VC funds nourishing Los Angeles's startup ecosystem in 2026

Los Angeles raised $11.2B across 580+ deals in 2025. Most capital went to consumer brands, entertainment tech, and healthtech. The ecosystem is split between Silicon Beach tech and Hollywood media ventures. You won't get noticed here without strong consumer traction or entertainment industry connections.

Quick list

Why Los Angeles works for consumer and entertainment

Los Angeles has 60+ active venture funds. Average seed round is $2.8M, similar to Seattle but lower than SF. That's because LA prioritizes consumer traction over enterprise contracts - investors want to see users, not ARR.

Consumer brands and entertainment tech get funded easily here. Investors understand influencer marketing, D2C unit economics, and content distribution. If you're building pure enterprise B2B, you'll struggle. LA VCs want consumer-facing products or content plays.

The talent pool is mixed. You can hire great designers, marketers, and content creators. Engineers are harder to find and more expensive than Austin or Seattle. That matters for infrastructure startups but works fine for consumer apps.

LA's biggest strength is consumer brand building. Access to influencers, content creators, and entertainment industry connections accelerates D2C growth. The weakness is limited late-stage capital for non-consumer companies. Most enterprise startups eventually need SF investors for growth rounds. Tracking which firms consistently show up in later rounds becomes easier when you’re using structured document analytics to understand who’s engaging with your materials.

Picking the right Los Angeles investor

Local presence: LA investors expect you to be based in Southern California or have clear entertainment industry advantages. The ecosystem spans Santa Monica, Venice, Culver City, and downtown LA. Physical presence matters for accessing influencer networks and media connections.

Portfolio companies: Check if they've backed LA companies. Some "LA funds" are really SF VCs with occasional Southern California deals. Look for investors who've done 8+ LA deals in the past three years. Santa Monica and Venice offices signal real commitment. Founders now prefer password protecting their slides for sensitive materials.

Check sizes: Seed rounds typically run $1.5-3M in LA. Series A is $6-12M. Series B is $15-35M. Those numbers are 20-30% lower than SF for consumer companies because LA investors focus on capital efficiency and profitable unit economics. These numbers sit above national averages because technical talent is expensive and investors expect more traction before writing checks, especially for teams raising their first startup fundraising rounds.

Local network: LA investors can intro you to talent agencies (CAA, WME, UTA), streaming platforms (Netflix, Hulu, Disney+), or major influencers. That's the real value beyond capital. Ask which entertainment connections they maintain during partner calls.

Communication: Use Ellty to share your deck with trackable links. LA investors typically review decks within 3-5 days - slower than SF but they're thorough. You'll see who actually opens your customer acquisition slides versus who skims the executive summary.

Follow-on capacity: Most LA funds can lead through Series A, some through Series B. After that, you'll need Tiger Global, Insight Partners, or SF growth funds. Check if they co-invest regularly with Upfront or Greycroft - those relationships signal they can help with later rounds.

How to find and approach Los Angeles investors

Research local deals: Check dot.LA's daily funding news and TechCrunch's LA filter. Most LA raises are announced within days. The community is smaller than SF but well-connected. Follow Santa Monica tech newsletters for ecosystem updates.

Leverage entertainment connections: Join Warner Bros Innovation Lab or Disney Accelerator programs if you're in media tech. Half of LA's media deals have some connection to Hollywood studios or talent agencies. If you’ve worked at either company, use that alumni access aggressively when refining your pitch deck.

Build relationships first: LA investors fund through warm intros from portfolio founders or entertainment industry connections. Cold emails work 10% of the time versus 25% in SF. Get introduced through shared connections or consumer brand founders.

Share your pitch deck: Upload to Ellty and send unique tracking links to each fund. LA investors spend extra time on customer acquisition strategy and brand positioning slides. They care less about technical architecture than Seattle or SF investors.

Attend local events: LA Tech Summit brings everyone together annually. Santa Monica New Tech hosts monthly meetups. Upfront Summit is invitation-only but worth networking your way in. Skip generic pitch events - LA investors prefer curated introductions.

