20 seed investors subsidizing Los Angeles startups in 2026

LA's seed ecosystem deployed $1.9B across 380+ deals in 2025. Most capital went to consumer brands, B2B SaaS, and creator economy platforms. The ecosystem is less crowded than SF but still competitive - you won't raise from Mucker Capital or Upfront Ventures without $50K+ monthly revenue or exceptional founder pedigree.

Quick list

Why LA works for seed stage fundraising

Los Angeles is the fourth-largest seed market in the US after San Francisco, New York, and Boston. Seed funds deployed $1.9B during 2025, with consumer startups taking 35%, B2B SaaS getting 30%, and entertainment tech capturing 20% of deal volume. Average seed rounds hit $2.5M, about 35% lower than SF's $3.8M average but companies give up less equity.

LA's advantage is capital-efficient investors who respect sustainable growth over blitz scaling. Most LA seed funds expect 18-24 month runways on seed capital versus SF's 12-15 month burn rates. You'll find more patient capital here - investors who understand building takes time and don't push premature scaling. The downside is fewer seed funds than SF means less competition for your deal, but also fewer options if your first choices pass.

Santa Monica hosts the highest concentration of seed funds with Venice and Culver City emerging as secondary hubs. LA seed investors typically take 6-8 weeks from first meeting to term sheet, similar to SF timelines. Consumer brands and vertical SaaS get funded most easily here, horizontal infrastructure needs stronger technical proof points.

Picking the right LA seed investor

Local presence helps but isn't critical for seed rounds. Many LA seed funds back remote teams if metrics are strong. However, being local gives you access to portfolio events, office hours, and the tight-knit LA founder community. Mucker Capital and Upfront strongly prefer LA-based companies for hands-on support and frequent check-ins.

Portfolio companies reveal fund expertise and value-add capabilities. Check if they backed companies in your category - Mucker excels at marketplaces and B2B SaaS, Science Inc understands consumer brands, Fika Ventures knows developer tools. Those patterns show where they can actually help beyond capital. Review their portfolio founder testimonials on social media to understand real support quality.

Check sizes from LA seed funds range from $500K to $5M depending on stage and traction. Pre-seed rounds average $1.2M, seed rounds hit $2.5M, seed+ rounds reach $4M. Most LA seed funds lead with $1-2M checks and expect 2-4 other investors to fill out the round. Upload your deck to Ellty and share trackable links with each fund. You'll see which investors spend time on your unit economics versus those who just skim team slides.

Network access varies significantly by fund. Upfront can intro you to enterprise customers through their B2B portfolio, M13 connects consumer brands to marketing agencies and retail partners, Science Inc provides operational support through their studio resources. Choose funds whose networks address your immediate bottlenecks - customer acquisition, talent recruitment, or technical challenges.

Follow-on capacity matters more at seed stage than angel rounds. Check if funds reserve capital for Series A participation. Upfront and Greycroft have growth funds for follow-ons, smaller funds like Fika and Sterling typically don't lead Series A. Most LA founders raise seed locally then go to SF for Series A, so having seed investors who can bridge you to coastal VCs helps.

How to find and approach LA seed investors

Research recent deals through Crunchbase, PitchBook, and The Information's LA coverage. Check which funds led seed rounds for companies like yours in the past 18 months. Those funds are actively deploying and understand your market dynamics. Mucker Capital backed 18 LA seed companies in 2024-2025, making them one of the most active local seed investors.

Leverage founder networks through YC alumni groups, On Deck, or local accelerators. Most LA seed deals come from warm introductions through other founders the VCs have backed. Ask portfolio founders about their experience - they'll tell you Mucker responds in 48 hours, Science Inc provides studio resources, Bonfire focuses on capital efficiency. These insights help you prioritize the right funds.

Build relationships at events like LA Tech Week, Santa Monica tech meetups, and fund-hosted demo days. Mucker Capital runs quarterly founder events, Upfront hosts portfolio gatherings, M13 organizes brand summits. Attend these to meet partners before you're raising - relationships built over 6 months convert better than cold pitches during active fundraising.

Attend accelerator programs like Science Inc studio, Mucker Capital's bootcamp, or Launch accelerator. These give you structured access to seed investors and compress relationship-building into 3-4 months. Success rates through these programs are 10-15x higher than cold outreach because you get direct evaluation and feedback.

Use warm introductions from other VCs, angels, or advisors who know the fund. LA seed investors respond to warm intros from trusted sources. Your corporate counsel, if you're working with Wilson Sonsini or Cooley, can make intros. Industry advisors who know the partners personally provide the strongest referrals. Share your Ellty deck link after getting introduced so partners can review at their convenience.

