VC Engagement

Connecting venture investors to the innovation ecosystem

VENTURE CAPITAL ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM

We bring together the key investors and stakeholders in the region to help them navigate SoCal’s diverse innovation communities by enabling discovery and connectivity with the people and organizations who help drive their investment strategy. In essence, we provide the connective tissue that facilitates access to our region’s wealth of opportunities.

In SoCal, we’ve got more. We are where industries and ideas converge.

SoCal is the most well-diversified across industries among the country’s top three innovation hubs: software/tech (21%), health (19%) followed by media (18%).

Over the last 20 years, the SoCal VC community has blossomed from a few handfuls of investors to well over one hundred established funds. Last year, SoCal VCs funded over 1,600 deals worth over $34.3B in value. SoCal continues to reflect over 147% growth year over year and has grown 10x since 2000. We also have seen the proliferation of local mega-funds like B Capital, March, NEA, Smash, ACME, Fifth Wall, Sinai, Westlake Bio, Greycroft and Upfront all with over $1Bn in AUM.

With so much opportunity distributed across a promising, yet expansive 40 sq miles it can be hard to know where to start. That’s where the Alliance VC Engagement program comes in…see below for how we can help investors navigate and connect to this massive and growing ecosystem.

GET CONNECTED

The Alliance is connecting venture investors to key stakeholders and leaders within the SoCal innovation ecosystem. Contact us to learn more about our VC Engagement program.


VC ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM DETAILS

The VC Engagement Program includes opportunities for brand promotion, thought leadership, highly curated networking and SoCal-wide analytics.

Strengthen SoCal Relationships, Brand & Engage in SoCal Ecosystem

  • Promotion in Alliance publications (newsletters, programs, events, website)
  • Receive internal Alliance monthly board updates and copies of quarterly presentations and SoCal focused metrics
  • Invitations to Alliance marquis events & programs
  • Monthly Alliance newsletters

Promotion & Thought Leadership

  • Elevate your brand to SoCal startups, other VCs, and corporations
  • Position your VC as a thought leader via video showcases on successful SoCal investments, speaking opportunities and panels, guest blogging, podcast appearances, and hosting high profile events

Venture Capital Engagement program brought to you by:


Join our VC Executive Advisory Council for exclusive benefits

  • Meet regularly with top SoCal & NorCal VC leaders
  • Annual social event with top VC leaders and SoCal corporate executives
  • Invitation to participate in curated dialogues with venture & corporate elites through our Leadership Engagement and Discussion (LEAD) roundtable series
  • Advisory role and access to reporting of SoCal Venture Pipeline venture matching program
  • Select members representing a cross-section of top SoCal firms

Access to the SoCal Venture Pipeline (SVP) Program

  • Opportunity to serve on the SVP advisory board that provides program oversight and receives quarterly updates on the performance of the program providing curated investment opportunities targeting SoCal startups seeking their first round of institutional funding from seed to series A.
  • Preferred access to present at SVP events and opportunities to advise as a subject matter expert

Invitations to attend sessions of our Research Innovation Spotlight Series

  • Invitations to monthly virtual events that showcase leading research from SoCal’s top universities and institutions curated to match corporate technology and life science interests

GET INVOLVED

We have scaled the support contribution to the Alliance (a not-for-profit organization) to match the size and budget of the VC firm (starting at $5k/year). Contact us to learn more about joining the Alliance’s VC Council.


Alliance VC Advisory Council

tenoneten
Minnie Ingersoll
Vice Chair, VC Advisory Council
Partner
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tenoneten
Minnie Ingersoll
Vice Chair, VC Advisory Council
Partner
Website Podcast

Location: Los Angeles

AUM: $100M

Stage of Investment: Pre-Seed, Seed

Typical Check Size: $1M

Notable Investments: Ordermark, FlockFreight, Well Health

Industry: Technology

Investment Thesis: As founders, we know startups. As technologists, we know data. And as investors, we support the entrepreneurs who shape the future.

