The accelerators actually operating in SoCal
28 independent programs, hand-verified — focus, location, and how to apply, not just a name and a logo.
Looking for a campus program instead? 19 university-run accelerators & incubators →
ACCELERATORS
Ad Astra Ventures
San Diego, CA
A venture builder and investment program for women founders, combining capital with a 6-8 month program of mentorship and strategic guidance to refine business model, product-market fit, and fundraising strategy.
Bryce Catalyst
San Diego, CA
Founded in 2020 by Cary Burch, an investment and operating company pairing growth capital with hands-on software operators experienced in scaling and exiting security, legal-tech, and regtech companies. Maintains a San Diego presence alongside offices in Houston, Denver, Salt Lake City, Tampa, and Menlo Park.
Connect Springboard
San Diego, CA
Started in 2005 as the country's first accelerator, Springboard is now Connect's no-cost advising program pairing life sciences and hi-tech founders with strategic advisors and industry experts to help them scale and raise capital. Run by Connect, the San Diego innovation nonprofit based at UCSD Park & Market.
CSD16
San Diego, CA
CSD16 (formerly Canopy San Diego) ran a 16-week, mentorship-driven cohort program for cannabis-ancillary startups across grow tech, payments, compliance, and packaging, launched in 2016 as a sister program to CanopyBoulder. It has since evolved into a seed-stage fund holding equity stakes in its 16 graduate companies rather than running new cohorts.
Disney Accelerator
Burbank, CA
A three-month, cohort-based summer accelerator launched by The Walt Disney Company, initially run jointly with Techstars for its first two years before Disney took it over. Gives startups access to Disney executives and IP alongside investment.
Expert DOJO
Santa Monica, CA
A cohort-based accelerator writing $100K initial checks with follow-on funding up to $1M, run out of a 10,000-square-foot Santa Monica tech hub. Since 2019 it has backed over 260 startups, with 42% female-founded or led, well above the industry average.
Founder Institute San Diego
San Diego, CA
The San Diego chapter of Founder Institute, the world's largest pre-seed startup accelerator network, running structured business-building sprints for early-stage founders with support from local investors, advisors, and mentors.
Founders First Capital Partners
San Diego, CA
Founded in 2015, provides non-dilutive revenue-based financing and term loans alongside a business acceleration program for diverse-led, service-based small businesses in low- and middle-income communities. Closed an $11M Series A in 2021 after an earlier $100M debt facility from Community Investment Management.
FoundersBoost
Los Angeles, CA
A 6-week, no-fee, no-equity pre-accelerator that prepares early-stage founders for accelerators, seed investment, and revenue. Founded in Los Angeles in 2017 (originally as Startup Boost), it has since expanded to 20+ programs worldwide and helped over 600 startups, whose alumni have gone on to raise more than $400M and been accepted into Y Combinator, Techstars, and a16z.
LogicBoost Labs
San Diego, CA
Founded in 2019 by Jonathan Cogley after selling his cybersecurity SaaS company Thycotic to TPG Capital for $1.4B. Rather than the typical cash-and-curriculum cohort model, LogicBoost embeds proven operator VPs directly into portfolio companies on staffing, sales, marketing, and customer success, aiming to get each one to $1M ARR.
Long Beach Accelerator
Long Beach, CA
A tailored 4-month program — 12 weeks of mentorship and workshops on market fit, strategy, and sales, followed by 4 weeks of demo-day prep. A public-private-academic partnership between the City of Long Beach, Sunstone Management, and CSULB, offering cohort members workspace in downtown Long Beach.
M Accelerator
Los Angeles, CA
A Los Angeles venture studio and accelerator running cohort programs (Founders Cohorts, Web3 Nexus, and business-idea tracks) for early-stage and scaling founders. Operating for 10 years, with 500+ companies through its programs.
MedTech Innovator
Los Angeles, CA
A global accelerator for medical device, digital health, and diagnostics startups, headquartered in Los Angeles. Runs an annual competition and accelerator program connecting founders with medtech industry mentors and investors.
