Everything you need to know to break into LA tech

Breaking into the Los Angeles’ tech scene can be difficult. Like most things in the city, its sheer size, diversity and tempo can make it daunting for newcomers. But the only way to make a splash in the LA tech pool is to jump right in. Here's what you need to know to get started:

Tech News

LA’s news landscape is pretty crowded and many LA-based press outlets are reaching for a national audience. The tech coverage from big outfits like the LA Times (or even TechZulu) is solid, but they tend to have a broader focus. The Los Angeles Business Journal and L.A. Biz provide good insights into LA tech. For those looking for immediate news, SoCal Tech stays up-to-the-minute on Southern California tech news.

Then, of course, there’s this little publication with its finger on the pulse of LA tech called Built In LA — not that we're biased.

Events

Los Angeles is a geographically fragmented city, reflected in its meetups and events. Groups like Santa Monica New Tech, Innovate Pasadena and Long Beach Tech can help you meet like-minded people in your area.

There are also plenty of topic-specific meetups like LA Ruby on Rails, LA User Experience or the Big Data Users Group. But if you’re looking for all-encompassing events you’ll want to check out a few LA Tech Happy Hours or the LA Startup Community events.

In regard to one-off events, LA has a couple of big ones including Silicon Beach Fest, Techday West Coast, and the LA Tech Summit. In typical LA fashion, these are great spots to see and be seen throughout the year.

If you're having trouble finding the right events to meet your interest, check our event calendar periodically to stay up-to-date.

Online Communities

Without ever leaving the comfort of your ergonomically designed desk chair, you can stay in touch with the LA tech scene. There is the TechLA subreddit where you can receive news and event updates despite the fact that the page is not consistently active.

To stay completely engaged with the scene, Twitter may be your best bet. If you’re looking for a few influencers to follow, check out this list we compiled last year.

And of course, we'd love to get social with you everywhere from Facebook and Twitter to LinkedIn and our brand-new Instagram.

Organizations

There are plenty of LA organizations intact to support the city’s rapid growth. Innovate LA (inLA) is an organization run by the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation to promote private-sector tech growth. The Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce is also very engaged with their Innovation & Technology Council. Mayor Garcetti’s Entrepreneurs in Residence program also utilizes LA’s tech talent to boost the city’s economy.

Funding

LA’s funding scene is undoubtedly unique. The City of Angels is full of investors who come in the form of business leaders, actors and musicians. Celebrities like Ashton Kutcher, Jared Leto, and Jessica Alba have all seen major returns in their tech investments.

As for Venture Capital firms, here's a list of some of the largest firms in the city and you can check out other VCs and angel investors in our directory.

Incubators/Accelerators

If you’re looking for an incubator or an accelerator program to jumpstart your business, you won’t have to leave the city. Look no further than Amplify, MuckerLab, IdeaLab, Science Inc., Startup UCLA, and the USC Viterbi Startup Garage for home-grown options in the accelerator/incubator space.

There are a few big players in the game too, including The Los Angeles Dodgers Accelerator with R/GA and the Disney Accelerator. Techstars also has a presence in LA, having partnered with Cedar Sinai and formerly partnering with the Disney Accelerator. Here are a few more to check out.

Coworking

Finding coworking space in LA depends heavily on where you’re located. But with so many options, every part of the city seems to have a few hot spots. There seems to be a different coworking space every other block in Santa Monica and Downtown LA is starting to tally up the options as well. Here is a short list of spots worth checking out.

What are we missing? Let us know or follow us on Twitter @BuiltInLA

Recent Articles