While known globally as the entertainment capital of the world, Los Angeles in recent years has developed into a thriving launch pad and ecosystem for startup companies across diverse sectors.
The area has historically been home to major companies like The Walt Disney Co. and Warner Bros Entertainment Co., but its network of incubator and accelerator programs, the expanding presence of venture capital firms along with other financiers and an intrinsically creative business community has fostered the creation of a strong startup culture.
Los Angeles has positioned itself as one of the most popular regions in the state for startups. California had the most startups of any state in 2013, according to research from Crunchbase.
Out of the 16,400 startups residing in California at the time, Los Angeles was home to about 4,000, compared to around 9,900 in San Francisco.
Major businesses that have emerged include Santa Monica-based entertainment and technology companies as Snap Inc. and Activision Blizzard Inc., consumer product startups Marina del Rey-based Dollar Shave Club Inc. and Playa Vista-based The Honest Co. Inc. as well as aerospace and engineering companies including the Hawthorne-based company known as SpaceX.
Starting off point
Local universities have played a role in increasing local entrepreneurship with programs to support innovative work coming out of their institutions and help founders take their ideas to market.
This includes UCLA’s Anderson Venture Accelerator, which has hosted 266 companies since 2018, and the California Institute of Technology’s long running Rothenberg Innovation Initiative. USC’s programs include the Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, which was founded more than 25 years ago and works with both company founders and students interested in entrepreneurship.
Brian Lee, co-founder and managing director of Westwood-based venture capital firm BAM Ventures, has a track record of launching startups that continue to…
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