Los Angeles fintech investors sponsoring payments and finance companies in 2026

Los Angeles raised $1.4B across 85+ fintech deals in 2025. That's smaller than SF's $8B+ but growing faster percentage-wise. LA fintech focuses on embedded finance, creator economy payments, entertainment industry financial tools, and consumer lending. You won't find many enterprise banking infrastructure plays here, but consumer-facing fintech and niche B2B payments get funded easily. The ecosystem is less crowded than SF, which means less competition for capital but also fewer specialized fintech investors.

Quick list

Why Los Angeles for fintech fundraising

Los Angeles has 20+ active fintech-focused investors and another 30+ generalist funds that invest in financial services. Fintech seed rounds in LA averaged $3.2M in 2025, about 25% smaller than SF but with lower valuations and less dilution.

The entertainment and creator economy drives unique fintech opportunities. Musicians, influencers, and content creators need specialized payment solutions, financial management tools, and monetization platforms. If you're building fintech for creators, LA beats SF for customer access. Companies like Patreon, Cameo, and Social Blade all emerged from LA's creator-finance ecosystem.

Consumer lending and alternative credit get more attention here than in SF. LA has large immigrant and underbanked populations that traditional banks don't serve well. Investors here understand alternative data, cash-based economies, and Spanish-language financial products better than most coastal VCs.

LA lacks the banking infrastructure expertise of NYC and the enterprise fintech depth of SF. You won't find many investors here who understand core banking systems, treasury management, or institutional payments. B2C and small business fintech work well in LA. Enterprise banking infrastructure doesn't.

Regulatory expertise is limited compared to NYC. Most LA fintech investors partner with law firms in SF or NYC for compliance and licensing issues. If you're building something that needs state-by-state money transmitter licenses or banking charters, expect to educate your LA investors on the regulatory path.

Picking the right Los Angeles fintech investor

Local presence matters for consumer fintech and creator economy plays. LA investors can intro you to influencers, talent agencies, and entertainment companies that need specialized financial tools. For B2B fintech, location matters less than sector expertise.

Portfolio companies reveal whether they actually understand fintech or just invested in hot deals. Check if their portfolio companies have banking licenses, money transmitter licenses, or partnerships with sponsor banks. Some LA investors claim "fintech expertise" but have never dealt with compliance or regulatory issues.

Check sizes for LA fintech seed rounds typically range $1M-$5M, with most in the $2-4M range. Mucker and Upfront lead larger seeds at $3-5M. Karlin and Rainfall write $1-2M initial checks. Series A rounds hit $8-15M, smaller than SF's $15-25M but sufficient for most consumer fintech. Upload to Ellty and send trackable links to see which investors actually spend time on your unit economics and regulatory strategy slides.

Regulatory understanding separates real fintech investors from tourists. Ask them about sponsor bank relationships, compliance costs, and state-by-state licensing. If they can't discuss these topics in detail, they'll slow you down during diligence or push back on necessary compliance spending.

Consumer vs B2B focus differs across LA funds. Mucker, Greycroft, and Rainfall focus on consumer fintech. March Capital and GFR prefer B2B payment platforms. Karlin and Fin Capital do both. Match your business model to their portfolio pattern.

Follow-on capacity is critical for fintech companies with high customer acquisition costs. Most LA seed funds can participate in Series A but can't lead $15M+ rounds. You'll likely need SF or NYC investors for growth stages. Plan your cap table for this transition.

How to find and approach Los Angeles fintech investors

Research local deals through dot.LA and TechCrunch for LA fintech funding announcements. Fintech Nexus covers industry deals nationally. Check which funds led recent LA fintech rounds in your category - payments, lending, insurtech, or embedded finance. PitchBook has detailed fintech deal data if you have access.

Leverage local ecosystem starting with LA Fintech, a community organization that hosts monthly events. Cross Campus Santa Monica runs fintech meetups. FinTech LA accelerator connects startups with investors. Get involved where your specific fintech vertical fits - there are separate groups for crypto, payments, and lending.

Build relationships first at Money20/20 if you can get there, though it's in Vegas not LA. LA Fintech Summit happens annually. The fintech community here is smaller than SF but more collaborative. Warm intros from portfolio founders work better than cold emails. Join LA CTO Forum if you're technical or Fintech Founders Group for peer connections.

