17 Best Startups in Los Angeles to Follow 2024

Every year, new startups pull to the forefront of their industry through exciting innovation, tech, and industry-disrupting business models. We’ve rounded up the best startups in Los Angeles of 2024 that startup lovers, investors, and aspiring entrepreneurs should follow. 

Disclaimer: With so many exciting LA startups launching and growing, we aren’t able to cover them all. Furthermore, the startups that are listed below are not officially ranked and are listed in no particular order.

• Industry: Climate
• Founders: Harris Lummis, Jordan Justus, Prajwal Kotamraju
• Founded In: 2017
• Funding: Seed, $14.5 Million
• Investors Include: Quake Capital Partners, Techstars

Automotus is taking the congestion that accompanies the busy city street in LA and is developing a suite of automated curb management solutions. Their company operates tech that is able to reduce emissions, congestion, and safety hazards in communities. They do this by collecting traffic activity data that is broken down by vehicle, which makes it easy for commercial vehicles to pay for curb time without apps or meters.

• Industry: Logistics
• Founders: Hank Cui, Steve Wen
• Founded In: 2017
• Funding: Debt Financing, $55.1 Million
• Investors Include: Moving Capital, Matrix Partners

Dray Alliance makes logistics easier for trucks with unparalleled visibility and transparency. The online platform connects shippers with a vast array of vetted networks or drayage carriers either at the spot or year-round. Clients are able to gain access to real-time GPS tracking, automated status updates, options for load sizes, and guarantees fulfillment upon order acceptance. Everything is done right through the app, so there is no miscommunication or confusion.

• Industry: Human Resources
• Founders: Allan Jones
• Founded In: 2016
• Funding: Series C, $63 Million
• Investors Include: QED Investors, Mucker Capital

Small businesses that aren't able to have a dedicated HR team but still need help with immediate hiring and onboarding can get help from Bambee. The company provides a dedicated HR manager to any small to medium-sized business that helps automate onboarding policies and employee training. For only $99/month, clients get help with compliance policies, terminations, HR audits, and staff development. Bambee makes it easy for a business of any size to keep up with constant HR changes.

• Industry: AI
• Founders: Arye Barnehama, William T Gross
• Founded In: 2017
• Funding: Series B, $47.5 Million
• Investors Include: Tiger Global Management, Toyota Ventures

Elementary Robotics builds robotics that use AI and machine learning to help manufacturers produce higher quality goods, maximize yields, and gain valuable insights from real-time production data. The robots are used to make more efficient production lines that produce zero defects in the products through machine learning visual inspections. There are also seamless quality sensors attached to other devices to ensure that any issues are caught and dealt with in a timely manner.

• Industry: Automotive
• Founders: Georg Bauer, Scott Painter
• Founded In: 2020
• Funding: Venture, $85 Million
• Investors Include: N/A

Autonomy is taking the electric vehicle trend and making it accessible to everyone. The platform is a subscription-based model that allows individuals to rent an EV and start driving one on the same day. There are no loans and no long-term debt liability for the driver. Multiple models are available from popular brands like Tesla and reservation only takes minutes using a mobile device and app.

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• Industry: Customer Service
• Founders: Bracken Fields, Cameron Weeks
• Founded In: 2018
• Funding: Venture, $26.9 Million
• Investors Include: First Round Capital, Anorak Ventures

Businesses seeking an all-in-one contact center solution to their customer service issues will find a lot to like with Edify. The platform gives customer service agents just one window to manage their entire customer needs from every channel. Teams can streamline communication across different time zones using voice, chat, or video. Edify also combines API functionality with unified communications and contact centers to give businesses a competitive edge.

• Industry: Fitness
• Founders: Lee Belzberg, Melissa Bentivoglio
• Founded In: 2020
• Funding: Seed, $5 Million
• Investors Include: New Money Ventures

Frame Fitness is taking the concept that Tonal and Peloton have created and making it accessible to the Pilates market. The at-home fitness system uses digital weights and resistance to give users a full-body workout without requiring location-based services. The device sets up easily in any home and has a screen that users can use to access their workouts. There are on-demand classes, personal training sessions, and live streams available to help users reach their fitness goals. The device is even portable and easy to move.

• Industry: Charity
• Founders: Jacob Wood, Jake Wood
• Founded In: 2021
• Funding: Seed, $15 Million
• Investors Include: GV, Quiet Capital

Groundswell is reimagining what corporate giving looks like. The company democratizes philanthropic giving by giving employees an opportunity to share in the cause with benefits attached. Companies are able to match any charitable giving by employees to incentivize them to engage. The process gives employees the power to decide where charitable donations go and makes it easy for companies to monitor their impact. All employees even receive a tax-advantaged charitable giving account to fund and have matched by employers.

