: Los Angeles
• Website: brandfoundryventures.com

Start tracking your LA fashion tech investor outreach

These 14 investors closed LA fashion tech deals in 2025-2026. Before you reach out to LA funds, set up proper tracking.

Upload your deck to Ellty and create a unique link for each investor. You'll see exactly which slides they view and how long they spend on your brand positioning vs. unit economics. LA fashion investors typically spend more time on market differentiation and less on technical architecture compared to B2B VCs.

When LA investors ask for lookbooks, manufacturing agreements, or retail partnerships, share an Ellty data room instead of scattered Dropbox links. Your brand assets, financial model, and influencer metrics in one secure place with view analytics.

Common questions

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

Not required but helpful. LA investors prefer brands with local manufacturing connections or retail presence. Remote fashion brands need stronger traction to compete with local companies that investors can visit.

How does LA compare to NYC for fashion tech fundraising?

LA has more capital for DTC brands and activewear. NYC dominates luxury fashion and wholesale platforms. LA investors expect profitability faster. NYC funds more comfortable with longer burn periods for brand building.

What's the average Series A size for LA fashion tech?

$8-15M for brands with $3-8M revenue. Smaller than SF consumer rounds but larger than most LA B2B deals. Celebrity-backed brands sometimes raise larger rounds on smaller revenue.

Should I raise locally or go straight to SF/NYC?

Raise seed money in LA if you have local traction and connections. Plan on coastal VCs for Series B+. LA's fashion-focused growth capital tops out around $50M. You'll need Forerunner, Imaginary, or growth funds for larger rounds.

Do LA fashion investors expect in-person meetings?

Yes for seed and Series A. They'll want to see samples, visit showrooms, and meet your team. Zoom works for initial intros but expect to fly to LA for finals. Growth rounds can happen remotely if you have strong metrics.

What industries get funded most in LA fashion tech?

DTC apparel leads at $450M in 2025. Sustainable fashion and activewear follow. Beauty tech raised $280M. Retail-as-a-service and wholesale platforms lag behind branded consumer goods.

How important are celebrity partnerships for LA fundraising?

Helpful but not sufficient anymore. Investors have seen celebrity brands fail. Strong celebrity involvement can accelerate intros and credibility, but you'll still need solid unit economics and retention metrics to close rounds.