Share your pitch deck through Ellty with unique tracking links for each investor. You'll see which funds review your regulatory strategy, unit economics, and banking partnerships versus just skimming the executive summary. LA fintech investors typically respond within 5-7 days if interested, slower than SF but faster than traditional finance investors.

Attend local events including LA Tech Week fintech sessions, Fintech Breakfast LA (monthly), and USC Marshall fintech conferences. Upfront Ventures and Crosscut sometimes host fintech-specific office hours. dot.LA organizes quarterly fintech panels with active investors. Founders often lose investor trust by repeating common GDPR document sharing mistakes during fundraising.

Connect with portfolio founders of your target funds. Ask specifically about regulatory diligence - which law firms they used, how long licensing took, and whether investors understood compliance costs. LA has some fintech investors who underestimate regulatory complexity and push back on necessary spending.

Organize due diligence in an Ellty data room with your compliance documentation, sponsor bank agreements (if any), and regulatory roadmap. LA fintech investors want to see customer acquisition costs, payback periods, and fraud rates. Have detailed answers on banking partners and payment processing ready.

Understand local pace - LA fintech deals close in 10-16 weeks, slower than SF but faster than NYC. Investors here do extensive customer diligence and want to see live product demos. Expect 5-7 meetings including deep dives on unit economics and regulatory strategy. They won't bet on just a team without product traction.

Los Angeles-specific considerations for fintech

LA investors strongly prefer consumer fintech over enterprise. If you're building core banking infrastructure or institutional payment systems, SF or NYC are better options. Consumer lending, creator economy payments, and embedded finance for SMBs work well in LA.

Entertainment industry connections create unique fintech opportunities. Talent agencies need payment automation, royalty management, and international payments for global talent. Studios require production financing and payment coordination across hundreds of vendors. Investors here can connect you to these customers faster than SF funds.

Spanish-language fintech gets more attention in LA than anywhere except Miami. The city has large Latino populations underserved by traditional banks. Remittance, alternative credit, and cash-based payment solutions address real market needs. If you're building for these segments, LA investors understand the opportunity better than coastal VCs.

Crypto and blockchain face skepticism here. LA had several crypto scandals and investors are cautious. If you're building crypto infrastructure or DeFi, SF is a better market. Crypto payments for creators or NFT platforms get more interest given the entertainment angle.

Customer acquisition costs run higher in LA than you'd expect. The market is spread out geographically and fragmented across industries. Budget 30-50% more for CAC than your models show. LA investors will scrutinize your acquisition strategy and payback periods heavily.

Banking partnerships are harder to establish from LA. Most sponsor banks and banking-as-a-service providers are based in Utah, North Carolina, or SF. You'll need to travel for these relationships or build them remotely. LA investors can't intro you to banking partners the way SF or NYC investors can.

17 top fintech investors in Los Angeles

1. Upfront Ventures

LA's largest VC with strong fintech portfolio including Brex, TrueBill, and multiple payment companies.

• Recent Deals: Brex $300M Series D (2021), TrueBill (acquired by Rocket Companies for $1.3B), Settle $100M Series B (2022)
• LinkedIn: Mark Suster
• Sector Focus: B2B fintech, embedded finance, payment infrastructure, SMB banking
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: 10000 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles
• Website: upfront.com

2. Mucker Capital

LA seed fund with Chime and Honey in portfolio, two of the biggest fintech exits from the region.

• Recent Deals: Chime $750M Series G (2021, now $25B valuation), Honey (acquired by PayPal for $4B), Brex seed round
• LinkedIn: Will Hsu
• Sector Focus: Consumer fintech, neobanks, payment optimization, cashback platforms
• Stage Focus: Pre-seed, seed
• Office Location: 1540 2nd St, Santa Monica
• Website: mucker.com

3. Greycroft

Bicoastal fund with Venmo and multiple LA fintech companies in portfolio.

• Recent Deals: Venmo (acquired by PayPal), Acorns $300M Series F (2020), Behalf $100M Series D (2019)
• LinkedIn: Dana Settle
• Sector Focus: Consumer fintech, micro-investing, small business lending, payment platforms
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: 2450 Broadway, Santa Monica
• Website: greycroft.com

4. Crosscut Ventures

LA early-stage fund backing payment infrastructure and consumer fintech companies.

