Download Our List of The Top 100 Accelerators & Incubators

This free sheet contains 100 accelerators and incubators you can apply to today, along with information about the industries they generally invest in.

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
100 Accelerators & Incubators
Download The List of the 100 Highest-Valued Unicorns

This free sheet contains all the information about the top 100 unicorns, including their valuation, HQ's location, founded year, name of founders, funding amount and number of employees.

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
100 Top Unicorns
Get Free Access to The Founder's Handbook

This free Notion document contains the best 100+ resources you need for building a successful startup, divided in 4 categories: Fundraising, People, Product, and Growth.

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
The Founder's Handbook

Top 19 Santa Monica Startups to Watch in 2026

Description

CTA

The startup ecosystem in Santa Monica is notably diverse, covering sectors from fintech and healthcare to media and consumer products.

For example, the list includes financial services firm Tala, which has secured $522M in funding. It also features Religion of Sports, a media company with founders like Tom Brady.

Below is our list of 19 Santa Monica startups worth keeping an eye on.

Failory's Top 10 Picks

Fundraising OS
Tool
Fundraising OS

Everything you need to raise funding for your startup, including 3,500+ investors, 7 tools, 18 templates and 3 learning resources.

Buy It For $97 $297
Accelerators & Incubators List
Sheet
2,189 Accelerators & Incubators

Information about the industries, countries, and cities they generally invest in.

Get the Sheet for $50
Complete Unicorns List
Sheet
1,600+ Unicorns

Information about their valuation, HQ's location, founded year, name of founders, funding amount and number of employees.

Get the Sheet for $50
BioTech & Health Investors
Sheet
250 BioTech & Health Investors

List of startup investors in the BioTech, Health, and Medicine industries, along with their Twitter, LinkedIn, and email addresses.

Get the Sheet for $50
AI Investors
Sheet
250 AI Investors

List of 250 startup investors in the AI and Machine Learning industries, along with their Twitter, LinkedIn, and email addresses.

Get the Sheet for $50
FinTech Investors
Sheet
250 Fintech Investors

List of 250 startup investors in the FinTech and Finance industries, along with their Twitter, LinkedIn, and email addresses.

Get the Sheet for $50

Labs develops human enhancement technology centered on its spatial computing device, Lav Glass. Their ecosystem of augmented reality hardware and software aims to advance human capabilities and build new communities.

Year Founded2025
FoundersDuránd F. Davis Jr., Maya Elz Davis
Funding Amount$65M
Startup SizeFounding Team (1-10)
Last Funding StatusDebt Financing
Top InvestorsJetDebt Finance, Jet Investments Group, Davis&Davis Venture Partners, JET Venture Capital, JET VC-IRA FUND

Tala has built a mobile-first financial platform that provides credit, payment, and savings services to millions of underserved consumers. Their work focuses on expanding financial access and choice for people in emerging markets.

Year Founded2011
FoundersShivani Siroya
Funding Amount$522M
Startup SizeLarge Team (251-1,000)
Last Funding StatusDebt Financing
Top InvestorsStellar Development Foundation, Upstart, IVP, Kindred Ventures, Ribbit Capital

Keeta developed a global payments platform for safely transferring money across borders. The service focuses on providing fast and secure international transactions for its users.

Year Founded2022
FoundersTy Schenk
Funding Amount$17M
Startup SizeLean Team (11-50)
Last Funding StatusSeed
Top InvestorsSteel Perlot, Eric Schmidt

Ring builds a popular line of smart home security products, including video doorbells and outdoor cameras. Their devices allow homeowners to see, hear, and speak to anyone on their property from a phone or tablet.

Year Founded2012
FoundersJames Siminoff
Funding Amount$203.7M
Startup SizeMajor Organization (1,001-5,000)
Last Funding StatusSeries D
Top InvestorsKleiner Perkins, First Round Capital, Felicis, True Ventures, DFJ Growth

TigerConnect created a clinical collaboration platform to help healthcare organizations modernize their communication. Their widely adopted software provides secure messaging and workflow tools for doctors, nurses, and other care team members.

