SoCal Venture Pipeline

Founders based in Southern California who are preparing to raise their first round of institutional Seed or Series A funding within the next 6 to 12 months are eligible. We cater to various tech industry verticals.

Key indicators include a minimum raised through angel funding, product market presence, customer traction, a dedicated team, and a scalable business model. Specific requirements vary for Seed and Series A stages.

Founders: Here’s a helpful guide we wrote to explain the different funding stages to help you determine which round you should be raising.

Check out our full FAQ page for more detailed criteria

No, there is no cost to apply and we do not take equity in exchange for our services. Our sponsors and a federal grant cover the operational expenses of the program.

Applications are first reviewed by Alliance staff, followed by evaluation and feedback from our Evaluation Committee to narrow down the applicants to the top five. The final decision is made by our Selection Committee, who meet monthly to review the application and a live pitch by the founder with Q&A. 

Once accepted, we want to get to know you and better understand your business and current fundraising progress so we can find the right investors for you. Once we have a game plan, you’ll receive strategic introductions to VCs, guidance on pitching and presenting your startup, and access to our network of resources and mentors. We will also pass along helpful feedback we get back from investors to help you continue to improve your pitch.

Yes! We recently raised the Catalyst Fund to invest in SoCal-based founders who have been accepted into the SoCal Venture Pipeline program AND have secured a term sheet from a lead investor who prices the round (minimum of $1m of new capital), sets the terms, and is a definitive lead investor (providing at least 20% new capital). More information about the Catalyst Fund is here.

If you are not selected, we provide feedback and referrals to resources to address areas needing improvement. Most of the time, companies are not accepted due to being too early in their lifecycle so we encourage founders to reapply after they have achieved meaningful new progress milestones.

Absolutely! We welcome reapplications from startups that have achieved new milestones or overcome previous challenges.

We maintain high standards of integrity and transparency. Any potential conflicts of interest with committee members or founders must be disclosed to the Alliance.

Your application data is strictly used for evaluation purposes within the SoCal Venture Pipeline program and is not sold or shared externally. We are committed to maintaining confidentiality and data security.