Introducing dot.LA's Interchange.LA Jobs Platform

Sam Adams
Sam Adams serves as chief executive of dot.LA. A former financial journalist for Bloomberg and Reuters, Adams moved to the business side of media as a strategy consultant at Activate, helping legacy companies develop new digital strategies. Adams holds a bachelor’s degree from Harvard College and an MBA from the University of Southern California. A Santa Monica native, he can most often be found at Bay Cities deli with a Godmother sub or at McCabe's with a 12-string guitar. His favorite colors are Dodger blue and Lakers gold.
Introducing dot.LA's Interchange.LA Jobs Platform

We live in a golden age for Los Angeles tech companies and startups.

Transformative organizations are emerging and blossoming here. And there's a world-class talent pool in their backyard. From ecommerce to biotech to social media to aerospace and beyond, the future is being built in L.A.


Since our launch in January 2020, our goal at dot.LA has been to empower the L.A. startup ecosystem - by shining a light on great companies through our journalism, convening luminaries at our events (register for the upcoming dot.LA Summit here!) and hosting discussions via our pandemic-born online community wfh.LA.

An ecosystem as unique as ours deserves a dedicated, boutique platform to connect top talent with top startups. Matchmaking people to great companies isn't easy on overly broad platforms like Linkedin that's more akin to a traffic clogged freeway, where the sheer volume makes it tough for top candidates to stand out amid congestion. Our site is tailored to L.A. and its unique ecosystem that boasts some of the top, most diverse technical talent in the country.

We're here to change that; dot.LA is proud to introduce a solution to this gridlock: Interchange.LA.

With the re-launch of Interchange.LA, we are taking over stewardship of a project that has been a long time coming. The original incarnation of Interchange.LA was borne of a desire from stalwarts of the L.A. tech scene - Crosscut Ventures, AnnenbergTech, the Mayor's Office - to help fuel the community's growth. We are beyond thankful for the hard work put in by these organizations and others to help get this platform where it is today, and are excited to take it to the next level.

So what makes Interchange.LA unique?

LA DNA. In the year and a half since launch, dot.LA has established itself as the premier source for news and community for the Los Angeles tech ecosystem. Our journalists tell important stories that move the needle. Our events bring together the community and foster connection. We have boots on the ground in a way that no other recruiting platform does, and we'll use that to hone the product to be as useful as possible.

Equity focus. We also believe that Los Angeles has the potential to become the most inclusive and equitable startup hub in the country and in the world. Because L.A. is blossoming as an innovation hub later than first-generation locales like the Bay Area, we have the opportunity to learn from the mistakes of those places. Rather than a tech and startup community that exists insulated from the rest of the city, we want to promote the growth throughout the city in a way that benefits everyone.

Universal access. Our goal is to lower barriers to entry for tech on all sides, and creating an accessible platform for all is crucial to that mission. Our platform is free to candidates and will always offer a free option for companies.

Bespoke recruiting. For those high-growth companies that need top talent to keep fueling the rocketship, we are thrilled to be able to offer a white-glove option through which our team can build and execute tailored recruiting. If you're responsible for recruiting at a hot startup in L.A., please do yourself a favor and reach out to Interchange.LA's General Manager Sharmineh Lewis at sharmineh@dot.LA.

Interchange.LA is the premier avenue for connecting top talent with top startups in LA. It is an on-ramp for non-traditional candidates to join the vibrant L.A. startup community. It is an engine to help LA become the most diverse, equitable, and inclusive hub for innovation in the world.

It's the best time in the world to found or join a world-changing organization. At dot.LA we want to help you do it all.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/samnadams/
sam@dot.la
How to Navigate LA Tech Week 2026

🔦 Spotlight

Happy Friday, Los Angeles.

Next week, hundreds of tech events will take over the city, bringing founders, investors, engineers and creators together from October 12 through 18.

Calling LA Tech Week a conference does not quite capture the experience.

Presented by Andreessen Horowitz, Tech Week is a decentralized collection of panels, workshops, demonstrations and gatherings hosted independently by startups, venture firms and technology companies. There is no convention center or central stage. The programming stretches from Santa Monica and Venice to Culver City, Downtown, El Segundo and beyond.

In other words, the city is the venue.

AI remains the dominant theme for 2026, appearing across enterprise software, healthcare, finance, media and the creator economy. The schedule also reflects industries where Los Angeles has built a particular advantage, including aerospace, defense, robotics, advanced manufacturing, entertainment and consumer technology.

That range is what makes LA Tech Week distinct. It brings together the software companies shaping what comes next with the industries that already define Southern California.

The challenge is deciding where to show up.