• Industry: Cryptocurrency
• Founders: Alex Wang, Guillaume Torche, Mario Lazaro
• Founded In: 2018
• Funding: Crowdfunding, $12.7 Million
• Investors Include: Anthos Capital, Uncorrelated Ventures

The crypto market is volatile and hard to navigate if you don't know exactly what you're doing. Ember Fund makes it easier to invest by building an entire crypto portfolio for you. The diversified portfolios are designed by industry veterans and are accessible through the easy-to-use app that tracks all investments. When users log into the Ember Fund app within 24 hours every day, they gain access to free bitcoin and a daily snippet about cryptocurrencies.

• Industry: Networking
• Founders: Brigitte London
• Founded In: 2020
• Funding: Seed, $10 Million
• Investors Include: Andreessen Horowitz, Seven Seven Six

Intro takes the concept of a first meeting and translates it into a modern world. The company is essentially a marketplace for in-demand experts and those that are looking for advice. Using video calls, the two parties connect and share compensation for the chance to gain valuable insights. Intro is perfect for those that want to grow their business or get advice from an expert in a certain field. The company has a wide range of experts available, making it easy to find the right person for the job.

• Industry: Video Production
• Founders: Jacob Braunstein, Noah Johnson, Patrick Coyne
• Founded In: 2020
• Funding: Series A, $33.2 Million
• Investors Include: TriplePoint Capital, Susa Ventures

Traditional live production meant using videotapes and other methods that required physical copies. With LiveControl, the entire process is moved to the cloud so that production companies can access their content from anywhere in the world. The cloud-based system also makes it easier to collaborate with others and make changes in real time. Production companies will still have the same studio-quality live streaming they have come to expect, but it is now affordable and entirely remote.

• Industry: Food Automation
• Founders: Buck Jordan, David D. Zito, Robert Anderson, Ryan Sinnet
• Founded In: 2016
• Funding: Seed, $96.3 Million
• Investors Include: Meyer Global Management, Crowdcube

The food tech industry is getting an upgrade thanks to the robots Miso Robotics is building for chefs. Using artificial intelligence, the company makes robots that can assist chefs in everyday tasks for cooking. Deep fryers are becoming completely automated by robotic arms that can handle the hot oil and cook the food to perfection. The company also includes sensor systems and business intelligence solutions.

• Industry: Gaming
• Founders: Christina Norman, David Banks
• Founded In: 2019
• Funding: Series A, $37.5 Million
• Investors Include: Andreessen Horowitz, Galaxy Interactive

Most games on the market are forced to be created through a handful of platforms that dominate the user experience. Elodie Games is building a studio that concentrates on putting the cross-play experience at the forefront of each game. Players from any platform can join in on playing an Elodie game, expanding the community and building a more inclusive experience.

• Industry: Metaverse
• Founders: Akash Nigam, Evan Rosenbaum, Jake Adams, Matt Geiger
• Founded In: 2017
• Funding: Series C, $267 Million
• Investors Include: Silver Lake, New Enterprise Associates

The metaverse is opening a new market for business the world has never seen before. Genies is customizing the Web3 experience for everyone by making it easy for anyone to get an avatar built for their characters. The entire avatar ecosystem is accessible including avatars, fashion, collectibles, spaces, venues, and social experiences.

• Industry: Bill Payment
• Founders: Jason Meltzer, Patrick Kann
• Founded In: 2016
• Funding: Series B, $65.1 Million
• Investors Include: Fika Ventures, Sequoia Capital

Using Papaya Pay, users are able to submit any bill they owe in a matter of seconds without having to use stamps or portals. All that is needed is to take a picture of the bill using a mobile device, confirm the payment method, and then track the bill status all using the app. Companies are starting to partner with Papaya to streamline the bill-paying experience.

• Industry: Gaming
• Founders: Bao Lam, David Li
• Founded In: 2019
• Funding: Seed, $3.2 Million
• Investors Include: Lightspeed Venture Partners, Vermillion Capital

Hidden Leaf is a gaming studio attempting to bring competitive mastery, core profession, and social play to the PvP experience. Fangs is their most recent release and involves a free-to-play 4x4 action game. The focus on their development is on games that people can play together regardless of their skill level or platform.

• Industry: Cryptocurrency
• Founders: Dillon Rosenblatt, Josh Payne, Richard Rosenblatt, Tom Brady
• Founded In: 2021
• Funding: Series B, $205 Million
• Investors Include: Andreessen Horowitz, Electric Feel Ventures

Autograph is a cryptocurrency and NFT startup that allows widely known and influential sports, media, and culture brands to create unique digital collections. The NFT platform is built to revolutionize the experience of being a fan. 

Recommended: Check out our full list of the top startups to watch!

Whether it's an online marketplace or on-demand warehousing, LA startups are launched every year by exceptional tech talent. Plus, with access to readily available startup funding, raising funding for Los Angeles startups to scale and thrive is doable – even for founders who are new to the world of venture capital.

These burgeoning tech companies boast innovative solutions and top talent, making LA startups some of the more exciting sets of companies to watch this year.