Anna Barber
Vice Chair, VC Advisory Council
Partner
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Anna Barber
Vice Chair, VC Advisory Council
Partner
Website Podcast

Location: Santa Monica

AUM: $467.5M

Stage of Investment: A

Typical Check Size: $8-10M

Notable Investments: The Honest Company, Snap, Suja Life

Industry: Consumer

Investor Thesis: Our venture arm helps world-shaping companies keep focus on the big ideas by providing smart capital and the resources they need to accelerate growth.

Scott Stanford
Co-Founder and Partner
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Scott Stanford
Co-Founder and Partner

Location: San Francisco, CA

Stage of Investment: Seed to Series C

Typical Check Size: $50M

Notable Investments: Airbnb, Ipsy, Poshmark, Rent the Runway, Robinhood, Slack, Savage x Fenty, SpaceX, Uber, Wag

Industry: Technology

Investor Thesis: ACME Capital invests in breakthrough technologies that fuel platform shifts and disruptive business models that capitalize on new platforms.

Ankona
Brian Mesic
Managing Director
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Ankona
Brian Mesic
Managing Director
Website

Location: Newport Beach

AUM: $66M

Stage of Investment: A, B, C, D

Typical Check Size: $5-10M

Notable Investments: GoSite, VideoAmp

Industry: Technology

Investor Thesis: We invest $5 to $10M into early growth-stage B2B software companies generating $5 to $15M in recurring revenues.

Bonfire Ventures Logo
Jim Andelman
Co-Founder & Managing Director
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Bonfire Ventures Logo
Jim Andelman
Co-Founder & Managing Director
Website Podcast

Location: Santa Monica

AUM: $190M

Stage of Investment: Seed, A, B

Typical Check Size: $3-5M

Notable Investments: ChowNow, Figment, Openpath, mPulse Mobile, Thankful

Industry: Technology

Investor Thesis: We lead Seed rounds for business software founders transforming the industries they target.

Calibrate Ventures Logo
Jason Schoettler
Co-Founder & Managing Partner
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Calibrate Ventures Logo
Jason Schoettler
Co-Founder & Managing Partner
Website Podcast

Location: Pasadena

AUM: $80M

Stage of Investment: Seed, A, B, C

Typical Check Size: $10-15M

Notable Investments: Soft Robotics, Health Tensor, Parallel Domain

Industry: Technology

Investor Thesis: Calibrate Ventures is a venture capital firm investing in early-revenue automation and AI companies. We partner with visionary founders bringing automation to diverse industries including education, healthcare, logistics, agriculture, financial services and beyond.

Abhi Mukherjee
Operating Partner
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Abhi Mukherjee
Operating Partner

Location: Costa Mesa, CA

Stage of Investment: Seed to Series A

Typical Check Size: $1M+

Notable investments: Viome, Deep Instinct, Totient, Swych, rMark Bio, Nirveda Cognition, Dathena, Matternet, Censia, Somnoware, Gemelli Biotech, 3D Glass Solutions, Robotic Skies, Solena, PayFave (dba Wink), JIDDU (dba AgShift) and GreenArc Capital

Industry: Healthcare Tech, Cybersecurity and Enterprise AI

Investor Thesis: CerraCap Ventures, a Global Venture Capital fund headquartered in Southern California, dedicated to early-stage technology investments in enterprise (B2B) solutions focused on the new fundamentals of the digital age – Cyber Security, Enterprise AI and Healthcare. It enables rapid growth of technology startups leveraging its unique Sales & Scale™ business model, driving revenue from large enterprises into its portfolio companies.

