16 venture capital investors sponsoring San Diego companies in 2026

San Diego raised $7.3B across 450+ deals in 2025. Life sciences took 55% of that capital, defense and aerospace another 20%. The ecosystem is technical and risk-averse compared to SF. Consumer plays don't get funded here. You won't raise in San Diego without deep scientific credentials or defense contracts.

Quick list

Why San Diego works for life sciences and defense

San Diego has 35+ active institutional investors. Average seed round is $3-5M, Series A is $15-25M. Those numbers are higher than Austin or Seattle because life sciences requires more capital. The money here is patient. Investors understand 7-10 year timelines for FDA approval or defense procurement.

Life sciences dominates because San Diego has the infrastructure. Scripps Research, UCSD, Salk Institute, and 1,200+ biotech companies all operate here. Investors have scientific advisory boards filled with Nobel laureates. That means brutal scientific diligence but also connections to pharma BD teams at Pfizer, Merck, and Johnson & Johnson.

Defense tech is the second vertical that actually works. San Diego has more active military personnel than any US city. Naval Base San Diego, Camp Pendleton, and multiple defense contractors create a pipeline of dual-use technology. Investors here understand SBIR grants and DoD procurement. Software-only plays struggle unless there's clear government customer traction.

Picking the right San Diego investor

Scientific credentials: San Diego investors expect technical depth. If you're in biotech, your founding team needs PhDs from top labs or prior drug development experience. Defense tech requires cleared personnel or prior government contracts. Consumer internet founders get ignored completely.

Portfolio companies: Check if they've backed companies in your specific modality or technology. Avalon's oncology portfolio connects founders to clinical trial sites. Santé's medical device experience helps with FDA 510(k) pathways. These relationships cut regulatory timelines by 6-12 months.

Check sizes: Seed rounds are $2-5M for software, $5-10M for biotech. Series A is $10-20M for software, $20-40M for life sciences. Growth rounds require coastal capital. San Diego has limited Series C+ capacity outside life sciences. Plan to bring in Bay Area or Boston funds for late-stage rounds.

Regulatory understanding: San Diego investors know FDA pathways and DoD procurement cycles. They won't fund science projects without clear regulatory strategy. If you're pre-IND or pre-SBIR Phase II, you'll need exceptional validation data or pharma partnerships to raise institutional capital. Pitch-deck tracking software helps you see when interest spikes and which investors to follow up with first.

Communication: Share your deck through Ellty with trackable links. San Diego investors take 5-7 days to review scientific materials. You'll see if they're reading your clinical data or mechanism of action slides. If they skip those sections, they're evaluating commercial potential without understanding the science.

Follow-on capacity: Most San Diego funds reserve 60-70% for follow-on because life sciences requires multiple rounds. Ask explicitly about their deployment pace and remaining fund capacity. Running out of runway with a half-finished clinical trial kills companies. You need investors who can bridge you to milestones.

How to find and approach San Diego investors

Research Biocom events: Biocom California runs San Diego's life sciences ecosystem. Their investor conferences and partnering events are where local VCs actually show up. Skip general tech events. Go where scientific and defense investors spend time. Fall Investor Conference and Life Science Day connect you to relevant capital.

Leverage CONNECT: CONNECT San Diego runs programs for life sciences and defense startups. Their Springboard accelerator has 25+ years of local investor relationships. Most San Diego funds attend their events. CONNECT alumni get warmer intros than cold LinkedIn messages. The organization validates you before investors take meetings.

Join Tech Coast Angels: Tech Coast Angels is the largest angel network in the US with strong San Diego presence. Even if you don't pitch their investment committee, membership puts you in rooms with local VCs. Many institutional investors in San Diego started as TCA members. The network matters here more than Austin or Dallas.

Share your pitch deck: Upload to Ellty and send unique links to each San Diego investor. You'll see which funds spend time on your preclinical data versus commercial slides. Life sciences investors here will read entire decks if the science is novel. Software investors skim for traction metrics and team backgrounds.

Attend industry conferences: JP Morgan Healthcare Conference in SF, BIO International, and San Diego Festival of Science are where San Diego investors scout deals. Don't present at these conferences if you're early. Just attend, take meetings in hallways, and follow up afterward. Most San Diego rounds start with conference connections. Sending large PDF files over email becomes a headache once your deck includes heavy product visuals or financial models.

