Los Angeles

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Los Angeles, the largest city in “the Golden State,” is a mosaic of people and cultures. While its physical stature matches the undeniable impression it makes on the world stage, it’s also a world center of business, trade, entertainment, media, culture and technology. With outstanding universities and research institutions, a budding startup culture, and an undeniable quality of life, the city is an icon of American prosperity and a beacon of the American dream.

While it’s well known as the mecca of entertainment, with beautiful beaches and awe-inspiring mountains, the city has also been undergoing a silent evolution into the tech industry. The maturation of the tech scene comes as no surprise when one key factor is considered: money. The city has the third largest GDP in the world with a $1-trillion-plus, and venture funding to LA-area startups has quietly exploded over the last five years, earning LA the nickname “Silicon Beach” (in 2018, LA-based startups received $4.2 billion in VC funding, ranking third nationwide). 

What’s more, it’s a city with vision. It’s rethinking the space age in the city that first launched it, and rethinking technology from the city that sent the first email. It’s a place that constantly interrogates the possibility of tomorrow and makes strides to turn those possibilities into realities. Most importantly, LA is the land of dreams, where more than one of every two hundred people is an entrepreneur. 

Los Angeles Startup Ecosystem Overview

Before you arrive

Cost of Living and Accommodation

Starting a Company

Moving to Los Angeles

Culture and Language

Getting Around

Meeting People

Living in Los Angeles

MAYOR LETTER

Eric Garcetti 

COMMUNITY LETTER

The Los Angeles Coalition for the Economy & Jobs

AppliedVR

Earny

Relativity Space

A few interesting, newly developed businesses usually under five years old.

Startups

MuckerLab

Starburst Accelerator

The ambitious accelerator and incubator programs in the city that help startups become established.

Programs

Popular coworking hubs, both new and well established, where entrepreneurs can work and grow successfully.

Spaces

Discover more startup ecosystems

DLA Piper LLP (US)

Insight from the “experts” — established organizations that can Aid and provide advice to young entrepreneurs.

Experts

Janice Bryant Howroyd / ActOne Group

Natasha Case / Coolhaus

Shivani Siroya / Tala

In-depth Q&A’s with seasoned entrepreneurs, who have founded or cofounded companies and share their experience, insights and advice.

Founders

ArtCenter College of Design

Cal State LA

Loyola Marymount University

A collection of well-known schools, colleges and educational programs specifically tailored towards entrepreneurship studies.

Schools

Los Angeles has 490 entrepreneurs per 100,000 people. 

Did you know?

Crosscut Ventures 

Greycroft

A description of the investor and finer points such as, how much they typically invest and who they invest in.

Investors

City Essentials

Data Overview

Funding

Directory

What do Tinder, Hulu and SpaceX have in common? They all have roots in Los Angeles, one of the most dynamic cities in the world for tech, gaming and entertainment startups. LA has the third largest startup ecosystem in the US, according to the 2018 Global Startup Ecosystem Report. The city also boasts five of Forbes’ top 30 colleges nationwide. Throw in the rich history of LA as the world’s epicenter for arts and entertainment, and you’ve got a recipe for an inspired community of creatives keen on founding the businesses of tomorrow.
 
Startup Guide Los Angeles features all the need-to-know resources, programs, spaces and tips for any new business. It also features interviews with some of the founders and investors who have successfully challenged the historical dominance of Silicon Valley to establish their very own hub: “Silicon Beach.”
 
*As part of our partnership with One Tree Planted, the purchase of the paperback copy of this guidebook (or any of our other guidebooks) contributes toward the planting of a tree.
 
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Published November 2019

Startup Guide Los Angeles

Filled with case studies and local tips, the Startup Guide Los Angeles is the essential reading for anyone interested in starting up a business.

Startup Guide Los Angeles — The Entrepreneur's Handbook

Los Angeles has long been a haven for creators. But what was once an auspicious ecosystem for the arts has quickly transformed into a bonafide startup mecca.

Startup Guide

Los Angeles

SAP Next-Gen

BCG Digital Ventures

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