City National Bank
Peter Andes
SVP – Corporate Development & Ventures
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City National Bank
Peter Andes
SVP – Corporate Development & Ventures
Website

Location: Los Angeles

AUM: $83B

Stage of Investment: A, B

Industry: Fintech, Entertainment

Clocktower Technology Ventures
Ben Savage
Partner
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Clocktower Technology Ventures
Ben Savage
Partner
Website

Location: Santa Monica

AUM: $95M

Stage of Investment: Seed, A, B, C, D

Typical Check Size: $10-40M

Notable Investments: Cardless, Wagmo, Resolve, Daylight

Industry: Technology

Investor Thesis: We partner with phenomenal entrepreneurs who have the vision and drive to reinvent financial services, investing from the earliest seeds of startup life to businesses scaling for growth. We support leading companies across all sectors of financial services, including lending, credit & banking, payments, insurance, capital markets & investments, personal finance, enterprise financial stack and real estate finance. Our distinctive approach to fintech venture capital is crafted around a curated network of global macroeconomic thinkers and investors.

Connect Ventures
Michael Blank
Head of Consumer Investments
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Connect Ventures
Michael Blank
Head of Consumer Investments
Website

Location: Los Angeles

AUM: $100M

Stage of Investment: Seed, A

Typical Check Size: $2-10M

Notable Investments: Harper Wilde, Spire Animation Studios, Blacktag, Unless Collective, Fightcamp, Opensea, Candy Digital

Industry: Consumer

Investor Thesis: We partner with phenomenal entrepreneurs who have the vision and drive to reinvent financial services, investing from the earliest seeds of startup life to businesses scaling for growth. We support leading companies across all sectors of financial services, including lending, credit & banking, payments, insurance, capital markets & investments, personal finance, enterprise financial stack and real estate finance. Our distinctive approach to fintech venture capital is crafted around a curated network of global macroeconomic thinkers and investors.

Kairos Ventures Logo
James Demetriades
CEO & Founder
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Kairos Ventures Logo
James Demetriades
CEO & Founder
Website

Typical Check Size: $3-20M

Notable Investments: Axial Biotherapeutics, Foldax, PteroDynamics

Industry: Life Science

Investor Thesis: We invest in, support and nourish the world’s leading scientific discoveries and commercialize them into viable businesses as quickly as possible.

March Capital Logo
Jamie Montgomery
Co-Founder & Managing Partner
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March Capital Logo
Jamie Montgomery
Co-Founder & Managing Partner
Website

Location: Santa Monica

AUM: $1.2B

Stage of Investment: Seed, A, B, C, D

Typical Check Size: $30-10M

Notable Investments: Dropfake, Morty, Nifty Games, Dot LA, Spark Cognition

Industry: Technology

Investor Thesis: March is a venture-growth firm that dares to go all-in by combining intense sector focus, patience, access to a global leadership network, and high-impact portfolio engagement to inspire & to accelerate extraordinary companies. Because transformative change starts with conviction.

We actively explore opportunities that span the innovation economy. We have deep domain expertise in ENTERPRISE AI, CYBER, FINTECH, CLOUD INFRASTRUCTURE, INDUSTRIAL TECH, and GAMING.

Navigate Logo
Ivan Nikkhoo
Managing Partner
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Navigate Logo
Ivan Nikkhoo
Managing Partner
website

Location: Los Angeles

AUM: $25M

Stage of Investment: Between A and Growth Rounds

Typical Check Size: $1M

Notable Investments: BlueX Trade

Industry: B2B Enterprise SaaS

Investor Thesis: Founded by principals with decades of investing and operating experience, Navigate Ventures is a venture fund focused on early/mid growth stage capital for emerging B2B Enterprise SaaS & Internet companies between their Series A and Growth rounds, outside of Silicon Valley.

NEA Logo
Luke Pappas
Principal
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NEA Logo
Luke Pappas
Principal
Website

Location: Menlo Park

AUM: $18.4B

Stage of Investment: A, B, C, D

Typical Check Size: $50-200M

Notable Investments: MasterClass, Plaid, Pateron

Industry: Technology

Investor Thesis: We are a global venture capital firm with a mission to make the world better by helping founders build great companies that improve the way we live, work and play.