Connect with UCSD founders: Message founders who've raised from Avalon, Santé, or Forward Ventures. Ask about scientific diligence processes and timeline expectations. San Diego founders are helpful because the ecosystem is collaborative, not competitive like SF. Everyone knows raising here is hard. Some founders look for ways to prevent their PDFs from being forwarded beyond the intended recipients.

Organize due diligence: Set up an Ellty data room with your preclinical data, FDA strategy, clinical trial protocols, and IP portfolio before first meetings. Life sciences diligence takes 4-6 months. Having materials organized shows you understand what investors need. San Diego funds won't chase you for documents.

Understand local pace: San Diego deals take 5-8 months from first meeting to close for life sciences, 3-4 months for software. Investors here do exhaustive scientific and technical review. If you need money in 90 days, raise in SF. If you can wait for thorough diligence, San Diego capital is worth it for the expertise.

San Diego-specific considerations

San Diego investors expect scientific publications or strong IP before institutional funding. If you're pre-peer review or have weak patent positions, you'll struggle. Angels will fund earlier but institutional VCs want validation. That's different from software where customer traction can overcome weak IP.

Rounds close much slower than other tech hubs. Life sciences requires scientific advisory board review, competitive landscape analysis, and freedom-to-operate legal opinions. Software deals are faster but still slower than Austin or SF because San Diego investors are conservative. They'd rather pass than move fast and be wrong.

Competition is lower than Boston or SF for life sciences but the bar is higher. You'll get more investor attention but need stronger scientific credentials. Defense tech has almost no competition because few founders understand that market. If you have DoD customers or SBIR grants, you'll get term sheets quickly.

Exit expectations differ from software. San Diego investors underwrite to acquisitions, not IPOs. Pharma and medtech acquisitions happen at $500M-2B, providing solid returns on $100M+ invested capital. Don't pitch unicorn outcomes unless you're in rare disease with orphan drug status.

16 top investors in San Diego

1. Avalon Ventures

San Diego's most established life sciences fund with 30+ years backing local biotech.

• Recent Deals: Erasca $123M Series C (2024), Vividion $135M Series C (2020), Fate Therapeutics $1.4B market cap IPO
• LinkedIn: Jay Lichter
• Sector Focus: oncology, precision medicine, drug discovery, therapeutics development
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A, Series B, Series C
• Office Location: 3550 General Atomics Court, La Jolla
• Website: avalonventures.com

2. Santé Ventures

Medical device and healthcare services fund with strong San Diego portfolio.

• Recent Deals: Shockwave Medical $90M Series E (2019, acquired for $3.7B in 2024), Outset Medical $45M Series D (2018), Establis $25M Series A (2024)
• LinkedIn: Raju Rajan
• Sector Focus: medical devices, cardiovascular, diagnostics, healthcare services
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C
• Office Location: 11682 El Camino Real, San Diego
• Website: santeventures.com

3. Correlation Ventures** (San Diego)

Data-driven fund making investment decisions with quantitative models across multiple stages.

• Recent Deals: Acuitas Medical $85M Series D (2024), Mitek Systems $50M growth round (2023), ServiceTitan $500M Series F (2021)
• LinkedIn: Trevor Kienzle
• Sector Focus: medical devices, enterprise software, fintech, identity verification
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A, Series B, Series C
• Office Location: 12760 High Bluff Drive, San Diego
• Website: correlationvc.com

4. Illumina Ventures

Genomics-focused fund backed by Illumina with deep sequencing and diagnostics expertise.

• Recent Deals: Ultima Genomics $600M Series B (2022), Guardant Health $360M+ over multiple rounds, Element Biosciences $277M Series C (2021)
• LinkedIn: Nick Naclerio
• Sector Focus: genomics, sequencing, liquid biopsy, diagnostics, precision medicine
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C
• Office Location: 5200 Illumina Way, San Diego
• Website: illumina.ventures

5. Tech Coast Angels

Largest angel network in US with 300+ members and strong San Diego chapter.

