SoCal Community Events & Deadlines

Community Innovation Events

The events listed are not hosted or organized by the Alliance unless specified

May 7-9

Irvine Tech Day

Hosted by: Various including Sunstone Management

Location: Irvine

A multi-day celebration of innovation in Irvine including startup pitch showcases, panel discussions, and opportunities to network and connect. 

May 9

Jewel City Hacks 4.0

Hosted by: Hacker Fund and City of Glendale

Location: Glendale

Hackathons are mentor-guided, computer-mediated invention-based learning competitions where founders prototype the technology project that will become the startup company — so get stoked, it’s time to LOCK IN and ship that project!

​​We’re bringing together the brightest inventors and rising entrepreneurs from the City of Glendale and beyond for a high-energy hackathon at Glendale Community College 

May 11-12

SpaceTech Economic Forum

Hosted by: SpaceTech Economic Forum

Location: El Segundo

The SpaceTech Economic Forum serves as the strategic intersection for the sector’s highest tier. This curated gathering joins the vanguard of global security with top-tier capital to dismantle barriers and catalyze the development of allied space infrastructure.

May 13

Orange County Semiconductor Leadership Group Meeting

Hosted by: OC SLG

Location: Virtual 

We’ll review national models and best practices to decide on the working formation, governance model, and leadership locally for the newly created OC SLG which is part of the CA Jobs First Initiative. 

May 14

Demo Day LA

Hosted by: LA Tech Events

Location: Venice, CA

LA’s most anticipated startup demo event, bringing together a room full of investors eager to back what’s next. The night features multiple founder pitch sessions, live demos, and a fireside chat with industry leaders sharing real, unfiltered insight. Expect strong ideas, serious conversations, and networking that actually goes somewhere.

May 14

Platform vs. Single Asset vs. Pipeline: What VCs Back Early

Hosted by: Biocom

Location: Bay Area and Virtual

A candid VC panel on how investors evaluate platform, single-asset, and multi-asset/pipeline strategies in today’s competitive and capital‑constrained biotech market—and what it takes to meet Series A expectations. FEATURING: Franklin Rice, MBA (Moderator), CEO, Alumni Pharmaceuticals; Max Farina, MD, Principal, 5AM Ventures; Elton Satusky, Partner, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich Rosati

May 16

SABPA OC/LA 18th Annual Biomedical Forum

Hosted by: SoCal Association for Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Advancements (SABPA)

Location: Irvine

The 18th Biomedical Forum will spotlight the transformative impact of artificial intelligence (AI) across drug discovery, advanced therapeutics, medical devices, and healthcare systems. This year’s program focuses on Innovation, AI, and the Power of Entrepreneurship, highlighting how emerging technologies are shaping the future of medicine and life sciences. The forum brings together life science entrepreneurs, industry leaders, investors, scientists, and cross-functional professionals to share insights, foster collaboration, and strengthen the biotechnology and life sciences ecosystem in Southern California and beyond.

MAY 18-21

UCLA LABEST Week

Hosted by: UCLA

Location: UCLA, Westwood

LABEST Week 2026 is the premier gathering for founders, innovators, and investors shaping the future of bioscience, therapies, MedTech, medical devices, and biotech. MedTech is on May 20 and Bioscience on May 21. The FIRST LOOK SOCAL BIOSCIENCE INNOVATION SHOWCASE is on May 21 at LABEST. 

May 30

Space-based Abundance

Hosted by: Caltech Entrepreneurs Forum

Location: Caltech, Pasadena

Space-based services like GPS revolutionized our world. Are free, abundant energy, data, and health solutions from space next? ​Join our expert speakers as they explore the exciting opportunities emerging for entrepreneurs and researchers. This dynamic program will feature Keynote Speakers, company presentations and an engaging panel discussion. Join us to connect with industry and research leaders for an interactive Q&A and a vibrant networking session.

May 21-23

TechCon SoCal 2026

Hosted by: TechCon

Location: San Diego

TechCon SoCal 2026 is more than just a technology conference; it’s where the future of innovation meets investment opportunities. Set in the heart of San Diego, this premier technology event brings together industry leaders, forward-thinking entrepreneurs, and business investors to explore the latest advancements in artificial intelligence, consumer tech, digital health, and more—making TechCon SoCal 2026 the region’s flagship investment conference. Use Code SOCAL26APRIL

June 4

Fundraising in Today’s Market – DTLA

Hosted by: Alliance for SoCal Innovation

Location: Downtown Los Angeles

Join us for an evening in Downtown Los Angeles as founders and venture capitalists come together for an open conversation on what it really takes to raise capital in today’s environment. This rooftop event is co-produced with Gunderson Dettmer and brings together members of the SoCal startup ecosystem for insights, connection, and community.

