Happy Friday Los Angeles!

🔦 Spotlight

University of Southern California has long been known for big spending parents, but the university is now also attracting big investment in the form of research grants from agencies and institutions.

In 2023, USC’s annual research expenditures reached $1.04B, driven by federal grants supporting health protections for children against air pollution, quantum computing research, and stem cell research targeting kidney disease and Lou Gehrig's disease. USC President Carol Folt's initiatives, including the Frontiers of Computing initiative with a pledged $1 billion investment by 2030, have positioned the university among the top private research institutions in the United States. Noteworthy researchers, such as Paul Aisen and Massoud Pedram, have played crucial roles, with USC leading in computer and information sciences spending on the West Coast and ranking fifth nationally.

The National Institutes of Health is USC’s most significant source of research funding ($387 million), followed by the U.S. Department of Defense ($107 million) and the National Science Foundation ($72 million). The fourth largest in 2022 was pharmaceutical company Cognition Therapeutics ($21 million), followed by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, the state’s stem cell research agency ($11 million).

The big question now is: will all of this funding translate to more founders, startups, and venture funding in Los Angeles? Time will tell, but as Silicon Valley emerged and grew around Stanford over the last few decades, hopefully our own Silicon Beach will continue to benefit from proximity to USC and LA’s other top Universities. ✌️📚🌴

🤝 Venture Deals

Just Announced

• The Realest, a startup founded this year that operates a marketplace for sports memorabilia, raised a $4.6M seed round led by KB Partners and including BAM Ventures, NFX, Slow Ventures, and FLÜS Investment Group. - learn more
• Act One Ventures, which focuses on investments in early stage companies involved in vertical SaaS, fintech, compliance, and ecommerce infrastructure, has raised a third fund of $73 million. The firm now has $148 million under management. - learn more

Actively Raising

• ReelCall, Inc., an entertainment technology company focused on powerful apps and platforms that help build and maintain the professional network of connections vital to career growth, is raising a $850K Pre-Seed Round. - learn more
• CZero, a startup building software to decarbonize logistics for logistics businesses and goods business through a vetted marketplace and optimization software. - learn more
• Couri, a technology startup addressing last-mile delivery issues, is raising a $450K Pre-Seed Round at a $2.2M post money valuation. - learn more 
• Sweetie, a marketplace to help people plan date nights, is raising a $250K Angel Round. - learn more
• StartupStarter, an investment platform that provides real-time data and analytics on startups, is raising an $850K Angel Round. - learn more

If you’re a founder raising money in Los Angeles, give us a shout, and we’d love to include you in the newsletter!

✨ Featured Partner

The WeAreLATech 'Experience' Club is for individuals working in LA tech; you can work at a startup or seasoned tech company.

We're engineers, investors, founders, designers, growth marketers, app developers, product managers and more... who do in person activities together 1-2 times a month. The concept is based on the saying 'More business gets done at the bar than in a boardroom.' That said, there's no panels or mixers. We have enough of those.

WeAreLATech was created by me, Espree Devora, back in 2012. I consider myself to be "an artist of human connection". Each event is my piece of art.

Activities include horseback rides, clay pigeon shooting, hiking, Price is Right gameshow, rooftop cocktails, surfing, escape rooms, food tastings, go karts, luxury beach picnics, drone flying, and the list goes on. We've done 100s of Experiences. Some events are curated by industry and others by role. The goal is to save you time making quality connections. Maintaining a strong culture and keeping the gatherings small, connective and curated is top priority.

Interested in more details about the Club? Check it out here.

And to listen to the WeAreLATech Podcast, click here 

📅 LA Tech Calendar

Saturday, January 20th

• The Future of Gaming: Opportunities in Connected Ecosystems - Join gaming enthusiasts and hear from speakers touch on the three foundations shaping the next phase of gaming technology: game transactions, privacy and security; authorship, generative AI, and new IP models; and decentralization, distribution, and extended gameplay. After the panel discussion there will be audience Q&A along with networking afterward.

Wednesday, January 24th

• The Female Funders Club - Join this monthly networking event Wednesday evening in Santa Monica and connect with other tech-oriented investors, wealth managers, asset managers and women who are interested in starting their tech investment journey.

Thursday, January 25th

• Product & Design Happy Hour - PMA LA is excited to kick off 2024 with a happy hour event at Truly LA. Because quality networking typically happens in a friendly atmosphere such as a happy hour, we're making it happen.

Friday, January 26th

• Pitch and Run LA: Friday Runs - Join Founders and VCs for Pitch and Run Fridays! 7:30am near 17th St & San Vincente for a ~3.5 mile loop at an easy-conversational pace. Pitch and Run is designed to help you connect with others on ideas, passions, and life while enjoying a casual run. They started with a focus on people in tech/startups, but are open to everyone.

