CA · West
Los Angeles venture capital & startups
LA capital map — Upfront and Fifth Wall HQ, Crosscut and Mucker for seed, plus South Bay aerospace (SpaceX, Apex, Radiant, Hadrian) and consumer/crypto (Believer, Lightspark).
Los Angeles pairs entertainment and consumer founders with a fast-growing aerospace and defense cluster from Hawthorne to El Segundo. We profile Upfront Ventures, Fifth Wall, Crosscut Ventures, and Mucker Capital locally — plus national defense/space writers and startups including SpaceX, Apex Space, Radiant, Hadrian, Believer, and Lightspark.
Greater LA aliases (Santa Monica, El Segundo, Hawthorne, Culver City, Venice, etc.). Funds matched by HQ aliases plus curated national capital. Startups matched by hq field and curated IDs.
Venture firms in Los Angeles
Matched from fund headquarters in our directory (alias-based). Dual-HQ firms may appear in more than one city.
| Firm | HQ (directory) | Leads |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront Ventures | Los Angeles, CA | Seed, Series A |
| Fifth Wall | Los Angeles, CA | Series A, Series B+ |
| Crosscut Ventures | Los Angeles, CA | Seed |
| Mucker Capital | Los Angeles, CA | Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A |
| Founders Fund | New York, NY | Series A, Series B+ |
| Lux Capital | 888 7th Ave, New York, NY 10106 | Seed, Series A |
| Andreessen Horowitz | Menlo Park, CA | Series A, Series B+ |
| General Catalyst | Cambridge, MA | Series A, Series B+ |
Startups we cover in Los Angeles
Matched from startup hq fields. Many profiles still lack HQ — curated lists
in editorial notes fill gaps when verified.
| Startup | One-liner | HQ |
|---|---|---|
| SpaceX | Reusable rockets and Starlink satellite internet constellation. | Hawthorne, California |
| Apex Space | Productized satellite bus manufacturer (Aries, Nova, and Comet platforms). | Los Angeles, California |
| Radiant | Portable micro-nuclear reactors for remote power and defense applications. | El Segundo, California |
| Hadrian | Automated precision manufacturing factories for aerospace and defense parts. | Los Angeles, California |
| Believer | Game studio building a next-gen open-world multiplayer IP from former Riot executives. | Los Angeles, California |
| Lightspark | Enterprise Bitcoin Lightning payments infrastructure — founded by David Marcus. | Los Angeles, California |
| Amca | Integrated aerospace and defense manufacturing platform for critical components. | El Segundo, California |
| Arc | Electric boats for consumer recreation and expanding into commercial and defense marine. | Los Angeles, California |
| Atorie | Factory-direct apparel and handbags from luxury manufacturing partners, sold DTC with AI demand and shopping agents. | Los Angeles, CA |
| Autograph | Web3 NFT platform for sports and entertainment digital collectibles. | Los Angeles, California |
| Autograph.io | Web3 NFT platform for sports and entertainment digital collectibles (Autograph.io). | Los Angeles, California |
| Bevel | AI inventory tools for disaster survivors expanding into private-risk / HNWI insurance advisory. | Austin / Los Angeles / New York, United States |
| Cantina AI | Social AI platform for persistent characters across voice, video, and text (Cantina). | Los Angeles, California |
| Carbonated | Mobile game studio building MadWorld, a real-time multiplayer tactics shooter with optional Web3 land ownership. | El Segundo, California |
| Castelion | Hypersonic strike missiles built for industrial-rate output, starting with Blackbeard. | Torrance, California, USA |
| Cider | Gen-Z direct-to-consumer fashion brand with on-demand, data-driven manufacturing. | Los Angeles, CA |
| CreatorDAO | Web3 DAO pooling capital and ops support to invest in creators. | Los Angeles, California |
| CX2 | AI-driven electronic warfare systems for U.S. defense spectral dominance. | El Segundo, California |
| Destruction Labz | LA gaming studio (ex-Epic founders) building immersive experiences and web3 IP. | Los Angeles, CA |
| District | AI commerce platform for live selling, auctions, and community marketplaces. | Los Angeles, California |
| EPAL, INC. | Gaming companion marketplace (E-PAL) plus Balance.fun Web3 game infrastructure. | Los Angeles, California |
| Equal IQ | Revenue infrastructure for sports, media, and entertainment — contract negotiation, obligations, and payment execution. | Los Angeles, California |
| Factual | Neutral location-data platform for POI, audiences, and measurement—merged into Foursquare in 2020. | Los Angeles, California |
