Top 47 San Diego Startups to Watch in 2026
San Diego has established itself as a key hub for biotechnology startups. The local ecosystem is defined by companies developing new medical and life science technologies.
Avenzo Therapeutics, a cancer therapy developer founded in 2022, has already raised $841.9M. This level of investment is also seen in other fields, with security company Drata raising over $328M.
Below is our list of 47 San Diego startups worth keeping an eye on.
Failory's Top 10 Picks
Avenzo Therapeutics develops novel oncology therapies for difficult-to-treat cancers. Their work is centered on advancing a pipeline of clinical-stage treatments to provide new options for patients.
| Year Founded | 2022 |
| Founders | Athena Countouriotis, Mohammad Hirmand |
| Funding Amount | $841.9M |
| Startup Size | Lean Team (11-50) |
| Last Funding Status | Series B |
| Top Investors | OrbiMed, New Enterprise Associates, INCE Capital, SR One, Lilly Asia Ventures |
Debut develops novel ingredients and formulations for the beauty industry using biotechnology. Their platform produces high-performance, sustainable alternatives to traditional cosmetic components.
| Year Founded | 2019 |
| Founders | Joshua Britton |
| Funding Amount | $86.2M |
| Startup Size | Mid-Size Team (51-250) |
| Last Funding Status | Venture Round |
| Top Investors | Material Impact, Sandbox Industries, Better Ventures, Cantos, KdT Ventures |
Cordial builds a cross-channel marketing and data platform that helps marketers use their customer data to send highly personalized messages. The platform enables brands to connect with their audience through email, SMS, and mobile apps in real time.
| Year Founded | 2014 |
| Founders | Adam Gillespie, Chris McGreal, David Baker, Jeremy Swift |
| Funding Amount | $73.6M |
| Startup Size | Mid-Size Team (51-250) |
| Last Funding Status | Series C |
| Top Investors | PeakSpan Capital, NewSpring, ABS Capital Partners, Upfront Ventures, Ankona Capital Partners |
Element Biosciences develops innovative genetic analysis tools for the research and diagnostic markets. Their core product, the AVITI System, is a benchtop DNA sequencing platform that provides scientists with more accessible and powerful genomic capabilities.
| Year Founded | 2017 |
| Founders | Matt Kellinger, Michael Previte, Molly He |
| Funding Amount | $678M |
| Startup Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Series D |
| Top Investors | Wellington Management, RA Capital Management, Samsung Electronics, Venrock, Fidelity |
Drata builds a trust management platform that helps companies automate their security compliance and risk management. Their software streamlines the process of achieving and maintaining certifications like SOC 2 and ISO 27001 through continuous monitoring.
| Year Founded | 2020 |
| Founders | Adam Markowitz, Daniel Marashlian, Troy Markowitz |
| Funding Amount | $328.2M |
| Startup Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Series C |
| Top Investors | ICONIQ Growth, Salesforce Ventures, Basis Set Ventures, Ballistic Ventures, S Ventures |
VedaBio has developed a diagnostics platform capable of near-instant molecular detection. Their breakthrough technology combines the accuracy of PCR with the speed of antigen tests.
| Year Founded | 2021 |
| Founders | Anurup Ganguli, Rashid Bashir |
| Funding Amount | $65M |
| Startup Size | Lean Team (11-50) |
| Last Funding Status | Series A |
| Top Investors | Siemens Healthineers, OMX Ventures, Kleinmuntz Associates |
Sempra Infrastructure develops, builds, and operates the large-scale infrastructure critical to the world's energy needs. Their portfolio includes LNG terminals, clean power projects, and energy networks aimed at advancing both energy security and climate goals.
| Year Founded | 1998 |
| Founders | — |
| Funding Amount | $15.2B |
| Startup Size | Major Organization (1,001-5,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Secondary Market |
| Top Investors | Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, CPP Investments |
Lytx develops video telematics solutions that help fleet managers improve driver safety and operational efficiency. They combine machine vision and artificial intelligence to detect risky driving behaviors and provide actionable insights for fleet operators.