Connect with portfolio founders who raised from your target funds. They'll share honest feedback about partner involvement, response times, and value beyond capital. Reach out on LinkedIn explaining you're considering raising from their investor - most founders are happy to share their experience. Ask specific questions about diligence process, term sheet negotiation, and post-investment support. Screenshot protection helps keep proprietary strategy slides and financial details from leaking during pitch reviews.

Organize your materials before outreach. Set up an Ellty data room with your pitch deck, financial model, and key metrics dashboards. LA seed investors want to see customer acquisition costs, retention curves, and unit economics in early conversations. Having everything organized in one place with view analytics helps you track which investors are seriously evaluating your deal versus those who looked once and moved on.

Understand seed timelines - LA seed funds take 6-8 weeks from first meeting to term sheet for qualified companies. They'll schedule 2-3 partner meetings, conduct customer reference calls, and review your financials deeply. Some funds move faster - Mucker can close in 4 weeks if they know the space well. When investors ask for metric updates, share current dashboards through your Ellty link so they can monitor your progress. Seed investors track 30-50 active deals, so staying visible with regular updates increases your chances of getting to yes.

What LA seed investors look for in startups

LA seed investors focus on three core factors - founding team quality, early product-market fit signals, and capital efficiency plans. They want to see founders with domain expertise or previous startup experience, clear customer validation through revenue or user engagement, and realistic plans to reach $1M+ ARR on seed capital.

Consumer startups need $10K-50K monthly revenue before most seed funds commit. B2B SaaS companies can raise pre-revenue if founders have strong enterprise sales backgrounds and 10-15 customer validation calls. Creator economy platforms need 10K+ monthly active users with engagement proof. Entertainment tech requires content partnerships or talent commitments showing distribution potential.

Technical execution matters more in LA than pure vision. Seed investors want to see working products, early customer feedback, and iteration velocity. Show screenshots, demo videos, and customer testimonials in your pitch. LA seed funds lived through the mobile app bubble - they're skeptical of "we'll build this in 6 months" pitches without technical proof.

Unit economics need to make sense even if they're not perfect. Show clear paths to positive contribution margins within 12-18 months. LA seed investors won't fund companies planning to burn capital indefinitely without monetization plans. Even marketplace and network effect businesses need realistic revenue timelines.

20 top seed investors in Los Angeles

1. Mucker Capital

Mucker is LA's most active seed investor with 150+ portfolio companies and they focus on capital-efficient B2B and marketplace companies.

• Recent Deals: Honey seed (pre-PayPal $4B exit), Chirp $3M seed (2024), multiple LA B2B SaaS
• LinkedIn: Erik Rannala
• Sector Focus: B2B SaaS, Marketplaces, Fintech, Vertical SaaS
• Check Size: $500K-$2M
• Office Location: Santa Monica, California
• Website: muckercapital.com

2. Upfront Ventures

Upfront backs LA tech companies from seed through growth with $2B under management.

• Recent Deals: TrueCar seed rounds, Maker Studios early investment, LA B2B platforms
• LinkedIn: Mark Suster
• Sector Focus: B2B SaaS, Consumer platforms, Infrastructure, Media tech
• Check Size: $1M-$5M
• Office Location: Santa Monica, California
• Website: upfront.com

3. Crosscut Ventures

Crosscut leads seed rounds for LA startups with focus on practical business models and experienced founders.

• Recent Deals: StackAdapt $2M seed (2015), Italic $13M Series A, Sidecar Health investments
• LinkedIn: Brian Garrett
• Sector Focus: B2B SaaS, Consumer platforms, Healthcare, Fintech
• Check Size: $500K-$2M
• Office Location: Santa Monica, California
• Website: crosscut.vc

4. Bonfire Ventures

Bonfire invests in capital-efficient LA companies with clear paths to profitability.

• Recent Deals: Spokeo seed rounds, Tapcart $1.5M seed (2017), LA data platforms
• LinkedIn: Jim Andelman
• Sector Focus: B2B SaaS, Data platforms, Vertical SaaS, Consumer tech
• Check Size: $500K-$2M
• Office Location: Santa Monica, California
• Website: bonfire.vc

5. Science Inc

Science builds and invests in LA consumer and B2B companies through their studio model.

• Recent Deals: Dollar Shave Club seed (pre-Unilever $1B exit), DogVacay seed, multiple LA startups
• LinkedIn: Mike Jones
• Sector Focus: Consumer brands, B2B SaaS, Marketplaces, Media tech
• Check Size: $500K-$3M
• Office Location: Culver City, California
• Website: science-inc.com

6. M13

M13 backs consumer and B2B founders building category-defining companies.