MuckerLab
Santa Monica, CA
The cohort-based accelerator arm of Mucker Capital (co-founded 2011 by Erik Rannala and William Hsu). Invests $100K-$175K for 10-15% equity, runs a hands-on year-plus program for 20-25 companies annually, with Santa Monica office space and 300+ mentors.
NerdStage
Los Angeles, CA
A 4-week pitch and fundraising accelerator combining two 2-week remote sprints with 1-on-1 coaching and group workshops, culminating in a Demo Day where founders pitch on stage to investors. Also organizes a recurring LA events calendar (Demo Day LA, Startup Arena, LA Tech Happy Hour).
Octane LaunchPad
Orange County, CA
The flagship accelerator program of Octane, a nonprofit founded in 2002 by Jim Mazzo, Dwight Decker, Mike Mussallem, Matthew Massengill, and UCI's Tom Moebus to grow Orange County's tech and life-sciences sectors. Run in partnership with the SBA's OC/Inland Empire Small Business Development Center Network; portfolio companies have raised over $8.3B to date.
Plug and Play Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA
The Los Angeles location of Plug and Play, a global innovation platform connecting corporations to startups. Focuses on LA's strengths in media, entertainment, and retail, running structured accelerator programs like the SHOPLINE Future Commerce Accelerator alongside corporate partnership programs.
Starburst
Los Angeles, CA
Global aerospace and defense innovation firm combining startup accelerators, strategy consulting, and venture investments. Running since 2012, with roughly 150 portfolio startups and 60 corporate and government partners across nine hubs worldwide, including Los Angeles.
Sunstone Management (Irvine Accelerator)
Irvine, CA
A private capital management firm led by founder John Shen, previously a founding partner of the Long Beach Accelerator before relocating its headquarters to Irvine. In September 2023, Irvine's City Council approved a letter of intent for Sunstone to build and run a new Irvine Accelerator for early-stage tech founders.
Techstars Healthcare (Cedars-Sinai Accelerator)
Los Angeles, CA
Launched by Cedars-Sinai and Techstars as a fixed-term, cohort-based accelerator. Gives digital-health startups $120K in funding plus a three-month mentorship program with senior Cedars-Sinai clinicians and the Techstars network; now past its 10th cohort.
Techstars Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA
A 3-month mentorship-driven Techstars cohort program launched in 2023, backed by an $80M platform fund from Techstars and J.P. Morgan Private Bank. Each class runs about 12-13 startups spanning healthcare, e-commerce, retail enablement, deep tech, aerospace, and defense.
EvoNexus
San Diego, CA
A nonprofit, equity-free technology incubator — it does not take a stake in the companies it supports. Focused on San Diego's tech ecosystem across software, hardware, and life sciences.
ExCITE Riverside
Riverside, CA
A 501(c)(3) nonprofit business incubator formed through a partnership between UC Riverside, the City of Riverside, and Riverside County. Founded in 2015, it has supported over 30 startups whose portfolio has raised more than $30M and created 180+ jobs.
Idealab
Pasadena, CA
A startup studio rather than a cohort-based program — Idealab creates companies internally and incubates them in-house, founded by Bill Gross. One of the longest-running incubator models in the country, with a track record spanning consumer internet, cleantech, and energy ventures.
JLABS San Diego
San Diego, CA
A 40,000-square-foot Johnson & Johnson Innovation life-science incubator in Torrey Pines, one of J&J's first JLABS sites. Open-ended residency (up to two years average) with no equity taken and no forced partnership with J&J.
LACI (Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator)
Los Angeles, CA
A nonprofit incubator focused on cleantech and climate technology, with an emphasis on transportation electrification. Works closely with the City of Los Angeles on climate and clean-mobility initiatives.
SCALE Aerospace Ventures
Los Angeles, CA
An aerospace and space-tech incubator formed as a UCLA and Starburst Aerospace partnership, backed by $1.4M in federal funding from the U.S. Economic Development Administration matched by $1.4M in private funds. It targets accelerating more than 45 startups over three years.
University Lab Partners
Irvine, CA
A nonprofit, open-ended wet-lab incubator at UCI Research Park (with a second site in Aliso Viejo), founded as a project of the Beall Family Foundation in partnership with UCI Beall Applied Innovation. No IP or equity claims on resident companies.