Who Funds Autonomous Vehicles Startups in California?

Real, verified funding sources for autonomous vehicles founders in California: VC funds, accelerators, angel networks, and active grant programs — sourced from SEC filings and Grants.gov, not estimates.

No funds headquartered in California matched "Autonomous Vehicles" by name — the funds below are shown nationwide instead.

Autonomous Vehicles Funding Snapshot — California (as of August 2026)

  • 1
    0 VC funds (nationwide)with "Autonomous Vehicles" in their name — none headquartered in California in our data
  • 2
    8 acceleratorsopen to autonomous vehicles founders in California (including globally-available programs)
  • 3
    6 angel networksbased in California
  • 4
    12 open grantsin the Transportation category, refreshed nightly from Grants.gov

Autonomous Vehicles VC Funds (Nationwide)

No funds in our database have "Autonomous Vehicles" in their name. Browse the full VC directory instead.

Autonomous Vehicles Accelerators Open to California

8 programs

Pear VC Accelerator

Palo Alto, CA

Pear VC Accelerator

$500K
Deadline: Rolling / no fixed deadline
Learn More →

Contrary Capital

San Francisco, CA

Contrary Capital

$500K
Deadline: Rolling / no fixed deadline
Learn More →

Y Combinator

San Francisco, CA

Y Combinator

$500K
Deadline: Rolling / no fixed deadline
Learn More →

500 Global

San Francisco, CA

500 Global

$250K
Deadline: Rolling / no fixed deadline
Learn More →

Mucker Capital

Santa Monica, CA

Mucker Capital

$250K
Deadline: Rolling / no fixed deadline
Learn More →

Techstars Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA

Techstars Los Angeles

$120K
Deadline: Rolling / no fixed deadline
Learn More →

AngelPad

San Francisco, CA

AngelPad

$120K
Deadline: Rolling / no fixed deadline
Learn More →

Plug and Play Mobility

Sunnyvale, CA

Plug and Play Mobility

$100K
Deadline: Rolling / no fixed deadline
Learn More →

Angel Investor Networks in California

6 networks

Band of Angels

👥 150 members💰 $25K - $500K check range

📍 Menlo Park, CA

TechnologySoftwareHardwareDeep Tech

Keiretsu Forum

👥 3000 members💰 $25K - $2M check range

📍 San Ramon, CA

TechnologyHealthcareConsumerFintechSaaS

Keiretsu Forum

👥 1000 members💰 $25K - $2M check range

📍 Palo Alto, CA

TechnologyHealthcareCleanTechConsumer

Tech Coast Angels

👥 400 members💰 $5K - $150K check range

📍 San Diego, CA

TechnologyLife SciencesCleanTech

Investors Circle

👥 250 members💰 $25K - $500K check range

📍 San Francisco, CA

ImpactSocial EnterpriseSustainabilityCleanTech

Stanford Angels and Entrepreneurs

👥 200 members💰 $25K - $500K check range

📍 Stanford, CA

TechnologyHealthcareConsumerFintechSaaS

Grants in the Transportation Category

Autonomous Vehicles falls under the broader "Transportation" category in federal grant data. These are federal programs open to eligible founders nationwide (including California) — live from Grants.gov, refreshed nightly.

Deadline: August 28, 2026Apply →
Deadline: August 28, 2026Apply →
Deadline: August 31, 2026Apply →
Deadline: September 1, 2026Apply →

?Autonomous Vehicles Funding FAQs — California

Are there autonomous vehicles VCs headquartered in California?

We don't have any funds headquartered in California whose name references autonomous vehicles. Below are autonomous vehicles-related funds from across the country instead — many invest outside their home state.

What accelerators in California support autonomous vehicles startups?

8 accelerator programs open to California-based autonomous vehicles founders are in our database, including programs based in California and globally-available programs.

Are there angel investor networks in California?

Yes — 6 angel investor networks based in California are in our database, ranked by member count with autonomous vehicles-relevant groups surfaced first where our sector data supports it.

What grants are available for autonomous vehicles founders?

12 currently open federal grant programs are tagged under the Transportation category, which is where autonomous vehicles falls in our grant classification. These are federal programs open to eligible founders nationwide (including California), pulled live from Grants.gov and refreshed nightly.

Your Autonomous Vehicles Funding Action Plan

1

Research & Prepare

  • Review the 0 autonomous vehicles-matched funds above and their filing history
  • Check each fund's website for current investment criteria before reaching out
  • Prepare a pitch deck and financial projections tailored to your stage
2

Apply & Connect

  • Apply to the 8 accelerator programs listed above
  • Reach out to the 6 angel networks in California
  • Check eligibility for the 6 open grant programs above
3

Follow Up

  • Track deadlines for any application-based programs above
  • Look for warm introductions through your existing network before cold outreach
  • Revisit this page periodically — fund and grant data refreshes nightly