• Recent Deals: Aira $12M Series A (2024), Classy $118M Series D (2018), Kyriba $160M Series D (2019)
• LinkedIn: Tech Coast Angels
• Sector Focus: life sciences, enterprise software, medical devices, assistive tech
• Stage Focus: seed, pre-seed
• Office Location: 12760 High Bluff Drive, San Diego
• Website: techcoastangels.com

6. Forward Ventures

Life sciences fund focused on antibody engineering and protein therapeutics.

• Recent Deals: Xencor $85M Series E (2014, now $2B+ market cap), Turning Point Therapeutics $200M+ over multiple rounds (acquired by BMS for $4.1B), KSQ Therapeutics $76M Series B (2020)
• LinkedIn: Iain Dukes
• Sector Focus: antibody therapeutics, protein engineering, immunology, oncology
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C
• Office Location: 9390 Towne Centre Drive, San Diego
• Website: forwardventures.com

7. ARCH Venture Partners

National life sciences fund with San Diego office backing breakthrough science.

• Recent Deals: Vividion $135M Series C (2020, acquired by Bayer for $2B), Erasca $123M Series C (2024), Juno Therapeutics $2B acquisition by Celgene
• LinkedIn: Keith Crandell
• Sector Focus: oncology, precision medicine, targeted protein degradation, cell therapy
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C
• Office Location: 10620 Treena Street, San Diego
• Website: archventure.com

8. Domain Associates

Multi-stage life sciences fund with San Diego office and pharma BD connections.

• Recent Deals: Neurocrine Biosciences $100M+ over multiple rounds (now $10B+ market cap), Arena Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Pfizer for $6.7B), Dermira $150M+ rounds
• LinkedIn: Brian Halak
• Sector Focus: CNS disorders, rare diseases, specialty pharma, biologics
• Stage Focus: Series B, Series C, Series D
• Office Location: 12730 High Bluff Drive, San Diego
• Website: domainvc.com

9. Hatteras Venture Partners

Healthcare-focused fund with San Diego office backing therapeutics and devices.

• Recent Deals: Tryp Therapeutics $40M Series B (2024), Processa Pharmaceuticals $30M Series C (2023), Altratech $25M Series A (2024)
• LinkedIn: Michael Soto
• Sector Focus: psychedelic medicines, CNS disorders, medical devices, specialty pharma
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B
• Office Location: 8910 University Center Lane, San Diego
• Website: hatterasventures.com

10. Qualcomm Ventures

Corporate VC arm of Qualcomm focused on wireless, IoT, and AI applications.

• Recent Deals: Movandi $50M Series B (2020), Neuropace $100M+ over multiple rounds, Cruise $1B+ participation over multiple rounds
• LinkedIn: Quinn Li
• Sector Focus: 5G infrastructure, wireless tech, automotive, IoT, edge computing
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C
• Office Location: 5775 Morehouse Drive, San Diego
• Website: qualcommventures.com

11. JAZZ Venture Partners

Early-stage fund backing life sciences tools and diagnostics companies.

• Recent Deals: Cardea Bio $9.3M Series A (2021), Standard BioTools $100M+ over multiple rounds, IsoPlexis $180M SPAC (2021)
• LinkedIn: David Ramsay
• Sector Focus: biosensors, diagnostics, life sciences tools, single-cell analysis
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A
• Office Location: 4660 La Jolla Village Drive, San Diego
• Website: jazzventurepartners.com

12. San Diego Venture Group

Non-profit connecting startups to capital with focus on local ecosystem development.

• Recent Deals: Facilitates connections leading to investments in companies like Classy (acquired for $118M), Kyriba, Measurabl
• LinkedIn: San Diego Venture Group
• Sector Focus: life sciences, enterprise software, cleantech, defense tech
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: 4660 La Jolla Village Drive, San Diego
• Website: sdvg.org

13. ATV (Alumni Ventures)

National fund with San Diego office providing access to deals for local angel investors.

• Recent Deals: Modern Animal $31M Series B (2024), Guild Education $175M Series E (2021), Solugen $357M Series C (2021)
• LinkedIn: Alumni Ventures
• Sector Focus: veterinary care, consumer health, enterprise software, life sciences
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C
• Office Location: 4275 Executive Square, San Diego
• Website: av.vc

14. San Diego Angel Conference

Angel group running competitive pitch events with local investor syndication.