June 10

San Diego Innovation Council Showcase

Hosted by: San Diego Innovation Council (SDIC)

Location: La Jolla

A full day of company presentations and networking, with high quality investment opportunities in the software, engineering, cleantech, bluetech, and life sciences sectors. The SDIC will present innovations created at top academic centers in San Diego and Southern California. These academic centers come together annually to present investment opportunities, commercialization success stories, and opportunities to develop new enterprises based on technologies developed by their researchers.

June 10

Launch Event for The Orange County Semiconductor Leadership Group

Hosted by: OC SLG

Location: OC (tba)

Official launch event for the newly created OC SLG which is part of the CA Jobs First Initiative. 

June 16

IGNITE22!: Global Tech Showcase

Hosted by: Braid Theory

Location: Port of LA, San Pedro

This is a unique opportunity to meet the blue economy leaders and innovators shaping the 22nd century where: entrepreneurs showcase their blue economy solutions; industry leaders discover emerging technologies; and investors seize opportunities to back viable, sustainable ventures. 

June 16

The 14th Annual Summer Social

Hosted by: Connect

Location: Encinitas

This signature event brings together entrepreneurs, investors, and community leaders for an afternoon of meaningful connection and well deserved celebration. ​Enjoy complimentary drinks, local food vendors, entertainment, wine tasting and an up-close look at the Class of 2026 Cool Companies, the startups and innovators helping shape our region’s future.opportunities to develop new enterprises based on technologies developed by their researchers.

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Innovation Program Deadlines

SoCal Venture Pipeline Program Deadline: Ongoing SoCal Venture Pipeline Program Startups receive targeted introductions to investors through our unique no-cost program (no fees, no equity, totally free). SoCal entrepreneurs raising institutional funding are carefully selected and directly introduced to capital providers from our deep nationwide relationship network. Accepted startups may also receive funding through our Catalyst Fund.

Submission Deadline: soon

Postbac Research Fellow at Amgen

Let’s do this. Let’s change the world. Amgen is committed to training the next generation of industry scientists. We are looking to hire several highly talented, self-motivated individuals, passionate about science and interested in transitioning to doctoral programs and ultimately a career in the biopharma industry upon completion of the Amgen Postbaccalaureate Fellows Program.

Submission Deadline: May 15

Most Fundable Companies Competition run by Pepperdine University’s Graziado Business School

Founders of U.S.-based startups that make the 2026 Most Fundable Companies List will be invited to our gala Showcase event on September 23 in Malibu, CA and your startup will receive significant national recognition, including publication in Entrepreneur magazine. You do not need to be affiliated with Pepperdine to participate. Companies must be headquartered, with a majority of business operations, in the United States.

Submission Deadline: May 15

Nucleate’s 2026 Grand Challenge: “Aging Reimagined — New Health Frontiers.”

Now entering its fourth year, the Grand Challenge continues to identify and accelerate early-stage biotech innovations — this year concentrating on functional health and resilience across the world’s aging population. Developed in collaboration with Eli Lilly and Company (Lilly), the 2026 Grand Challenge will spotlight a new generation of therapeutics and technologies aimed at improving how individuals age; not by targeting aging as an abstract concept, but by addressing the measurable, real-world challenges that impact quality of life. The 2026 Grand Challenge will take place on September 22, 2026, at Lilly’s global headquarters in Indianapolis, convening a select cohort of early-stage biotech teams to present their work to Lilly scientists, business leaders, and partners. Selected finalists will have the opportunity to compete for a $100,000 non-dilutive grant while gaining direct mentorship from Lilly’s innovation ecosystem.

Submission Deadline: June 21

The StartBlue Ocean Enterprise Accelerator

An intensive immersive program designed to help ocean intelligence startups launch and scale to support the Ocean Enterprise and grow the Blue Economy. This program housed at UC San Diego combines the entrepreneurial expertise, training, and leadership of the Rady School of Management (ranked #2 in Entrepreneurship by Bloomberg Businessweek Best B-Schools) and the world class ocean expertise, technical development resources, and innovation network of Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

Submission Deadline: June 22

Michelson Prizes: Next Generation Grants

Michelson Prizes: Next Generation Grants are $150,000 research grants given annually to support promising researchers applying disruptive concepts and inventive processes to advance human immunology, vaccine discovery, and immunotherapy research for major global diseases. Michelson Prizes is looking for research proposals on human immunology and vaccine research. The committee will look for research that aims to tackle the current roadblocks to human vaccine development and expand our limited understanding of key immune processes that are fundamental to successful vaccine and immunotherapy development. While the Michelson Prizes are focused on research in the fields of immunology, vaccine, and immunotherapy discovery, applicants from the full spectrum of related disciplines, including clinical research, biochemistry, molecular biology, protein engineering, computer science, artificial intelligence/machine learning, biophysics, nanotechnology, etc., are encouraged to apply.