Our advice: apply early and organize your schedule by neighborhood. Crossing from Santa Monica to Downtown may look manageable on a calendar created by someone who has never driven in Los Angeles.

To help you spend more time meeting people and less time crossing the city, we have organized each day’s events by location:

You can also browse the complete official LA Tech Week calendar.

Plan carefully, but do not fill every minute. The best conversation of the week may be the one that was never on your calendar.

More from this week’s LA startup and venture scene below.

🤝 Venture Deals

    LA Companies

    • El Segundo-based Gallatin AI raised a $50M Series A from new and existing investors including 8VC and Silent Ventures, bringing its total funding to $70M. The defense technology startup will expand its engineering team and advance Navigator, an AI platform that helps U.S. military units coordinate vehicle readiness, supplies, medical logistics and other mission-support operations. - learn more
    • Pasadena-based quantum computing startup Oratomic raised a $475M Series B at a $5.4B valuation, just three months after its Series A. ARCH Venture Partners, Spark Capital, Khosla Ventures, Index Ventures, General Catalyst and Bezos Expeditions co-led the round, bringing Oratomic’s total funding to $775M as it works toward a commercially viable, fault-tolerant quantum computer by 2030. - learn more
    • Torrance-based Fortastra raised a $30M Series A led by First In, with participation from Upfront Ventures, Space Capital, Rsquared, Side Door Ventures, ATX Ventures and existing investors. The company will use the capital to develop its next-generation maneuverable spacecraft, expand its engineering and operations teams and scale production of systems designed to protect critical assets in orbit. - learn more
    • Parallel Systems raised a $100M Series C led by AVP, with participation from Hillspire, Agility Global, Cobalt Capital, Anthos Capital, Congruent Ventures, Riot Ventures and Collaborative Fund. Founded by former SpaceX engineers, the company will use the funding to scale production and commercial deployment of its autonomous, battery-electric Panther rail vehicles, which are designed to make short-haul freight more competitive with trucking. - learn more
    • Gaming studio Gardens Interactive secured more than $35M in a Series B led by Lightspeed, with participation from Sequoia Capital, Index Ventures, Accel, Innovation Endeavors, Zenith Capital and other investors. The company will use the funding to launch and operate its debut social role-playing “strandbox” game, an evolving multiplayer world shaped by players’ actions and interactions. - learn more
    • Outer Spaces raised an $8M pre-seed round led by Upfront Ventures, with participation from Unlock Venture Partners, Mucker Capital and Genius Ventures. The startup is developing outdoor furnishings with integrated solar panels and batteries, turning backyards into sources of clean energy and backup power. - learn more
    • Furientis raised a $25M seed round led by Benchmark at a reported $125M valuation, following a $5M pre-seed announced in May. The defense startup will use the capital to scale production of lower-cost missile interceptors designed to be assembled quickly with readily available components, with a long-term goal of producing 1,000 systems annually at each factory. - learn more
    • Hiyo raised a $20.8M Series B led by Constellation Brands, with returning investor Live Nation also participating. The nonalcoholic beverage company will use the funding to expand its adaptogen- and nootropic-infused social tonics across more than 13,000 retail locations while growing its presence at hospitality venues and live events. - learn more
    LA Venture Funds
    • Navitas Capital participated in Vesta’s $30M Series B, which was led by Conversion Capital and included backing from several major mortgage lenders and financial institutions. The company will use the funding to scale its AI agents across mortgage origination, automating tasks such as application reviews, underwriting decisions and closing-document checks. - learn more
    • MTech Capital led Nettle’s oversubscribed $4.8M seed round, with participation from Project A Ventures, Sure Valley Ventures, Portfolio Ventures and Ventures Together. The insurtech startup will use the funding to expand across the U.S. and Europe while growing its AI platform, which helps commercial insurers identify property risks, accelerate inspections and generate reports. - learn more
    • Bonfire Ventures doubled down on Santé by participating in the company’s $15M Series A, which was led by FINTOP and included other returning investors. The New York startup will use the funding to expand its AI-powered operating system for independent wine and liquor stores, which combines point-of-sale, e-commerce, payments, inventory and marketing tools in one platform. - learn more

    LA Exits

    • Winnow Solutions was acquired by Marina del Rey-based Spring Labs, with financial terms undisclosed. Winnow’s attorney-built library of more than 100,000 state and federal regulatory requirements will become a core part of SpringGRC, helping financial institutions connect changing laws directly to their compliance policies, controls and workflows. - learn more

      Download the dot.LA App

      LA Tech Week 2026: Sunday’s Event Lineup

      🔦 Spotlight

      LA Tech Week 2026 closes Sunday with one final day of events across Los Angeles. We have organized the remaining lineup by neighborhood so you can finish the week with a few last conversations before everyone returns to their regularly scheduled inboxes.