📙 What We’re Reading

• Tune in to TenOneTen Partner Minnie Ingersoll’s conversation with Ivan Nikkhoo, Managing Partner of Navigate Ventures. From fleeing revolution at 14 to shaping the future of B2B SaaS investments, Ivan's journey is nothing short of inspirational. Uncover secrets to startup success and the art of building a vibrant venture community. - learn more
• Silicon Valley Bank’s inaugural Innovation in Women's Health Report unveils an optimistic outlook for this undervalued and rapidly growing sector, despite broader VC challenges and obstacles within the space.. - learn more
• Epic plans to contest Apple’s ‘bad-faith’ compliance with court ruling over App Store. - learn more
• NEXT Life Sciences Secures $2.5M in Funding to Advance Male Contraceptive Product Plan A. - learn more

Good Morning!

Here’s your monthly dose of LA gems, which this week happens to be co-working spots frequented by VCs, entrepreneurs, and everyone in-between.

Help us as we shine a spotlight on Los Angeles' unique establishments that contribute to the city's charm and indirectly enrich its thriving tech ecosystem. This week we are featuring six of the best co-working spaces on the Westside voted on by influential VCs and founders alike. Our list flows least expensive and exclusive to… well, aspirational. Let us know if we’ve missed any of your favorites!

If you’re a VC or founder and want to contribute to our best of LA series, email us at admin@dot.LA!

It’s that time of year again!

Our friends at AILA are hosting the third annual #LongLA Holiday Party on December 12th 6-11pm at the Pluto Penthouse on Wilshire.

The #LongLA Holiday Party is supported by a syndicate of LA-based organizations to celebrate the holidays and give back to the local community. Besides an epic party with tacos, drinks, and groovy tunes, we also host a food, toy, clothing, and gas gift card drive, benefiting LA Regional Food Bank, Children’s Hospital LA, Midnight Mission, and Safe Parking LA.

Earlybird tickets are on sale now!

https://lu.ma/LONGLA23

Best Coworking Spots in LA

Spaces Water Garden

Neighborhood: Santa Monica

Address: 2450 Colorado Avenue, Suite 100E, Santa Monica, California

Description: Three floors of creative workspace at the 17-acre Water Garden campus. Neighboring tenants include Roku, AMC Networks, Oracle, and Sony among others. The designer suite of private offices, meeting rooms and collaborative lounges are table stakes at this exceptional business campus that gives off a park feel with meandering waterways.

Pricing & Membership Information: Coworking memberships start at $119/month for 5 days or $269/month for unlimited access.

Village Workspaces

Image Source: Village Workspaces Website

Neighborhood: Culver City

Address: 11845 W Olympic Blvd, Suite 1100W, Los Angeles, CA 90064

Description: Village Workspaces is a boutique coworking space on the Westside that boasts a vibrant inspiring environment that fosters creativity and productivity. The space spans approximately 2,000 square feet with fantastic views, comfortable lounges and friendly eating areas designed for people to network.

Pricing & Membership Information: A coworking membership costs $350/month.

Phase Two

Image Source: Phase Two Website

Neighborhood: Culver City

Address: 5877 Obama Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90016

Description: Phase Two is located in Culver City and caters towards tech, entertainment and media types with exposed wood beams, high ceilings, and blue and gray accents, the space has a very cooling and serene environment. On-site facilities include a green screen studio, high-speed internet, conference room, a high-end digital projector, lockers and parking.

Pricing & Membership Information: Hot desking memberships start at $160 for 4 days of access per month, rising to $390/month for unlimited access.

 Industrious Playa District

Image Source: Industrious Website

Neighborhood: Playa Vista

Address: 6060 Center Drive, Los Angeles, CA

Description: Industrious Playa District is located within a 33-acre campus in West LA. You get to work on a tech campus without necessarily working for a big tech company. There’s a fitness center, outdoor conference spaces, a farmer’s market, and food trucks plus Industrious’ mainstay amenities and services, including daily breakfast, high-speed Wi-Fi, and a dedicated Community Manager.

Pricing & Membership Information: Membership starts around $440/month. and gives you unlimited open workspace and on-demand meeting rooms. You can enhance your membership and get private offices, additional meeting rooms or global access to work from any location in 65+ cities.

NeueHouse Venice

Image Source: Neuehouse Website

Neighborhood: Venice

Address: 73 Market St, Venice, CA 90291

Description: Located in a renovated 1920’s building, the design at Neuehouse Venice prioritizes open, flexible spaces. From sunlit lounges promoting social interaction to collaborative workspaces, meeting rooms, podcast and broadcast studios, a wellness pod, and a dedicated surfboard quiver and shower room. The goal here is to bring together creatives to work adjacent to one another, socialize and experience culture together in a beachside setting.