Year Founded2010
FoundersAndrew Brooks M.D., Brad Brooks
Funding Amount$433.9M
Startup SizeLarge Team (251-1,000)
Last Funding StatusPrivate Equity
Top InvestorsNorwest Venture Partners, Vista Equity Partners, OrbiMed, Industry Ventures, Shasta Ventures

Religion of Sports produces Emmy Award-winning sports content, from podcasts and docuseries to feature films. Their work explores the deeper human stories behind the game, celebrating sports as a cultural and spiritual phenomenon.

Year Founded2017
FoundersGotham Chopra, Michael Strahan, Tom Brady
Funding Amount$63M
Startup SizeLean Team (11-50)
Last Funding StatusSeries B
Top InvestorsShamrock Capital Advisors, Eldridge Industries, Advancit Capital, Courtside Ventures, LionTree

Liquid Death packages natural mountain water in infinitely recyclable cans, using a heavy metal aesthetic to stand out in the beverage aisle. The brand aims to make sustainability entertaining, promising to "murder your thirst" and plastic pollution at the same time.

Year Founded2017
FoundersJon-Ryan Riggins, Mike Cessario
Funding Amount$267.6M
Startup SizeLarge Team (251-1,000)
Last Funding StatusVenture Round
Top InvestorsBossa Invest, Live Nation Entertainment, Velvet Sea Ventures, Science, Dwight Funding

thatgamecompany develops artistically crafted video games designed to be broadly accessible and emotionally resonant. The studio is known for award-winning titles like Journey and Sky: Children of the Light, which focus on visual storytelling and positive multiplayer experiences.

Year Founded2012
FoundersJenova Chen, Kellee Santiago
Funding Amount$28.8M
Startup SizeMid-Size Team (51-250)
Last Funding StatusVenture Round
Top InvestorsSequoia Capital, TPG, Kleiner Perkins, Benchmark, Bracket Capital

Pixalate provides a real-time fraud protection and intelligence platform for advertisers and publishers. Their analytics help companies detect and prevent invalid traffic across desktop, mobile, and connected TV channels.

Year Founded2012
FoundersJalal Nasir
Funding Amount$22.8M
Startup SizeFounding Team (1-10)
Last Funding StatusVenture Round
Top InvestorsKima Ventures, Javelin Venture Partners, Western Technology Investment, Nimble Ventures, Eduardo Vivas

Binarly develops an AI-driven security platform that automatically detects vulnerabilities within the software supply chain. The system specializes in analyzing firmware and software components to protect against sophisticated threats.

Year Founded2021
FoundersAlex Matrosov, Claudiu Teodorescu
Funding Amount$14.1M
Startup SizeLean Team (11-50)
Last Funding StatusSeed
Top InvestorsLiquid 2 Ventures, Canaan Partners, Cisco Investments, Two Bear Capital, Blu Venture Investors

9 Additional Santa Monica Startups Worth Following

Our top ten picks offer just a glimpse of the activity buzzing throughout Santa Monica. Founders are building businesses in a mix of fields, from retail and education to newer spaces like AI.

Combined, the companies below have raised over $660 million to bring their ideas to life. Here’s a closer look at nine more startups helping to define the local scene.

StartupIndustryYear FoundedAmount RaisedLast Funding Round
Quizizz logo QuizizzEducation2015$47MSeries B
Topicals logo TopicalsFashion2018$22.6MVenture Round
Dollar Shave Club logo Dollar Shave ClubRetail2011$163.5MSeries D
Coco logo CocoRetail2020$121.5MSeries B
Bonsai Health logo Bonsai HealthAI2024$7MSeed
Home From College logo Home From CollegeEducation2020$6.9MSeed
Blockus logo BlockusCrypto2022$4.5MSeed
Recharge logo RechargeRetail2014$277MSeries B
Maximus logo MaximusRetail2020$20MSeries A

Description

CTA
The All-In-One Newsletter for Startup Founders

90% of startups fail. Learn how not to with our weekly guides and stories. Join +40,000 other startup founders!

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.