Connect with portfolio founders: Message founders at Ring, Honey, or The Honest Company. They'll tell you which funds move fast and which ones take months to decide. LA founders are surprisingly accessible if you reach out directly on LinkedIn.

Organize due diligence: Set up an Ellty data room before meetings. LA investors expect clean customer data, CAC/LTV models, and brand strategy docs. Keep your influencer contracts, customer cohorts, and Delaware incorporation materials ready.

Understand local pace: LA deals close in 12-18 weeks typically. Slower than SF or Seattle because investors want to see sustained consumer growth. Don't expect term sheets after three meetings unless you have viral traction or competing offers.

Los Angeles-specific considerations

LA investors heavily favor consumer brands, D2C products, and entertainment tech. Pure enterprise B2B startups struggle unless you have clear media industry applications. Healthtech works here because of Cedars-Sinai and UCLA medical connections.

Expect detailed questions about customer acquisition and brand differentiation. LA investors come from consumer backgrounds - they'll audit your Instagram strategy, influencer ROI, and content marketing. If you can't explain your CAC payback period, you won't get funded.

LA has strong seed and Series A capital but limited growth stage funding for non-consumer companies. Plan your Series B+ with SF or NYC firms. Most successful LA companies stay headquartered here for talent and culture, then add SF presence for later fundraising. The exits happen through acquisitions more than IPOs - think PayPal buying Honey or Amazon buying Ring.

19 top investors in Los Angeles

1. Upfront Ventures

LA's most prominent VC firm with 25+ years backing Southern California companies.

• Recent Deals: TrueCar Series C (IPO 2014), Ring growth rounds (acquired by Amazon for $1B), Nanit $25M Series B (2021)
• LinkedIn: Mark Suster
• Sector Focus: consumer tech, B2B SaaS, marketplaces, media tech
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: 10889 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles
• Website: upfront.com

2. Greycroft

Bi-coastal fund with major Santa Monica presence backing consumer brands.

• Recent Deals: Bumble early rounds (IPO 2021, $13B valuation), Venmo Series A (acquired by PayPal), Thrive Market $20M Series C (2020)
• LinkedIn: Dana Settle
• Sector Focus: consumer internet, D2C brands, fintech, media
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: 1447 2nd Street, Santa Monica
• Website: greycroft.com

3. M13

Consumer-focused fund founded by Snap's first investor Jeremy Liew.

• Recent Deals: Dollar Shave Club (acquired by Unilever for $1B), Lyft early rounds (IPO 2019), Daily Harvest $43M Series C (2019)
• LinkedIn: Jeremy Liew
• Sector Focus: consumer brands, D2C, marketplaces, fintech
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: Santa Monica
• Website: m13.co

4. Crosscut Ventures

Early-stage LA investor backing consumer and enterprise companies.

• Recent Deals: Ring seed round (acquired by Amazon for $1B), The Honest Company Series A, Zulily early rounds ($2.4B exit)
• LinkedIn: Brian Garrett
• Sector Focus: consumer tech, B2B SaaS, marketplaces, healthtech
• Stage Focus: pre-seed, seed, Series A
• Office Location: 1990 S Bundy Drive, Los Angeles
• Website: crosscut.vc

5. Mucker Capital

LA's most active seed investor, writing $500K-2M checks.

• Recent Deals: Honey seed round (acquired by PayPal for $4B), Localytics Series A, Bluesmart seed
• LinkedIn: Will Hsu
• Sector Focus: B2B SaaS, consumer internet, fintech, marketplaces
• Stage Focus: pre-seed, seed
• Office Location: 510 Santa Monica Blvd, Santa Monica
• Website: muckercapital.com

6. Fifth Wall

Real estate tech specialist with $3B+ assets under management.