Pricing & Membership Information: Memberships range from access to coworking areas at $595 a month to “Salon” membership starting at $4,200 a year.

SoHo House West Hollywood

Image Source: SoHo House Website

Neighborhood: West Hollywood

Address: 9200 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069

Description: The iconic private members’ club in West Hollywood favored by the media and entertainment crowd. SoHo House West Hollywood spans over two floors and features breathtaking 360 views of Los Angeles. Laptop hours are restricted in certain areas so it’s best reserved as a place for in-person meetings.

Pricing & Membership Information: Membership is subject to the club's discretion. The application comprises two current member referrals, an online application, and a recent photo for identity confirmation. Annual dues for individuals over 27 start at $2,300 for one club.

🔦 Spotlight

Plug In South LA, a Los Angeles accelerator program, hosted their 2023 Founder Showcase at Blackbird House in Culver City on Thursday night. Founders made their pitches and then participated in a short Q&A session with Plug In South LA’s founder Derek Smith. 🎬🚀🌟

Half of Plug In’s first national cohort, consisting of ten companies, are based in Los Angeles with the rest dispersed across the country from Washington D.C. to San Francisco. Diversity is the name of the game for this group of companies. Not only is Plug In South LA designed for under-represented founders the companies themselves span the gambit when it comes to sector with healthcare, social networking, marketplace startups and more.

Plug In South LA was founded by LA-native Derek Smith in 2014 because he noticed a significant lack of representation and opportunities for Black and Latinx communities in the growing tech industry in Los Angeles, particularly in South Los Angeles neighborhoods like Crenshaw, Leimert Park, and Inglewood. He wanted to bridge this gap and create a platform to empower underrepresented talent by providing networking, exposure, and support within the tech sector. According to its website, Plug In South LA’s accelerator is “designed for Black and LatinX founders who are focused on solving big problems in Healthcare, Fintech, Digital Media, Climate Control and Sustainability Efforts in historically marginalized communities.”

Scroll down to see more information and the full list of companies! 💻🌴🌇

Want to invest in real estate but don’t have the time or money to buy and manage a whole property?

Investors are flocking to Arrived, a Jeff Bezos-backed real estate investing platform that even Zillow Co-founder Spencer Rascoff loves using. It's a beautiful app and web platform that already has over 353,000 people who have invested over $100M in real estate properties. We don't blame them - Arrived takes the guesswork out. You just:

• Browse expert curated vacation rentals and long-term rentals (only <0.2% of properties pass their expert diligence process before being offered to you)
• With just a few clicks, select the properties you like and invest anywhere from $100 to $50,000+ per property
• Sit back while Arrived takes care of the management and operations for you. Simple.

Real estate has outperformed the S&P 500 over the past 20 years as an asset class - but it's not easy to get into. Arrived's seamless platform fixes this. So what's stopping you from becoming a real estate mogul?

🤝 Venture Deals

LA Startups

• Bold, a healthy aging platform, raised a $17M Series A led by Rethink Impact, with participation from Samsung Next and existing investors Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) Bio + Health, Khosla Ventures, GingerBread Capital, and Primetime Partners. - learn more
• Requirements management and digital thread platform, Prewitt Ridge, raised a $4.1M Seed Round led by Squadra Ventures, joined by Stage Venture Partners, Aurelia Foundry, Wonder Ventures, Haystack, Acequia, TechStars, GC&H and others. - learn more 
• Morty, a platform to help people find local ‘IRL’ experiences and cultivate real world interactions between friends, raised a $2.2M Seed Round from prominent Los Angeles-based firms including Wedbush Ventures and Wonder Ventures. Initially only featuring escape rooms, Morty recently expanded into haunted attractions with plans to feature immpersive theater, speakeasies, location based VR and more!
• Mavida Health, a maternal mental health platform, raise a $1.5M Pre-Seed Round. - learn more 
• VideoAmp, a media measurement and optimization software company, raised a $150M Series G led by Vista Credit Partners. - learn more 
• Strada, an AI-enabled cloud platform with tools for production and postproduction, raised a $1.9M Pre-Seed Round from some major Hollywood players among others. - learn more 

LA Funds

• M13 led a $5M Seed Round for Carenostics, a revolutionary AI platform for identifying chronic disease patients and prompting treatment. - learn more
• Mucker Capital participated in a $12M Series A for Optera, a Boulder, CO-based company providing ESG and carbon management software. - learn more
• Alpha Edison participated in a $33M Series D extension for Kin Insurance, the direct-to-consumer home insurance company. - learn more

📅 LA Tech Calendar

Saturday, September 16th

• Y3K Innovation Summit USC - A day filled with workshops, competitions, and opportunities to connect with industry leaders and fellow tech enthusiasts of all levels. The event is designed for anyone interested in exploring the future or entrepreneurship, social impact, and career development within the emerging tech industries including digital content creation, virtual and augmented reality, blockchain application, artificial intelligence, and e-gaming.

