\ud83d\udd26 Spotlight<\/p>\n
Happy Friday, Los Angeles.<\/p>\n
Next week, hundreds of tech events will take over the city, bringing founders, investors, engineers and creators together from October 12 through 18.<\/p>\n
Calling LA Tech Week a conference does not quite capture the experience.<\/p>\n
Presented by Andreessen Horowitz, Tech Week<\/a> is a decentralized collection of panels, workshops, demonstrations and gatherings hosted independently by startups, venture firms and technology companies. There is no convention center or central stage. The programming stretches from Santa Monica and Venice to Culver City, Downtown, El Segundo and beyond.<\/p>\n In other words, the city is the venue.<\/p>\n AI remains the dominant theme for 2026, appearing across enterprise software, healthcare, finance, media and the creator economy. The schedule also reflects industries where Los Angeles has built a particular advantage, including aerospace, defense, robotics, advanced manufacturing, entertainment and consumer technology.<\/p>\n That range is what makes LA Tech Week distinct. It brings together the software companies shaping what comes next with the industries that already define Southern California.<\/p>\n The challenge is deciding where to show up.<\/p>\n Our advice: apply early and organize your schedule by neighborhood. Crossing from Santa Monica to Downtown may look manageable on a calendar created by someone who has never driven in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n To help you spend more time meeting people and less time crossing the city, we have organized each day\u2019s events by location:<\/p>\n You can also browse the complete official LA Tech Week calendar<\/a>.<\/p>\n Plan carefully, but do not fill every minute. The best conversation of the week may be the one that was never on your calendar.<\/p>\n More from this week\u2019s LA startup and venture scene below.<\/p>\n \ud83e\udd1d Venture Deals<\/p>\n LA Companies<\/p>\n El Segundo-based Gallatin AI<\/a> raised a $50M Series A from new and existing investors including 8VC and Silent Ventures, bringing its total funding to $70M. The defense technology startup will expand its engineering team and advance Navigator, an AI platform that helps U.S. military units coordinate vehicle readiness, supplies, medical logistics and other mission-support operations. – learn more<\/a>Pasadena-based quantum computing startup Oratomic<\/a> raised a $475M Series B at a $5.4B valuation, just three months after its Series A. ARCH Venture Partners, Spark Capital, Khosla Ventures, Index Ventures, General Catalyst and Bezos Expeditions co-led the round, bringing Oratomic\u2019s total funding to $775M as it works toward a commercially viable, fault-tolerant quantum computer by 2030. – learn more<\/a>Torrance-based Fortastra<\/a> raised a $30M Series A led by First In, with participation from Upfront Ventures, Space Capital, Rsquared, Side Door Ventures, ATX Ventures and existing investors. The company will use the capital to develop its next-generation maneuverable spacecraft, expand its engineering and operations teams and scale production of systems designed to protect critical assets in orbit. – learn more<\/a>Parallel Systems<\/a> raised a $100M Series C led by AVP, with participation from Hillspire, Agility Global, Cobalt Capital, Anthos Capital, Congruent Ventures, Riot Ventures and Collaborative Fund. Founded by former SpaceX engineers, the company will use the funding to scale production and commercial deployment of its autonomous, battery-electric Panther rail vehicles, which are designed to make short-haul freight more competitive with trucking. – learn more<\/a>Gaming studio Gardens Interactive<\/a> secured more than $35M in a Series B led by Lightspeed, with participation from Sequoia Capital, Index Ventures, Accel, Innovation Endeavors, Zenith Capital and other investors. The company will use the funding to launch and operate its debut social role-playing \u201cstrandbox\u201d game, an evolving multiplayer world shaped by players\u2019 actions and interactions. – learn more<\/a>Outer Spaces<\/a> raised an $8M pre-seed round led by Upfront Ventures, with participation from Unlock Venture Partners, Mucker Capital and Genius Ventures. The startup is developing outdoor furnishings with integrated solar panels and batteries, turning backyards into sources of clean energy and backup power. – learn more<\/a>Furientis<\/a> raised a $25M seed round led by Benchmark at a reported $125M valuation, following a $5M pre-seed announced in May. The defense startup will use the capital to scale production of lower-cost missile interceptors designed to be assembled quickly with readily available components, with a long-term goal of producing 1,000 systems annually at each factory. – learn more<\/a>Hiyo<\/a> raised a $20.8M Series B led by Constellation Brands, with returning investor Live Nation also participating. The nonalcoholic beverage company will use the funding to expand its adaptogen- and nootropic-infused social tonics across more than 13,000 retail locations while growing its presence at hospitality venues and live events. – learn more<\/a><\/p>\n LA Venture Funds<\/p>\n Navitas Capital<\/a> participated in Vesta\u2019s<\/a> $30M Series B, which was led by Conversion Capital and included backing from several major mortgage lenders and financial institutions. The company will use the funding to scale its AI agents across mortgage origination, automating tasks such as application reviews, underwriting decisions and closing-document checks. – learn more<\/a>MTech Capital<\/a> led Nettle\u2019s<\/a> oversubscribed $4.8M seed round, with participation from Project A Ventures, Sure Valley Ventures, Portfolio Ventures and Ventures Together. The insurtech startup will use the funding to expand across the U.S. and Europe while growing its AI platform, which helps commercial insurers identify property risks, accelerate inspections and generate reports. – learn more<\/a>Bonfire Ventures<\/a> doubled down on Sant\u00e9<\/a> by participating in the company\u2019s $15M Series A, which was led by FINTOP and included other returning investors. The New York startup will use the funding to expand its AI-powered operating system for independent wine and liquor stores, which combines point-of-sale, e-commerce, payments, inventory and marketing tools in one platform. – learn more<\/a><\/p>\n LA Exits<\/p>\n Winnow Solutions<\/a> was acquired by Marina del Rey-based Spring Labs<\/a>, with financial terms undisclosed. Winnow\u2019s attorney-built library of more than 100,000 state and federal regulatory requirements will become a core part of SpringGRC, helping financial institutions connect changing laws directly to their compliance policies, controls and workflows. – learn more<\/a><\/p>\n