• Recent Deals: Opendoor growth rounds (IPO 2020), VTS $90M Series D (2021), Latch $126M Series C (2020)
• LinkedIn: Brendan Wallace
• Sector Focus: proptech, real estate, construction tech, smart buildings
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C
• Office Location: Los Angeles
• Website: fifthwall.com

7. Science Inc

Venture studio creating and funding LA consumer companies.

• Recent Deals: Created Dollar Shave Club (acquired for $1B), DogVacay (acquired by Rover), FameBit (acquired by YouTube)
• LinkedIn: Mike Jones
• Sector Focus: consumer brands, D2C, marketplaces, media
• Stage Focus: company creation, pre-seed, seed
• Office Location: Santa Monica
• Website: science-inc.com

8. March Capital

Growth equity firm backing LA tech and aerospace companies.

• Recent Deals: SpaceX growth rounds, Ring Series B (acquired by Amazon), Scopely multiple rounds
• LinkedIn: Sumant Mandal
• Sector Focus: enterprise software, aerospace, fintech, consumer tech
• Stage Focus: Series B, Series C, growth equity
• Office Location: 2420 17th Street, Santa Monica
• Website: marchcp.com

9. Plus Capital

Consumer and fintech specialist with Santa Monica roots.

• Recent Deals: Bird early rounds, Scopely $200M Series D (2020), Trinet $33M growth
• LinkedIn: Adam Struck
• Sector Focus: consumer tech, fintech, gaming, mobility
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: West Los Angeles
• Website: plus.vc

10. Bonfire Ventures

B2B SaaS micro-VC writing small checks into LA enterprise startups.

• Recent Deals: 40+ LA B2B SaaS seed investments, focus on capital-efficient companies
• LinkedIn: Mark Mullen
• Sector Focus: B2B SaaS, vertical software, fintech, data analytics
• Stage Focus: pre-seed, seed
• Office Location: Santa Monica
• Website: bonfirevc.com

11. Karlin Ventures

Enterprise software and healthcare IT investor based in Beverly Hills.

• Recent Deals: Multiple LA B2B SaaS companies, healthcare IT platforms
• LinkedIn: Matthew Karlin
• Sector Focus: enterprise software, healthcare IT, B2B SaaS, data platforms
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B
• Office Location: Beverly Hills
• Website: karlinventures.com

12. Wavemaker Partners

Deep tech and B2B infrastructure investor with Santa Monica office.

• Recent Deals: Multiple LA enterprise infrastructure and deep tech startups
• LinkedIn: Paul Santos
• Sector Focus: deep tech, B2B infrastructure, AI/ML, enterprise software
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A
• Office Location: Santa Monica
• Website: wavemaker.vc

13. Kairos

Healthcare and life sciences specialist investing in LA biotech.

• Recent Deals: Multiple LA healthtech and biotech companies, digital health platforms
• LinkedIn: Dan Vapor
• Sector Focus: healthcare, life sciences, biotech, digital health
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: Los Angeles
• Website: kairosvc.com

14. Fika Ventures

Early-stage investor in B2B software and consumer startups.

• Recent Deals: Multiple LA seed rounds in B2B SaaS and consumer tech
• LinkedIn: Eva Ho
• Sector Focus: B2B SaaS, consumer tech, fintech, marketplaces
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A
• Office Location: Los Angeles
• Website: fika.vc

15. Pritzker Group Venture Capital

Multi-stage investor with LA presence backing consumer and tech.

• Recent Deals: Klarna growth rounds, Simple (acquired by BBVA), Divvy $200M Series D (2020)
• LinkedIn: Michael Proman
• Sector Focus: consumer tech, fintech, B2B SaaS, healthcare
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C
• Office Location: Los Angeles
• Website: pritzkergroup.com/venture-capital

16. Telstra Ventures

Enterprise software and cybersecurity investor with Santa Monica office.

• Recent Deals: DocuSign growth rounds (IPO 2018), Tanium multiple rounds ($9B valuation), Bugcrowd $30M Series D (2021)
• LinkedIn: Yaron Samid
• Sector Focus: enterprise software, cybersecurity, cloud infrastructure, AI
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C
• Office Location: Santa Monica
• Website: telstraventures.com

17. TenOneTen Ventures

Consumer and SMB software investor based in Santa Monica.