Wednesday, September 20th

• Startup Cafe 🗽 - Meet and connect with like-minded entrepreneurs, investors, and industry professionals while enjoying a nice cup of coffee or going on a hike or both Wednesday morning in Venice.
• The LA Business Show - Day 1 🗽 - Join hundreds of business experts and leaders for the first day of this business expo in Downtown Los Angeles built to equip, educate and encourage the small businesses and entrepreneurs with 300 exhibitors, 150 seminars and unmissable masterclasses.

Thursday, September 21st

• The LA Business Show - Day 2 🗽 - Join hundreds of business experts and leaders for the second day of this business expo in Downtown Los Angeles built to equip, educate and encourage the small businesses and entrepreneurs with 300 exhibitors, 150 seminars and unmissable masterclasses.

Friday, September 22nd

• LA Tech Wind-Down 🗽 - Join Startup Coil and The KINN Friday evening in Venice for an alternative to the mid-week happy hour for networking, chill vibes, and functional non-alcoholic libations.

Other events to add to the calendar

🗽 - Free

📙 What We’re Reading

• Disney’s recent deal with Charter Communications signals the growing challenges of transitioning from traditional TV to streaming. - read more
• SpaceX's satellite internet division, Starlink, falls short of Elon Musk's ambitious 2015 projection and faces challenges expanding its subscriber base, especially in urban areas. - read more
• 5 things to know about a potential strike against video game companies. - read more

🚀 Plug In South LA’s 2023 Cohort

See below for all 10 companies featured at Plug In South LA’s 2023 Demo Day.

🩺 At Their Side, LLC

HQ: Long Beach, CA CEO: Emily Woodman-Nance 

Sector: Healthcare

Description: At Their Side is a 24/7 healthcare status platform that enables healthcare providers to communicate with families, allowing staff to dedicate more time to providing care rather than being occupied with phones.

🪴 MyVoluntier

HQ: Atlanta, GA CEO:  Aubrey Gibson 

Sector: Social Networking Platform

Description: MyVoluntier is a virtual civic engagement hub, akin to a 'LinkedIn for civic engagement,' centralizing community initiatives, events, resources, fundraising, and volunteers to inspire social connection and drive collective impact.

🍽️ Nutrible

HQ: St. Louis, MO CEO: Kwamane Liddell 

Sector: Healthcare

Description: Nutrible is a technology platform that provides virtual social service navigation and nutrition-centered chronic care management to vulnerable patients and communities.

💼 Peadbo

HQ: Washington, DC CEO: Keith Chaney 

Sector: B2B Software

Description: Peadbo (short for Personal Advisory Board) is a cloud-based platform that allows users to build and manage teams dedicated to their personal or professional growth and create recurring newsletters for their broader network of supporters and advisors.

💐 Postal Petals®

HQ: Los Angeles, CA CEO: Talia Boone 

Sector: B2C

Description: Postal Petals®, an immersive floral and wellness startup, uses fresh cut flowers and do-it-yourself flower arranging to promote creative expression as a form of mindfulness and self-care.

💸 Prosperety Technologies Inc.

HQ: San Francisco, CA CEO: Darren Black 

Sector: FinTech

Description: Prosperety Technologies Inc. is a fintech SaaS platform that helps small businesses succeed financially with: the right customers at a reasonable cost, unlimited access to no-fee, no-credit-check, no-revenue, capital from consumers and the ability to easily build and get business credit. All in the same place, on the same platform.

🏀 Subler 

HQ: Los Angeles, CA CEO: Carlos Rivera

Sector: Marketplace, Proptech

Description: Subler is a B2B/C SAAS marketplace that connects schools with communities, making it easy for event organizers to find and rent school spaces. Subler democratizes access to athletic and event spaces and simplifies the rental process by centralizing new leads, creating leases, and collecting rent — all in one place.

📳 SwayBrand

HQ: Los Angeles, CA CEO: Horace Flournoy 

Sector: Marketplace

Description: SwayBrand is a marketplace that connects brands with creators for on-location user-generated content. They aim to be the new studio for creators and help brands reach new audiences through authentic, personalized content.

👟The Crease Beast 

HQ: Los Angeles, CA CEO: Matt J. 

Sector: Consumer Products

Description: The Crease Beast is an innovative shoe care brand that provides sneakerheads with effective products to preserve footwear aesthetics.

*The Crease Beast was not present at the Demo Day but is part of the 2023 cohort

🚗 Upward

HQ: New York, NY CEO: Osvaldo Rodriguez 

Sector: FinTech

Description: Upward helps 5M ride share drivers and delivery workers save at least $2,500 in taxes by automating the process of finding the largest possible deductions, so they pay less when it is time to file.