• Recent Deals: PayNearMe $45M Series C (2020), Divvy (acquired by Bill.com for $2.5B), multiple payment startups
• LinkedIn: Brian Garrett
• Sector Focus: Payment networks, cash payments, B2B payments, expense management
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Office Location: 801 Montana Ave, Santa Monica
• Website: crosscut.vc

5. March Capital

LA growth investor backing fintech infrastructure and B2B payment platforms at later stages.

• Recent Deals: C3.ai early growth rounds, Bill.com growth rounds (now $10B+ public), Flywire growth rounds
• LinkedIn: Sumant Mandal
• Sector Focus: Payment infrastructure, fintech SaaS, accounts payable automation, cross-border payments
• Stage Focus: Series B, Series C, growth
• Office Location: 2450 Colorado Ave, Santa Monica
• Website: marchcp.com

6. Fika Ventures

LA seed fund with Vestwell and other fintech companies focused on retirement and financial wellness.

• Recent Deals: Vestwell $70M Series C (2021), Dandelion Energy $30M Series B (2020), multiple fintech startups
• LinkedIn: Eva Ho
• Sector Focus: Retirement tech, financial wellness, SMB banking, embedded finance
• Stage Focus: Seed
• Office Location: 130 W Union St, Pasadena
• Website: fika.vc

7. Karlin Ventures

LA-based early-stage fund focused exclusively on fintech and payment innovations.

• Recent Deals: Multiple LA fintech seed rounds in payments, lending, and crypto infrastructure
• LinkedIn: Jonathan Karlin
• Sector Focus: Payments, lending platforms, insurtech, blockchain payments
• Stage Focus: Pre-seed, seed
• Office Location: Santa Monica
• Website: karlinventures.com

8. Fin Capital

Fintech-focused fund with portfolio companies across infrastructure, embedded finance, and banking.

• Recent Deals: Stripe early rounds (now $95B valuation), Plaid growth rounds (valued at $13B), Treasury Prime Series A
• LinkedIn: Logan Allin
• Sector Focus: Banking infrastructure, embedded finance, BaaS platforms, payment rails
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Office Location: Active in LA market
• Website: fincapital.vc

9. Rainfall Ventures

LA consumer fintech fund backing early-stage financial services and embedded finance companies.

• Recent Deals: Multiple LA consumer fintech startups in neobanking, lending, and payment sectors
• LinkedIn: Jay Wacker
• Sector Focus: Consumer neobanks, embedded finance, creator economy payments, alternative credit
• Stage Focus: Pre-seed, seed
• Office Location: Los Angeles
• Website: rainfall.vc

10. TTV Capital

National fintech fund with LA portfolio companies and understanding of financial services infrastructure.

• Recent Deals: Blend $75M Series E (2019), Flywire growth rounds, Onfido $100M Series D (2020)
• LinkedIn: Abaigeal O'Hare
• Sector Focus: Banking tech, payment processing, identity verification, RegTech
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B
• Office Location: Active in LA fintech deals
• Website: ttv.vc

11. Aperture Venture Capital

Early-stage fintech investor with LA office backing payment and banking infrastructure.

• Recent Deals: Alloy $100M Series C (2021), Unit $100M Series C (2021), multiple fintech infrastructure companies
• LinkedIn: Peter Weck
• Sector Focus: Banking-as-a-service, payment infrastructure, KYC/AML tech, embedded banking
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Office Location: Los Angeles
• Website: aperture.vc

12. Clocktower Technology Ventures

Consumer fintech fund backing payment, lending, and banking startups across stages.

• Recent Deals: Pacaso $125M Series C (2021), Turo growth rounds (now $1.5B valuation), Oportun early rounds
• LinkedIn: Brian Pokorny
• Sector Focus: Consumer lending, marketplace payments, auto finance, fractional ownership
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B
• Office Location: Menlo Park but active in LA
• Website: clocktowerventures.com

13. Struck Capital

LA-based backing fintech infrastructure, crypto, and next-generation payment systems.

• Recent Deals: Circle growth rounds (USDC stablecoin), Aurora early rounds, multiple crypto payment companies
• LinkedIn: Adam Struck
• Sector Focus: Crypto payments, blockchain infrastructure, stablecoins, DeFi
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Office Location: West Hollywood
• Website: struckcapital.com

14. GFR Fund

Enterprise software investor active in B2B fintech and payment automation platforms.