• Recent Deals: The Farmer's Dog $8M seed (2018), Ring seed rounds, Bonobos early investment
• LinkedIn: Courtney Reum
• Sector Focus: Consumer brands, B2B platforms, Health & wellness, Pet products
• Check Size: $1M-$3M
• Office Location: Santa Monica, California
• Website: m13.co

7. TenOneTen Ventures

TenOneTen backs technical founders building vertical SaaS and B2B infrastructure.

• Recent Deals: Scopely seed rounds, Gigster early investment, vertical SaaS platforms
• LinkedIn: Gil Beyda
• Sector Focus: Vertical SaaS, B2B infrastructure, Developer tools, Data platforms
• Check Size: $500K-$2M
• Office Location: Santa Monica, California
• Website: 1010vc.com

8. Greycroft

Greycroft invests bi-coastally in consumer and B2B companies with strong founder-market fit.

• Recent Deals: Daily Harvest $3M seed (2016), Thrive Market early rounds, Bumble seed investment
• LinkedIn: Dana Settle
• Sector Focus: Consumer brands, B2B SaaS, Food tech, Marketplaces
• Check Size: $1M-$3M
• Office Location: Santa Monica, California
• Website: greycroft.com

9. Fika Ventures

Fika backs technical founders building developer tools and infrastructure platforms.

• Recent Deals: LA developer tools startups, infrastructure platforms, open source companies
• LinkedIn: Eva Ho
• Sector Focus: Developer tools, Infrastructure, Open source, B2B SaaS
• Check Size: $500K-$1.5M
• Office Location: Los Angeles, California
• Website: fika.vc

10. Wavemaker Partners

Wavemaker invests in B2B SaaS and fintech startups across LA and Southeast Asia.

• Recent Deals: LA fintech startups, B2B SaaS platforms, cross-border commerce
• LinkedIn: Paul Santos
• Sector Focus: B2B SaaS, Fintech, Cross-border commerce, Vertical SaaS
• Check Size: $500K-$2M
• Office Location: Los Angeles, California
• Website: wavemaker.vc

11. Sterling.VC

Sterling backs creator economy platforms and social commerce companies.

• Recent Deals: Creator economy platforms, influencer tech, social commerce startups
• LinkedIn: Sterling Douglass
• Sector Focus: Creator economy, Social commerce, Influencer tech, Content monetization
• Check Size: $250K-$1M
• Office Location: Santa Monica, California
• Website: sterling.vc

12. Slauson & Co

Slauson & Co backs underrepresented founders building consumer and B2B companies in LA.

• Recent Deals: Diverse founder startups, consumer brands, B2B platforms
• LinkedIn: Ajay Relan
• Sector Focus: Diverse founders, Consumer brands, B2B SaaS, Fintech
• Check Size: $250K-$1M
• Office Location: Los Angeles, California
• Website: slausonandco.com

13. Arena Ventures

Arena backs early-stage consumer and B2B companies with 100+ seed investments.

• Recent Deals: LA consumer startups, marketplace platforms, fintech companies
• LinkedIn: Paige Craig
• Sector Focus: Consumer tech, Marketplaces, Fintech, B2B SaaS
• Check Size: $500K-$2M
• Office Location: Santa Monica, California
• Website: arenavc.com

14. Graph Ventures

Graph invests in consumer and B2B companies with strong network effects.

• Recent Deals: LA consumer platforms, B2B SaaS, marketplace companies
• LinkedIn: Josh Elman
• Sector Focus: Consumer platforms, B2B SaaS, Marketplaces, Social apps
• Check Size: $500K-$2M
• Office Location: Santa Monica, California
• Website: graphventures.com

15. Ride Ventures

Ride backs mobility, transportation, and logistics startups.

• Recent Deals: Mobility startups, transportation tech, logistics platforms
• LinkedIn: Greg Magarshak
• Sector Focus: Mobility, Transportation, Logistics, Micromobility
• Check Size: $500K-$1.5M
• Office Location: Los Angeles, California
• Website: ride.ventures

16. CircleUp

CircleUp backs consumer brands with data-driven investment approach and growth support.

• Recent Deals: Consumer brand seeds, food & beverage startups, beauty brands
• LinkedIn: Ryan Caldbeck
• Sector Focus: Consumer brands, Food & beverage, Beauty, CPG
• Check Size: $1M-$3M
• Office Location: San Francisco/Los Angeles, California
• Website: circleup.com

17. BAM Ventures

BAM invests in media, entertainment, and content technology startups.

