Organizations
LA is a city with one of the most inclusive startup ecosystems. Countless accelerators and entrepreneurial programs have emerged in Los Angeles, offering services for driven and talented entrepreneurs and growing startups to create a better world through news innovations and technologies.
Below is a list of programs specific to the life sciences as well as more general all purpose programatic resources to support entrepreneurs in the Los Angeles area.
Programs in the Life Sciences Ecosystem
Amgen's Golden Ticket Award
Amgen announced in Feb. 2021 a three-year, Golden Ticket sponsorship of the BioLabs LA at The Lundquist Institute (TLI) life sciences co-working space to accelerate the development of new therapies, medical devices, and diagnostics to advance and improve human health. Amgen will launch one "Amgen Golden Ticket" award each year for three years, providing winners with one year of lab space at BioLabs as well as additional facility benefits and connections to Amgen's scientific and business leaders.
California NanoSystems Institute
The mission of the California NanoSystems Institute at UCLA is to leverage public and private investment for nanoscience research at the interfaces between disciplines, translate discoveries into knowledge-driven commercial enterprises, and educate the next generation of scientists and engineers.
Cedars-Sinai Accelerator
The Cedars-Sinai Accelerator is transforming healthcare quality, efficiency, and care delivery by helping entrepreneurs bring their innovative technology products to market. This three-month program, based in Los Angeles, California, provides companies with $100,000 in funding, mentorship from more than 300 leading clinicians and executives, access to Cedars-Sinai, and exposure to a broad network of entrepreneurs and investors.
Innovation Incubator at California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH)
The Innovation Incubator at California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) is a robust multi-faceted hub of entrepreneurship and innovation in the heart of the South Bay region of Los Angeles. We offer a unique combination of formal and informal programming that helps students, staff, faculty, alumni, and the local community collaborative access to mentorship, education-based programming, dynamic events, and other value-added services designed to help startups and main street businesses progress through the process of achieving their growth goals.
The West Coast Consortium for Technology & Innovation in Pediatrics (CTIP)
CTIP is an FDA-funded pediatric MedTech accelerator centered at Children's Hospital Los Angeles. CTIP’s goal is to facilitate the development, production, and distribution of pediatric medical devices by identifying companies working in the space and providing advice, networking, and direct and indirect financial support on the road to commercialization.
First Look SoCal Innovation Showcase
The First Look SoCal Innovation Showcase is an annual conference celebrating the best early stage teams commercializing tech and life science breakthroughs from SoCal’s top research institutions. The event will provide unparalleled opportunities for startup teams to connect with top-tier investors, successful serial entrepreneurs, and industry leaders.
Applications due May 4, 2021. Apply here.
Heal.LA
Heal.LA is a new bioscience acceleration program developed by Larta Institute, whose award-winning national acceleration programs have assisted over 10,000 early-stage innovations since 1993. Heal.LA’s mission is to identify, nurture and scale top-notch bioscience enterprises in the Los Angeles region. With the support of Gilead Sciences, Heal.LA has launched its first cohort of four early-stage companies at the Lundquist Institute’s BioLabs incubator. This 4-month pilot program is designed to identify and accelerate the best possible growth outcome for each company in its sector. Larta’s Heal initiative aims to develop accessible programs that accelerate the development of new science and technologies to directly impact the health and wellness of our local & global communities.
Leonhardt's Launchpads
Leonhardt's Launchpads is an innovation and startup accelerator focused on organ regeneration and recovery technologies. Leonhardt's Launchpads is located in Irvine, California with R&D lab bench space secured at University Lab Partners.
NIHUB Nurse Innovator Startup Bootcamp
A two-week virtual training program for healthcare startup founders (nurses, clinicians and entrepreneurs) ready to make an investment to grow their companies. Join the bootcamp and build skills during the early stages of launching your healthtech start-up. Sign-up by March 31st for cohort starting April 15th. Sign-up here.
Monrovia -
Oak Crest Science and Technology Incubator Program (MOST-IP)
The Monrovia - Oak Crest Science and Technology Incubator Program (MOST-IP) was launched to develop and mature internal and external discoveries into products, provide access to laboratory infrastructure, scientific know-how and high-end equipment, teach scientists and diverse students basic entrepreneurial concepts, and support the formation and sustainability of startups through continuing business services.
Sope: Society of Physician entrepreneurs
A non-profit global biomedical and healthcare innovation network with membership open to all healthcare professionals, entrepreneurs and industry stakeholders.
Techstars
Techstars is the global platform for investment and innovation. They connect entrepreneurs, investors, and corporations.
UCLA Anderson Venture Accelerator
The Venture Accelerator offers early-stage startup founders two programs that are designed to leverage UCLA’s resources and connections. The 3-month Activate program supports founders at the earliest stage of their journey. This summer program works with both idea-stage and prototype-stage companies to build a defensible foundation toward a viable venture. The 6-month Accelerate program is for companies that are at a minimum, prototype, but ideally launched and operational. This program is a curated, immersive residency program that is targeted to each company’s vertical and stage. Both programs are open to companies of any vertical including those in life sciences.
*2022 cohort deadline: Oct 15 - apply here
General Support Programs and Resources
Amplify LA
"At Amplify, our vision is clear — help passionate technology entrepreneurs grow their startups into strong, scalable & successful companies. We like to invest early, and are dedicated to supporting our founders throughout the lifetime of their business.."
All tech or tech-enabled businesses.
During a 4-8 month accelerator program, Amplify provides seed funding of $50,000-$200,000, along with free workspace and mentorship.
Innovate Pasadena
Their mission is to advance greater Pasadena as a center for technology and design innovation by supporting collaboration across and within business, academia and the broader community in order to attract and retain companies, entrepreneurs, innovators and capital.
The Founder Institute
The Founder Institute works with entrepreneurs and teams in the pre-seed stage, typically before they are advanced enough to gain acceptance into a seed-accelerator program. The program helps you build an enduring business by providing Los Angeles startup experts that are invested in your success, and a structured business-building process that has helped alumni raise over $950M.
To create a strong support network, participants join an "Equity Collective" where they contribute 4% of their company to a shared pool. Any financial returns to this pool are then shared equally with each cohort's alumni, the program mentors, Local Leaders, and Founder Institute.
Grid110
Grid110 provides entrepreneurs with access to community, mentors and critical resources through no cost, no equity programs in Los Angeles.
Idea to Product Program: 8-week evening program welcomes first time entrepreneurs who are within the idea to product phase. You'll learn the essential building blocks needed to expand your idea, validate core concepts and build your vision.
Residency Program: Already launched? For early stage startups that already have measurable traction with revenue, funding or users, Grid110’s 12-week Residency Program delivers layered support based on what you need and where you’re at.
idealab
Founded in 1996, Idealab has helped more than 400 businesses launch, with 40 being acquired or making it to IPO. The company looks to break the mold in mobile technology, robotics and renewable energy. Idealab provides capital and a full range of resources that startups need to succeed. There’s a focus on sharing knowledge among companies, which is clearly seen through the open-plan office. Applications that are backed by recommendations with pre-existing business relationships with the lab are more likely to succeed.
WhyLALifeScience
WhyLALifeScience is the world’s “front door” to LA County’s life science community, designed to help you navigate one of the nation’s top life science hubs.
If you have additional funding resources to add or would like to request a correction to this list please email info@biosciencela.org with the information. Thank you!