• Recent Deals: Outreach $114M Series F (2020), Carta early rounds, Bill.com early growth
• LinkedIn: Gordon Rubenstein
• Sector Focus: AP/AR automation, payment workflows, expense management, fintech SaaS
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Office Location: 1999 Avenue of the Stars, Los Angeles
• Website: gfrfund.com

15. Revel Partners

Growth-stage fintech investor focusing on B2B payment platforms and infrastructure.

• Recent Deals: Tipalti $270M Series F (2021), Navan growth rounds, multiple payment automation companies
• LinkedIn: Matthew Trowbridge
• Sector Focus: Accounts payable, global payments, payment operations, fintech infrastructure
• Stage Focus: Series B, Series C
• Office Location: Active in LA fintech market
• Website: revelpartners.com

16. OCA Ventures

B2B software investor backing fintech from seed through growth stages with LA presence.

• Recent Deals: Sprout Social growth rounds, Bill.com early rounds, multiple payment platforms
• LinkedIn: Chris Gladwin
• Sector Focus: B2B payments, fintech SaaS, banking software, financial workflows
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: Chicago but active LA investor
• Website: ocaventures.com

17. Conversion Capital

Consumer fintech fund investing in payment, banking, and lending startups serving underserved markets.

• Recent Deals: Tala $145M Series E (2021), Oportun early rounds, multiple alternative credit companies
• LinkedIn: Stefan Cohen
• Sector Focus: Alternative credit, financial inclusion, remittance, Spanish-language fintech
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Office Location: Los Angeles
• Website: conversioncapital.com

Start tracking your LA fintech investor outreach

These 17 investors closed 120+ fintech 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 fintech investor. You'll see exactly which slides they review and how long they spend on your unit economics, customer acquisition strategy, and regulatory approach. LA fintech investors typically skip market size slides but focus heavily on CAC payback, fraud rates, and banking partnerships. That insight helps you customize follow-ups.

When fintech investors request compliance documentation or banking agreements, share an Ellty data room instead of email attachments. Your money transmitter licenses, sponsor bank contracts, compliance policies, and financial models in one secure place with view analytics. Most LA fintech investors want to see detailed regulatory strategy before term sheets.

Common questions

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

Not necessarily, but it helps for consumer fintech and creator economy plays. If you're building financial tools for influencers or entertainment industry, LA investors expect local presence for customer development. For B2B fintech or infrastructure, remote is fine. Most LA fintech funds care more about market opportunity than founder location.

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

LA has less fintech capital but better access to entertainment and creator economy customers. SF has deeper banking infrastructure expertise and more specialized fintech funds. LA investors prefer consumer fintech and embedded finance. SF funds more enterprise banking and payment infrastructure. Raise in LA if you're building for consumers, creators, or SMBs. Go to SF for core banking systems or institutional fintech.

What types of fintech companies get funded most in LA?

Consumer neobanks and lending platforms dominate - about 35% of LA fintech deals. Creator economy payments and embedded finance are second at 25%. Insurtech and alternative credit follow. Enterprise banking infrastructure and institutional payments rarely get funded here. LA investors want consumer-facing products or SMB solutions with clear monetization.

Should I raise from LA investors or go to San Francisco or New York?

Raise in LA if you need creator economy connections or understand alternative credit markets. The customer access for consumer fintech is strong. Go to SF for banking infrastructure or payment rails. Choose NYC for institutional fintech or if you need banking charter expertise. Many LA fintech companies raise seed locally, then Series B from SF or strategic investors.

Do LA fintech investors understand regulatory complexity?

It varies significantly. Karlin Ventures, Fin Capital, and some Upfront partners understand money transmitter licensing and sponsor bank relationships. Generalist funds often underestimate compliance costs and timelines. Ask about their portfolio companies' regulatory paths and whether they've helped navigate state-by-state licensing. Some LA investors have never dealt with FinCEN or banking regulators.

What's the biggest challenge raising fintech capital in LA?

Limited regulatory expertise compared to NYC and less banking infrastructure knowledge than SF. You'll spend time educating investors on compliance requirements, sponsor bank economics, and licensing timelines. Banking partnerships are also harder to establish from LA - most BaaS providers and sponsor banks are elsewhere. Budget extra time for investor education and plan to travel for banking relationships.

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

Critical if you're building creator economy fintech, irrelevant if you're not. Funds like Rainfall and some partners at Greycroft can intro you to talent agencies, influencer networks, and content platforms. For general consumer fintech, lending, or B2B payments, entertainment connections don't matter. Target funds based on your customer segment, not just "fintech investor" labels.