Santa Monica is a key part of Southern California's startup community, offering a variety of programs for new companies. These programs support founders across many fields, from technology and healthcare to blockchain.
Among the city's accelerators, EXPERT DOJO has made over 300 investments in early-stage companies. Fusion also plays an active role, with around 80 investments focused on helping Israeli startups enter the US market.
Below is our list of the best 10 accelerators and incubators in Santa Monica.
Failory's Top 10 Picks
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2,189 Accelerators & Incubators
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1,600+ Unicorns
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250 BioTech & Health Investors
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250 AI Investors
List of 250 startup investors in the AI and Machine Learning industries, along with their Twitter, LinkedIn, and email addresses.
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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 $50Focused on the Los Angeles tech scene, Launchpad LA provides early-stage startups with seed capital, mentorship, and resources to accelerate their growth. Its program has helped launch successful companies like the online food ordering platform ChowNow and peer-to-peer fashion marketplace Tradesy.
| Year Founded | 2009 |
| Founders | Mark Suster, Adam Lilling, Sam Teller |
| Nº of Investments | 25 |
| Nº of Exits | 9 |
Fusion operates as a pre-seed VC and accelerator, providing Israeli founders with their first check and hands-on support. The firm specializes in helping these startups build global companies by establishing a strong go-to-market strategy in the United States.
| Year Founded | 2017 |
| Founders | Yair Vardi, Guy Katsovich |
| Nº of Investments | 80 |
| Nº of Exits | 8 |
Expert DOJO champions early-stage international startups by providing the coaching and growth hacking support needed to secure investment. They work with founders across a diverse range of industries to build traction and achieve fundraising success.
| Year Founded | 2014 |
| Founders | Brian Mac Mahon |
| Nº of Investments | 308 |
| Nº of Exits | 4 |
| Program Type | Online |
| Duration (Weeks) | 13 |
Luma Launch injects pre-seed and seed capital into emerging tech startups in fields ranging from healthcare to climate. With backing from the Academy Award-winning visual effects studio Luma Pictures, the firm provides founders with deep operational support and access to an elite creative and technical team.
| Year Founded | 2015 |
| Founders | Laurent Grill, Francis Pollara, Matt Lydecker |
| Nº of Investments | 34 |
| Nº of Exits | 4 |
| Program Type | On-Site |
Disruptive Labs operates as a startup studio, partnering with exceptional founders to build, launch, and scale new technology companies. They provide deep, hands-on involvement to help co-found and grow these ventures from the ground up.
| Year Founded | 2018 |
| Founders | Marco Franzoni, Josh Swan |
| Nº of Investments | 7 |
| Nº of Exits | 2 |
Catering exclusively to Harvey Mudd College alumni, HMC INQ runs a 10-week intensive program to accelerate early-stage startups. Participants receive dedicated resources and guidance to help build and scale their ventures within the tight-knit alumni community.
| Year Founded | 2017 |
| Founders | Josh Jones |
| Nº of Investments | 17 |
| Nº of Exits | 2 |
| Program Type | On-Site |
| Duration (Weeks) | 1 |
Operating as the acceleration platform for Mucker Capital, MuckerLab partners with early-stage software and internet companies to build foundational businesses. They offer deep, hands-on operational support to help founders refine their product, find their market, and prepare for future fundraising.
| Year Founded | 2011 |
| Founders | Greg Bettinelli |
| Nº of Investments | 17 |
| Nº of Exits | 1 |
First Drop Ventures backs early-stage founders building the next generation of AI, FinTech, and software companies. As an early-stage investor, the firm provides crucial capital and strategic support to help founders turn their innovative ideas into market-ready products.
| Year Founded | 2020 |
| Founders | Burak Kutluğ, Ali Cekmeceligil, John Yanyali, Esra Pelitozu |
| Nº of Investments | 1 |
| Nº of Exits | — |
| Program Type | Online |
| Duration (Weeks) | 1 |
Draper Goren Holm operates as a venture studio, incubating and accelerating early-stage startups across the blockchain, Web3, and DeFi landscape. They provide founders with the capital and hands-on support needed to build the next wave of financial technology.
| Year Founded | 2018 |
| Founders | Alon Goren, Josef Holm |
| Nº of Investments | 20 |
| Nº of Exits | — |
FoundersBoost operates as a global pre-accelerator, preparing promising early-stage startups for accelerators, investment, and revenue. The program focuses on providing the foundational mentorship and resources needed to turn a promising idea into a company ready for its next growth stage.
| Year Founded | 2017 |
| Founders | Kit Mueller, Jim Gibbs, Blake Caldwell, Simone Luciano Antonio Demelas, Gene Murphy |
| Nº of Investments | 1 |
| Nº of Exits | — |
| Program Type | On-Site |
| Duration (Weeks) | 6 |