• Recent Deals: LA media platforms, content technology, entertainment tech
• LinkedIn: Brian A. Meece
• Sector Focus: Media tech, Entertainment platforms, Content technology, Creator tools
• Check Size: $500K-$2M
• Office Location: Los Angeles, California
• Website: bamventures.com

18. Corazon Capital

Corazon backs LatinX founders building consumer and B2B companies.

• Recent Deals: LatinX founder startups, consumer brands, B2B platforms
• LinkedIn: Manny Fernandez
• Sector Focus: LatinX founders, Consumer brands, B2B SaaS, Fintech
• Check Size: $250K-$1M
• Office Location: Los Angeles, California
• Website: corazoncapital.com

19. Crenshaw Capital

Crenshaw backs underrepresented founders building category-defining companies.

• Recent Deals: Diverse founder startups, consumer platforms, B2B SaaS
• LinkedIn: Keith Beecham
• Sector Focus: Diverse founders, Consumer platforms, B2B SaaS, Fintech
• Check Size: $250K-$1M
• Office Location: Los Angeles, California
• Website: crenshawcapital.com

20. Harlem Capital

Harlem Capital backs diverse founders building consumer brands and technology companies.

• Recent Deals: Partake Foods seed, diverse LA consumer brands, food & beverage
• LinkedIn: Henri Pierre-Jacques
• Sector Focus: Diverse founders, Consumer brands, Food & beverage, B2B SaaS
• Check Size: $500K-$1.5M
• Office Location: Los Angeles, California
• Website: harlem.capital

Start tracking your LA seed investor outreach

These 20 seed funds closed 280+ LA deals in 2024-2025. Before you start pitching Santa Monica and Culver City investors, set up proper tracking.

Upload your deck to Ellty and create a unique link for each seed fund. You'll see exactly which slides partners review and how long they spend on your traction metrics and unit economics. LA seed investors typically focus heavily on capital efficiency and monetization strategy - your analytics will show which funds care about growth rates versus those prioritizing profitability paths.

When seed investors ask for your financial model, customer cohort data, and sales pipeline, share an Ellty data room instead of emailing multiple attachments. Your key metrics organized with view analytics. You'll know which funds are actively evaluating your startup versus those who looked once and moved on to other deals in their pipeline.

Common questions

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

Not required but it helps significantly. Most LA seed funds prefer local companies for hands-on support and regular check-ins. Mucker Capital and Bonfire Ventures strongly favor LA-based startups. However, funds like Greycroft, Upfront, and M13 regularly back remote teams if metrics are strong. If you're outside LA, focus on funds with portfolio companies in your region.

How does raising seed in LA compare to SF?

LA seed rounds average $2.5M versus SF's $3.8M but you'll give up less equity in LA. LA investors expect more capital-efficient growth and longer runways (18-24 months vs 12-15 months). Competition is lower - 30-40 companies raising at any time versus 150+ in SF. Raise in LA if you value sustainable growth, SF if you need large war chests for rapid expansion.

What's the typical seed round size in LA?

$2.5M average for seed rounds, $1.2M for pre-seed, $4M for seed extension rounds. Consumer brands raise slightly more ($2.8M) than B2B SaaS ($2.3M). First-time founders typically raise $1.5-2M, experienced founders with exits raise $3-4M. Most rounds include one lead investor putting in $1-2M and 2-4 other investors filling the rest.

Should I raise from LA seed funds before approaching Series A VCs?

Yes if you're early-stage with under $500K ARR or 50K users. Seed funds take more risk on unproven companies and provide structured support to reach Series A metrics. However, if you already have $1M+ ARR with strong growth, consider going straight to Series A firms for larger rounds and higher valuations. Don't waste 4 months raising $2M seed when you could raise $10M Series A.

Do LA seed investors expect certain metrics before investing?

Consumer apps need $10K-50K monthly revenue or 10K+ MAU with strong engagement. B2B SaaS needs $10K+ MRR or 10+ customer validation calls with enterprise buyers. Consumer brands need $20K+ monthly revenue with positive unit economics. If you're pre-revenue, you need exceptional founding team with previous exits or deep domain expertise in your market.

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

6-8 weeks from first partner meeting to signed term sheet for qualified companies. Add 2-4 weeks for legal documentation and wire transfers. Mucker Capital can move in 4 weeks if they know the space well. Some funds take 10-12 weeks if they need extensive customer diligence or technical validation. Factor in 2-3 weeks for warm introductions before first meetings, so total process runs 10-14 weeks from introduction to closed round.