Anduril Seeks $1.5B in VC Funds

Defense company Anduril Industries Inc., based in Costa Mesa and founded by Palmer Luckey, is seeking to raise $1.5 billion in fresh funds to boost its valuation to $12.5 billion or more, according to sources quoted by The Information. This fundraising effort, if successful, would mark one of the largest venture capital rounds of the year.

Anduril recently secured a contract to develop and test small unmanned fighter jet prototypes under the Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program, beating out major defense companies like Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman. Alongside General Atomics, Anduril will design, manufacture, and test these aircraft, with a final multibillion-dollar production decision expected in fiscal year 2026. This program aims to deliver at least 1,000 combat aircraft to fly in concert with manned platforms and is part of the Air Force’s Next Generation Air Dominance initiative. Central to Anduril’s success in this contract is the Fury autonomous air vehicle, acquired through the purchase of Blue Force Technologies. This victory underscores Anduril's rapid advancement in the defense sector, aligning with Luckey's vision of building faster and more cost-effective defense assets. - learn more

Los Angeles Ranks Number 1 in Emerging Climate Tech Hub

The 2024 Emerging Climate Tech Hubs Report by Revolution highlights Los Angeles as a burgeoning center for climate tech innovation. LA's growth in this sector is driven by its diverse talent pool, strong research institutions, and a culture of environmental consciousness. The city's unique mix of legacy industries, such as entertainment and aerospace, alongside emerging tech companies, positions it as a pivotal player in the climate tech landscape. This shift reflects a broader trend of decentralized climate tech funding across the U.S., reducing the historical dominance of California's traditional hubs. - learn more

Silicon Beach: Looking Back, Moving Forward

Assessing the overall health of the startup market is challenging, especially as venture capital funding has decreased by an average of 61% from 2021 to 2023 across the top VC markets in the US. Markets with robust ecosystems in AI, SaaS, Biotech, Healthtech, and Fintech appear to be weathering the downturn better than those focused on Consumer and Gaming industries, areas where Los Angeles traditionally excels.

Percent Change In VC Funding By Region

CB Insights

LA Times paints a rather bleak outlook on the Los Angeles tech scene noting venture capital funding in Greater Los Angeles plummeted 73% from 2021 to 2022. Silicon Beach, once a vibrant tech corridor, currently faces high vacancy rates and lacks late-stage financiers, especially in the AI sector. However, there are positive signs, including growth in aerospace startups and increased venture capital investment in early 2024, suggesting a potential rebound for LA's tech ecosystem.

While LA may not be exceeding expectations during this period, its tech ecosystem warrants a nuanced evaluation, given the broader market dynamics and its strong performance in specific sectors. Reach out to us with your thoughts.

Happy Friday Los Angeles! You made it through the first week of 2024!

🔦 Spotlight

Elon Musk may be a divisive (albeit entertaining) figure, but the continued success of SpaceX is pivotal for the aerospace industry in Los Angeles and more broadly around the world.

What happened with SpaceX in 2023?

• Elon Musk challenged Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg to a cage fight.
• SpaceX launched 96 successful missions with its Falcon series of rockets, a 57% increase over its previous annual record.
• SpaceX conducted two test flights of the largest and most powerful rocket ever built, Starship.
• Roughly two-thirds of SpaceX's launches in 2023 were devoted to building out Starlink, the company's satellite-internet megaconstellation.
• Isaacson’s Elon Musk biography was published in September including everything from Musk’s tumultuous relationship with his father to his work ethic and “demon mode”.

Moving forward what can we expect from SpaceX and its controversial founder? Continued innovation pushing the aerospace industry to new limits? Yes. More drama? Without a doubt.

Here is some of what is to come in 2024:

• SpaceX has already deployed direct-to-smartphone satellites in its first launch of 2024.
• Bill Gerstenmaier, SpaceX's vice president of build and flight reliability, announced that they are looking to increase flight rate to 144 flights during 2024.
• SpaceX will launch 5 astronaut missions in 2024 if everything goes to plan.
• Starlink will continue to build out the company’s satellite-internet megaconstellation in 2024 as they have permission to deploy double the current number of satellites in orbit.
• SpaceX is working to get other Starship vehicles ready, in keeping with the company's development philosophy, which prioritizes frequent test flights and rapid iteration.
• SpaceX is facing a complaint issued by a regional office of the National Labor Relations Board, for illegally firing employees in 2022 for circulating a letter critical of the company’s founder and chief executive, Elon Musk.