| Year Founded | 1998 |
| Founders | Gary Rayner |
| Funding Amount | $769M |
| Startup Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Convertible Note |
| Top Investors | Menlo Ventures, Insight Partners, Clearlake Capital Group, JMI Equity, HarbourVest Partners |
ADARx Pharmaceuticals develops genetic medicines using a technology that precisely edits mRNA transcripts. This approach allows them to create RNA-targeting therapeutics designed to address a wide variety of diseases.
| Year Founded | 2019 |
| Founders | Zhen Li |
| Funding Amount | $332M |
| Startup Size | Lean Team (11-50) |
| Last Funding Status | Venture Round |
| Top Investors | OrbiMed, BlackRock, Cormorant Asset Management, SR One, Lilly Asia Ventures |
Radicle Science operates a health tech platform that runs clinical trials for supplements and other wellness products. This provides brands with a faster, non-FDA route to scientifically validate their product’s effectiveness.
| Year Founded | 2020 |
| Founders | Jeff Chen, Pelin Thorogood |
| Funding Amount | $11.5M |
| Startup Size | Lean Team (11-50) |
| Last Funding Status | Seed |
| Top Investors | Lightspeed Venture Partners, Everywhere Ventures, Social Impact Capital, Wayne Chang, Untapped Ventures |
37 Additional San Diego Startups Worth Following
The top 10 are just a small slice of what’s happening in San Diego. Founders in fields like biotech and AI are especially active, collectively raising billions in funding.
Some of these companies are just getting started, while others have been growing for years. Here’s a look at the rest of the startups shaping the city's ecosystem.
| Startup | Industry | Year Founded | Amount Raised | Last Funding Round |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Trust & Will | Enterprise | 2017 | $82M | Series C |
 Deckard Technologies | AI | 2018 | $22.2M | Debt Financing |
 Tealium | Analytics | 2008 | $263.9M | Venture Round |
 Iambic | AI | 2019 | $203M | Series B |
 BetterNight | Sports | 1995 | $52.6M | Series C |
 Replicate Bioscience | Biotech | 2020 | $46M | Series A |
 Sapient | Biotech | 2020 | $13.8M | Grant |
 Clearspeed | Analytics | 2016 | $87M | Series D |
 The Honest Kitchen | Retail | 2002 | $150M | Venture Round |
 Human Longevity | Biotech | 2013 | $369.8M | Series B |
 Shield AI | AI | 2015 | $1.3B | Series F |
 teachme.to | Education | 2021 | $10M | Seed |
 Equip Health | Sports | 2019 | $163.8M | Venture Round |
 Biolinq | Biotech | 2012 | $276.3M | Series C |
 Persephone Biosciences | AI | 2017 | $15.1M | Seed |
 Raken | Manufacturing | 2014 | $12M | Series A |
 Crystalys Therapeutics | Biotech | 2025 | $205M | Series A |
 Kyriba | Enterprise | 2000 | $152.5M | Private Equity |
 Improvado | Marketing | 2015 | $30M | Series A |
 XENDEE Corporation | Energy | 2018 | $23M | Series B |
 SOCi | Marketing | 2012 | $237.8M | Venture Round |
 Candid Therapeutics | Biotech | 2024 | $370M | Series A |
 Firestorm | Mobility | 2022 | $67.5M | Series A |
 Concert Health | Healthcare | 2016 | $58.5M | Series B |
 Arnatar Therapeutics | Biotech | 2022 | $66.3M | Series A |
 WEALTHAWK | Enterprise | 2021 | $10k | Pre-Seed |
 Capstan Therapeutics | Biotech | 2021 | $340M | Series B |
 GoShare | Logistics | 2014 | $8M | Seed |
 BioSapien | Biotech | 2018 | $45.1M | Seed |
 Toragen | Biotech | 2016 | $17.4M | Debt Financing |
 BlossomHill Therapeutics | Biotech | 2020 | $173M | Series B |
 Gretel | AI | 2020 | $67.7M | Series B |
 Cooler Heads | Biotech | 2018 | $32.1M | Series A |
 Plexium | Biotech | 2018 | $225.1M | Series C |
 Seismic | Analytics | 2010 | $446.5M | Debt Financing |
 Exthymic | Healthcare | 2023 | $10.2M | Seed |
 Neos Partners | Other | 2022 | — | — |