• Recent Deals: Multiple LA consumer and SMB software companies
• LinkedIn: Gil Elbaz
• Sector Focus: consumer internet, SMB software, marketplaces, fintech
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A
• Office Location: Santa Monica
• Website: 1010vc.com

18. Sinai Ventures

Pre-seed and seed specialist focusing on LA's earliest-stage companies.

• Recent Deals: 30+ LA pre-seed investments, focus on diverse founding teams
• LinkedIn: David Aronoff
• Sector Focus: consumer tech, B2B SaaS, fintech, healthtech
• Stage Focus: pre-seed, seed
• Office Location: Santa Monica
• Website: sinaiventures.com

19. Baroda Ventures

Enterprise AI and infrastructure investor in LA.

• Recent Deals: Multiple LA enterprise AI and infrastructure startups
• LinkedIn: Sanjay Sabnani
• Sector Focus: enterprise AI, infrastructure, data platforms, automation
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A
• Office Location: Santa Monica
• Website: barodaventures.com

Start tracking your Los Angeles investor outreach

These 19 investors closed 240+ LA deals in 2024-2025. Before you start reaching out to Southern California funds, set up proper tracking.

Upload your deck to Ellty and create a unique link for each LA investor. You'll see exactly which slides they view and how long they spend on your customer acquisition strategy and brand positioning. LA-based founders often find local investors skip technical architecture but deep-dive on marketing channels and unit economics.

When LA investors ask for customer data or brand strategy materials, share an Ellty data room instead of Google Drive folders. Your influencer contracts, customer cohort analysis, CAC/LTV models, and Delaware incorporation docs in one secure place with view analytics.

Common questions

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

Most LA funds prefer Southern California companies or those with clear entertainment industry advantages. You don't need California incorporation, but you should have operations in LA or strong ties to media, influencers, or consumer brands. Remote-first consumer companies can get funded with strong traction.

How does LA compare to SF or NYC for fundraising?

LA has more capital than Austin or Seattle for consumer companies but less than SF or NYC. Average valuations are 15-25% lower than SF but investors expect profitability faster. LA's advantage is consumer brand expertise and entertainment connections. The disadvantage is limited enterprise B2B capital and smaller late-stage ecosystem.

What's the average seed round size in LA?

$1.5-3M for institutional seed rounds. Pre-seed is typically $500K-1M. Series A ranges from $6-12M. These are 20-30% lower than SF because LA investors prioritize capital efficiency and profitable unit economics over hypergrowth.

Should I raise locally or go straight to SF?

Raise local for seed and Series A if you're building consumer brands, D2C products, or entertainment tech. LA investors understand these markets better than SF generalists. Plan to bring in SF or NYC capital for Series B+ or if you pivot to enterprise. Most successful LA consumer companies stay headquartered here but add SF offices for growth rounds.

Do LA investors expect in-person meetings?

Yes, especially for first meetings. LA is relationship-driven like Atlanta but more casual. Plan to fly in for 2-3 days and meet 5-7 funds in Santa Monica and Venice. Follow-up meetings can be Zoom. Close term sheets in person over coffee or lunch.

What industries get funded most in LA?

Consumer brands and D2C dominate, especially beauty, wellness, and lifestyle products. Entertainment tech and media platforms get funded easily. Healthtech works because of Cedars-Sinai and UCLA connections. B2B SaaS struggles unless you have consumer-facing elements or media applications. Pure enterprise infrastructure rarely gets funded.

How long does it take to close a round in LA?

3-5 months from first meeting to wire transfer. Slower than SF or Seattle because investors want to see sustained consumer growth and repeat purchase behavior. Expect 4-6 partner meetings and detailed customer data analysis. Deals with viral traction or competing offers can close in 8-10 weeks.