🤝 Venture Deals

Just Announced

Check back next week!

LA Exits

• CG Oncology, an Irvine, CA-based developer of immunotherapies for bladder cancer, filed for a $100M IPO. It plans to list on the Nasdaq (CGON) with Morgan Stanley as left lead underwriter, and has raised around $317m in VC funding. - learn more
• McNally Capital agreed to sell Advanced Micro Instruments, a Costa Mesa, CA-based maker of gas analyzers and sensing technologies, to Enpro (NYSE: NPO). - 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 hard-tech startup that is developing a technology for decarbonizing natural gas, is raising a $1.5M Seed Round. - 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!

📅 LA Tech Calendar

Sunday, January 7th

• LA Coffee Club x Popl - "Networking Gone Wild" Mansion Party & Panel - Join 310 Coffee Club for a panel discussion and networking in Beverly Hills. The panel will be discussing "Networking Tactics to 2x your Potential" with founders & CEOs including Jason Alvarez-Cohen of Popl, Nathan Green of Kin, Rory Garton-Smith of Checkmate, Christina Galbato of Create Her Empire, and Casey Adams of Listener.com!

Wednesday, January 10th

• Startup Cafe: Networking with a Kick - Entrepreneurs, Startups, and Tech Enthusiasts join together to meet and connect with like-minded people, industry professionals and investors, while enjoying a nice cup of coffee in Venice at The KINN. This week’s interactive discussion about AI’s evolution in entertainment will feature Dr. Sam Khoze and Rachel Joy Victor.
• Venice Tech Happy Hour- Join Startup Coil and FoundrHaus Wednesday evening and enjoy the sunset from the rooftop, grab a bite overlooking Abbot Kinney, and mingle with other tech enthusiasts and entrepreneurs by the bar on the patio.

Have an awesome event coming up? Reach out to be featured on next week’s Newsletter!

📙 What We’re Reading

• Tune in to TenOneTen Partner Minnie Ingersoll’s conversation with Josh Porter, co-founder of FirstLook Partners. Josh explains why he thinks smaller funds make the best investment opportunities. He has seen hundreds of decks and digs in on how to evaluate funds and his unique approach to co-investments. - listen here
• Fisker will add dealerships to EV sales model. - learn more
• 4 Predictions for AI in 2024. - learn more

Skeptics once doubted the feasibility of a high-speed rail connecting LA to Las Vegas, but now it's becoming a reality. Perhaps all it takes is the right team to turn the improbable into the possible.

LA County has invested millions to establish itself as a biotech hub, including funding the nonprofit BioscienceLA and its BioFutures program. The county's investments have also created a supportive infrastructure with initiatives like the 20,000-square-foot BioscienceLA office in Culver City, generating significant economic activity and jobs. However, despite these efforts, LA has remained a secondary market for biotech and life sciences due to geographic sprawl and limited supply of life science/biotech space, even though the region boasts significant life science talent.

Life Science Degree Completions by Vacancy Comparison

Cushman & Wakefield

A leading figure in the biotech scene in Los Angeles is the impressive biotech entrepreneur, Arie Belldegrun. Belldegrun has played a significant role in the successful exits of Agensys, Cougar Biotechnology, and Kite Pharma, which collectively sold for $13.4 billion. An Israeli-born urologist and immunology researcher, Belldegrun has been instrumental in building the biotech sector in Los Angeles. Utilizing proceeds from these exits, he established Bellco Capital, which primarily invests in life science and real estate companies, and co-founded several biotech-focused funds and ventures.

Belldegrun's efforts have culminated in the creation of the California Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy at the former Westside Pavilion in Westwood, in collaboration with other prominent figures and philanthropists. The 700,000-square-foot property, acquired at the end of 2023, will also house the UCLA Center for Quantum Science & Engineering. “The goal is to build the immunology equivalent of Silicon Valley in Los Angeles,” says UCLA Health CEO John Mazziotta, MD, PhD. The center will hold its own patents and will eventually foster new biotech startups through its incubator and accelerator programs. The initiative has secured $500 million in state funding and plans to raise an additional $1 billion, positioning Los Angeles to become a leading biotech hub alongside regions like the Bay Area, San Diego, and Boston. Despite challenges posed by the city's geographic sprawl, these combined efforts by leaders like Belldegrun and county programs are transforming LA's biotech landscape, fostering a thriving environment for future scientific and commercial successes.