• Recent Deals: Measurabl $20M+ over multiple rounds, Fabric $110M Series B (2021), Divvy $200M acquisition by Bill.com
• LinkedIn: San Diego Angel Conference
• Sector Focus: enterprise software, proptech, fintech, B2B SaaS
• Stage Focus: seed, pre-seed
• Office Location: 8880 Rio San Diego Drive, San Diego
• Website: sandiegoangelconference.com

15. Cooley Godward Kronish

Law firm's angel investment program backing 50+ San Diego life sciences companies.

• Recent Deals: Multiple undisclosed seed and Series A investments in San Diego biotech (2023-2025)
• LinkedIn: Cooley LLP
• Sector Focus: life sciences, biotech, medical devices, diagnostics
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A
• Office Location: 4401 Eastgate Mall, San Diego
• Website: cooley.com

16. Section 32

Healthcare-focused fund with San Diego investments and founder-friendly terms.

• Recent Deals: Devoted Health $1.15B Series D (2020), Color Health $167M Series D (2021), Cityblock Health $400M Series D (2021)
• LinkedIn: Bill Maris
• Sector Focus: digital health, healthcare services, diagnostics, care delivery
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C
• Office Location: San Diego (invests from Bay Area)
• Website: section32.com

Start tracking your San Diego investor outreach

These 16 investors closed San Diego deals in 2025-2026. Before you start reaching out to San Diego funds, set up proper tracking. Life sciences and defense tech investors here will conduct months of scientific and technical diligence before committing capital.

Upload your deck to Ellty and create a unique link for each San Diego investor. You'll see exactly which slides they view and how long they spend on your mechanism of action or clinical data. San Diego-based investors read entire decks if the science is compelling. They'll spend 20+ minutes reviewing preclinical data and competitive landscape slides.

When San Diego investors request your data package for scientific advisory board review, share an Ellty data room instead of sending 50+ PDFs through email. Your publications, preclinical data, FDA strategy documents, patent portfolio, and competitive analysis in one secure place makes diligence efficient.

Common questions

Do I need to be based in San Diego to raise from San Diego investors?

For life sciences, location matters less than scientific pedigree. If your founders have PhDs from top institutions and publications in Nature or Science, you'll get meetings from anywhere. For defense tech, San Diego location helps because investors want to see your government customer relationships and cleared facility.

How does San Diego compare to Boston for life sciences fundraising?

San Diego has more early-stage capital for novel modalities, Boston has more late-stage capital and pharma BD connections on the East Coast. San Diego investors take bigger technical risks but expect longer timelines. Boston investors want clearer clinical paths but can fund larger Series C+ rounds. Both ecosystems are rigorous.

What's the average seed round size in San Diego?

$3-5M for software, $5-10M for biotech. Pre-seed rounds are $1-2M from angels or incubators like CONNECT. San Diego investors rarely lead life sciences rounds under $3M because preclinical development requires that much capital minimum. Software rounds can be smaller if you have customer traction.

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

Raise locally for seed and Series A if you're in life sciences or defense tech. San Diego investors understand regulatory pathways and government procurement better than generalist coastal VCs. For Series B+, you'll need Bay Area or Boston capital. Use San Diego rounds to hit clinical or revenue milestones first.

Do San Diego investors expect in-person meetings?

Yes, especially for life sciences. First meetings can be virtual but scientific advisory board presentations require in-person attendance. Expect 3-5 trips to San Diego during diligence. Defense tech also requires in-person because investors want to see your technology and cleared facility if applicable.

What industries get funded most in San Diego?

Life sciences takes 55% of capital, defense and aerospace 20%, enterprise software 15%. Consumer tech gets almost no funding. Medical devices, diagnostics, and therapeutics dominate. Software works if there's healthcare or defense application. Pure consumer internet startups should raise elsewhere.

How long does fundraising take in San Diego?

5-8 months for life sciences from first meeting to close. Software is 3-4 months. Defense tech is 4-6 months depending on government contract status. Scientific diligence takes time. Investors here run exhaustive competitive analysis, freedom-to-operate reviews, and scientific advisory board evaluations. Don't rush this process.