      ARTS DISTRICT

      12:00 PM

      CARSON

      12:00 PM

      CULVER CITY

      9:00 AM

      • Women in Cleantech & Sustainability Hike and Network: See Details Here
        Women in Cleantech & Sustainability

      6:00 PM

      • Founders pitch competition: See Details Here
        Biomorphix solutions, Nightingale regenerative

      HOLLYWOOD

      10:00 AM

      4:00 PM

      • AI International: Film, Music Video & Micro-Drama: See Details Here
        AI International Film Festivals

      MID CITY

      1:00 PM

      OTHER

      12:00 PM

      • ORGANIC LIFE LABS™ PRESENTS THE ALIGNMENT LAB: The Science of human performance: See Details Here
        The Blue Room Collective

      SANTA MONICA

      8:00 AM

      1:00 PM

      6:00 PM

      SOUTH LA

      2:00 PM

      • Future Builders : Family STEM Day: See Details Here
        Black L.A. Tech Week (Community Collective)

      VENICE

      10:00 AM

      12:00 PM

      • How to Raise Funds to Fund Any Business Using Digital Products.: See Details Here
        DN Events

      VIRTUAL

      5:00 PM

      WEST HOLLYWOOD

      3:00 PM

      Each session provides unique opportunities to gain insights, network, and explore various fields of tech innovation. For updates or more event information, visit the official Tech Week calendar.

      Download the dot.LA App

      LA Tech Week 2026: Saturday’s Event Lineup

      🔦 Spotlight

      LA Tech Week 2026 heads into the weekend Saturday with more opportunities to learn, meet fellow builders and explore what is being created across the region. Browse the day’s events by neighborhood below and find the gatherings worth leaving the house for.

      ARTS DISTRICT

      5:30 PM

      BEL AIR

      5:00 PM

      CULVER CITY

      10:00 AM

      1:00 PM

      4:00 PM

      DOWNTOWN

      11:00 AM

      2:00 PM

      • South Asians in Space, Physical AI: See Details Here
        american south asian network

      5:00 PM

      7:00 PM

      HOLLYWOOD

      8:00 PM

      INGLEWOOD

      10:00 PM

      LONG BEACH

      10:00 AM

      12:00 PM

      LOS FELIZ

      8:30 AM

      • Griffith Observatory Hike with Longevity Cities & Don't Die LA: See Details Here
        Longevity Cities

      MALIBU

      5:00 PM

      MARINA DEL RAY

      9:30 AM

      • The Brazen Capital Walk: Connecting Women, Capital & Opportunity: See Details Here
        BrazenEra

      6:00 PM

      • Build an AI workflow editor, natively in Angular: See Details Here
        Workflow Builder

      SANTA MONICA

      7:00 AM

      • Founders Running Club Run in Santa Monica: See Details Here
        Founders Running Club, MongoDb

      9:00 AM

      • MOLTEN - Spatial hackathon (ElevenLabs, AssemblyAI, Rokoko, Datafeel...): See Details Here
        Field Lab

      2:00 PM

      3:30 PM

      6:00 PM

      7:00 PM

      SOUTH LA

      7:00 PM

      THE VALLEY

      7:30 PM

      UCLA

      11:00 AM

      USC

      9:00 AM

      10:00 AM

      10:30 AM

      VENICE

      8:00 AM

      • Open Air Health Tech: See Details Here
        Open Air Health Tech, Bowshock, Govitamins App

      10:00 AM

      10:30 AM

      11:00 AM

      12:00 PM

      6:00 PM

      • Bots, Bytes & Bubbles Benefit: See Details Here
        Distinguished Minds Institute dba thinqueBytes®

      VIRTUAL

      9:00 AM

      • Ask a VP of Sales: Live GTM Office Hours for Early-Stage B2B Founders: See Details Here
        Kat Rucker Consulting Group

      11:00 AM

      WEST HOLLYWOOD

      11:00 AM

      • The 10x Engineer Showed Up. The 10x Organization Didn't.: See Details Here
        Workflow Builder, Tentaro

      3:00 PM

      WESTSIDE

      11:00 AM

      2:00 PM

      • Graphic Design & Digital Printing Meetup: See Details Here
        Big Frog Custom T-Shirts & More of West LA

      7:00 PM

      WESTWOOD

      12:00 PM

      Each session provides unique opportunities to gain insights, network, and explore various fields of tech innovation. For updates or more event information, visit the official Tech Week calendar.

      Download the dot.LA App

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