Eric Garland
Founder & Managing Partner
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Eric Garland
Founder & Managing Partner
Website

Location: Los Angeles

AUM: $600M+

Stage of Investment: Series B and beyond

Typical Check Size: $30M

Notable Investments: DraftKings, Epic Games

Industry: Consumer

Investor Thesis: Smash Ventures is a later-stage investment firm focused on consumer internet and technology companies. We add value to our portfolio through media strategy. We met leading venture investments for The Walt Disney Company.

Switch Ventures
Molly Kang
Investor
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Switch Ventures
Molly Kang
Investor
website

Location: San Francisco & Los Angeles

AUM: $75M

Stage of Investment: Pre-Seed, Seed, A

Typical Check Size: $500K – $2M

Notable Investments: PolicyGenius, The Athletic, Luxury Presence

Industry: All (tech generalist): including Enterprise Software, Consumer, Marketplace, Healthcare, Media, Fintech

Investor Thesis: We invest in people first, using data to identify extraordinary founders

TCG Logo
Julia Beilman
Vice President
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TCG Logo
Julia Beilman
Vice President
website

Location: Los Angeles

AUM: $700M

Stage of Investment: A, B, C, D

Typical Check Size: $20-100M

Notable Investments: Headspace, Rooster Teeth, Hello Sunshine, Twitter, Pandora, Fullscreen

Industry: Consumer

Investor Thesis: TCG is a multi-stage investment firm dedicated to building consumer businesses. As a group of operators, creatives, and investors, we help founders bring authentic ideas to life.

Matt Kozlov
Managing Director
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Matt Kozlov
Managing Director
website podcast

Location: Los Angeles

AUM: $179.8M

Stage of Investment: Seed, A, B

Typical Check Size: $120K – $5M

Notable Investments: Digital Ocean, SendGrid, Socedo, Two Bit Circus

Industry: Technology

Investor Thesis: Techstars Ventures is a venture capital firm that empowers entrepreneurs to bring new technologies to the market.

Town Hall Logo
Andy Slavitt
General Partner
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Town Hall Logo
Andy Slavitt
General Partner
website

Location: New York

AUM: $375M

Stage of Investment: Seed, A, B, C

Typical Check Size: $30-60M

Notable Investments: Bright Health Care, Landmark, Cohort, Plume, VillageMD

Industry: Life Science, Technology, Consumer

Investor Thesis: Supporting visionary teams passionate about solving health care’s biggest needs.

Vamos Ventures
Marcos C. Gonzalez
Managing Partner
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Vamos Ventures
Marcos C. Gonzalez
Managing Partner
Website

Location: Los Angeles

AUM: $50M

Stage of Investment: Seed

Typical Check Size: $1-3M

Notable Investments: Botco.ai, Stix, Repeat

Industry: Technology

Investor Thesis: VamosVentures is a venture capital fund focused on Latinx and diverse founders leading early-stage tech-enabled companies

WaveMaker
Jay Goss
General Partner
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WaveMaker
Jay Goss
General Partner
website

Location: Pasadena

Stage of Investment: Seed

Typical Check Size: $250K – $500K

Notable Investments: Alertive Health, Ciitizen, Evid Science, Med Pilot

Industry: Healthcare, Med-Tech, Health-Tech, Telehealth, & Digital Health

Investor Thesis: We are SEEDING HEALTHCARE’S TOMORROW. We invest in healthcare disruptors and entrepreneurs that see how the industry is transforming itself and want to make a big difference.

Wedbush Ventures
Petra Griffith
Founder & Managing Director
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Wedbush Ventures
Petra Griffith
Founder & Managing Director
website

Location: Santa Monica

AUM: $5.5M

Stage of Investment: Seed

Typical Check Size: $100k-$300k

Notable Investments: Cheese Financial, Repeat, Vested Finance

Industry: Generalist tech with a focus on FinTech, E-commerce Enablement, Future of Work.

Investor Thesis: Wedbush Ventures is a seed stage fund focusing on founders with strong founder/market fit looking to redefine or create a new market. We bring deep product/operations experience and a broad network to help our companies grow.