Who Funds Startups Startups in California?

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

Startups Funding Snapshot — California (as of July 2026)

  • 1
    2 VC fundsheadquartered in California with "Startups" in their name
  • 2
    8 acceleratorsopen to startups founders in California (including globally-available programs)
  • 3
    6 angel networksbased in California
  • 4
    53 open grantsin the Technology category, refreshed nightly from Grants.gov

Startups VC Funds in California

500 Startups V, L.P.

📍 Pleasant Hill, CA📅 Filed June 2019

General partners: Anthony Wang, Christine Tsai, Timothy Chae

$137.5M
Effective fund size

500 Startups Korea II, L.P.

📍 Pleasant Hill, CA📅 Filed June 2019

General partners: Tim Chae

$23.8M
Effective fund size

Startups Accelerators Open to California

8 programs

Pear VC Accelerator

Palo Alto, CA

Pear VC Accelerator

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

Y Combinator

San Francisco, CA

Y Combinator

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

Contrary Capital

San Francisco, CA

Contrary Capital

$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 →

AngelPad

San Francisco, CA

AngelPad

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

Techstars Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA

Techstars Los Angeles

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

LAUNCH Accelerator

San Francisco, CA

LAUNCH Accelerator

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

Angel Investor Networks in California

6 networks

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

Toniic

👥 200 members💰 $25K - $1M check range

📍 San Francisco, CA

ImpactSocial EnterpriseSustainabilityCleanTech

Grants in the Technology Category

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

$1 - $400K
Deadline: July 15, 2026Apply →

TechAccess: AI-Ready America

U.S. National Science Foundation

$3M - $4M
Deadline: July 16, 2026Apply →

CyberAICorps Scholarship for Service

U.S. National Science Foundation

$300K - $2.5M
Deadline: July 21, 2026Apply →

NSF Trailblazer Engineering Impact Award

U.S. National Science Foundation

Deadline: July 24, 2026Apply →

?Startups Funding FAQs — California

Are there startups VCs headquartered in California?

Yes — 2 funds headquartered in California have "Startups" (or a close synonym) in their legal name, based on SEC Form D filings. This is a name match, not a verified thesis, so it understates true local investor interest.

What accelerators in California support startups startups?

8 accelerator programs open to California-based startups 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 startups-relevant groups surfaced first where our sector data supports it.

What grants are available for startups founders?

53 currently open federal grant programs are tagged under the Technology category, which is where startups 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 Startups Funding Action Plan

1

Research & Prepare

  • Review the 2 startups-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