| Fasset | Stablecoin-powered neobanking for emerging markets. | Los Angeles, California |
| Foundation | Curated NFT marketplace for digital art and creative auctions on Ethereum. | Los Angeles, California |
| FWB | Friends With Benefits — token-gated creative community and DAO experimenting at the intersection of culture and Web3. | Los Angeles, California |
| GamerXSociety | Gaming company building inclusive, culture-forward interactive entertainment for underserved audiences. | Los Angeles, California |
| Graft Concepts | Modular iPhone cases with interchangeable backplates and a quick-release latch — YC S13 hardware startup, now inactive. | Los Angeles, California |
| Heaviside Industries | Autonomous precision munitions across air, land, and sea for U.S. and allied forces. | Los Angeles, California |
| Incention | Fan-collaborative IP platform on Story blockchain—debut franchise Emergence from David S. Goyer. | Los Angeles, California |
| Infinite Athlete | Sports data OS merging live game feeds (FusionFeed) with biomechanics for leagues and broadcasters. | Los Angeles, California, USA |
| Intro | Marketplace for booking 1:1 video calls with experts across business, wellness, and design. | Los Angeles, California |
| KIKI World | Community commerce platform where fans co-create beauty products with onchain rewards. | Los Angeles, California |
| Kin Health | Free patient-facing AI app that records visits and turns doctor conversations into actionable summaries. | Los Angeles, CA |
| Knowable | Audio-first expert courses for commute learning—acquired by Medium in 2021. | Los Angeles, California |
| Manifold | NFT creator platform (Manifold Studio) — artists deploy self-owned smart contracts and control provenance. | Los Angeles, California |
| NationBuilder | Community organizing and campaign software for political candidates and advocacy groups. | Los Angeles, CA |
| Neros Technologies | Mass-manufactured autonomous strike and counter-UAS drones for the U.S. and allies. | Torrance, California |
| Observable Space | LA space-tech company building full-stack optical systems for laser comms, space domain awareness, and in-space payloads. | Los Angeles, California, USA |
| Pahdo Labs | Anime RPG studio (Halcyon Zero) building vertical UGC platform for anime-style game mods. | Los Angeles, California |
| Rabbit | AI hardware startup behind the r1 pocket device and Large Action Model (LAM) OS. | Santa Monica, CA |
| Radiant Nuclear | Portable microreactor company building Kaleidos for remote and defense energy. | El Segundo, California, USA |
| Rollup AI | Engineering collaboration platform for hardware development teams. | Los Angeles, CA |
| Salt AI | Visual AI development platform for building and deploying AI workflows. | Santa Monica, CA |
| ShoeDazzle | Subscription e-commerce for women's shoes and accessories. | Los Angeles, California |
| Soylent | Meal-replacement drinks and powders for convenient nutrition. | Los Angeles, California |
| Stability AI | Generative models and creative-production tools for music, games, and entertainment, with rights holders now on the cap table. | Los Angeles, California |
| Swan | Bitcoin-only platform for recurring buys, custody, and savings. | Los Angeles, California |
| Whatnot | Livestream shopping marketplace for collectibles, fashion, and niche goods. | Los Angeles area, California, USA |
Coverage gaps
-
Greycroft
Major LA office but New York HQ — listed in articles as market presence, not LA-HQ fund
-
March Capital
Santa Monica growth equity — different product than seed; optional future /fund/ coverage
-
Impulse Space investor array
Full startup profile exists; /fund/ links not yet populated in JSON
Related reading
Los Angeles FAQs
Practical answers for founders researching this investor.
LA-HQ profiles include Upfront Ventures, Fifth Wall, Crosscut Ventures, and Mucker Capital. National firms funding SoCal cap tables include Founders Fund, Lux Capital, a16z, and General Catalyst. Browse /vc/los-angeles.
SpaceX, Apex Space, Radiant, Hadrian, Believer, and Lightspark anchor our curated set. See the startups table on /vc/los-angeles for the wider directory match.
Aerospace/defense manufacturing → Crosscut, Upfront, Lux, a16z American Dynamism. Proptech → Fifth Wall. Consumer/games/crypto → Upfront and a16z. Match thesis before geography.
No — Anduril HQ is Costa Mesa (Orange County). We list it in related SoCal defense coverage, not as a Los Angeles city row.