A list of top LA accelerators and incubators

As I have noted before, the tech scene in Los Angeles is on the rise.

Part of that has to do with the categories that L.A. specializes in gaining traction, including digital media, gaming and e-commerce. There is also L.A.'s university scene, including UCLA, USC, UC Irvine, Caltech, UC Santa Barbara, Pepperdine and Loyola Marymount, which are also contributing, helping to produce more engineering graduates than any other county in California, including the Valley.

But as Neal Hansch of Rustic Canyon Partners told me in an interview, perhaps the biggest factor is the number of accelerators and incubators have been popping up in the last few years to nurture talent in the area.

So, with Vator Splash LA only a couple of weeks away, I thought I would take a look at some of the most noteworthy accelerators and incubators in the Los Angeles area and see what they offer.

If you're interested in meeting some of these folks, come to our Vator event - Vator Splash LA on the evening of May 30. You can register here.

(Before we continue, it should be noted that there is a big difference between an accelerator and an incubator. While an accelerator funds ideas that were developed externally, an incubator brings in an external management team to manage an idea that was developed internally.)

Accelerators:

Amplify was founded in December 2011 Paul Bricault, a venture partner at Greycroft Partners. It is located in the neighborhood of Venice.

Investment amount: The accelerator invests between $50,000 and $150,000 in seed funding, for a 5% to 15% stake in the company.

Program benefits: Those selected for the four month long program receive perks that include:

3 “classes” per year, with rolling curriculum
Free workspace and services, including legal, hr, recruiting, hosting and banking
Extremely pragmatic curriculum, with focus on topics relevant to each startup
Highly organized mentor program, with weekly mentor workshops and regular meetings
Free access to all events, classes, workshop and education
Interactions with investment community throughout the program

Mentor makeup: Applicants will have access to high-profile CEOs, such as Josh Berman, co-founder and CEO of BeachMint.

Backers: Amplify is backed by investors that include Mark Burnett, producer of Apprentice and Survivor, as well as Paige Craig, Tim Draper, and some heavy-hitting VC firms, such as Accel Partners, BC Capital, Greycroft Partners, Rustic Canyon, and Tomorrow Ventures

Portfolio companies: GetBonkers, Look IO, TidePool, Invested.in, StackSocial, and The Kive Company are some of the notable companies that have come out of Amplify.

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