The Los Angeles startup space continues to grow with its latest addition, Launchpad LA. Looks like LA is getting something similar to Northern California’s Y Combinator, an organization that can help train and fund the best ideas from the area.
This is a huge win for the community.
Founded by local VC Marc Suster, Launchpad LA hopes to provide mentorship to the next generation of Los Angeles based entrepreneurs. Others involved with the project include Abdul Khan from iBeatYou, Michael Schneider from MobileRoadie, and Ryan Born from AudioMicro.
Having worked with the greatest CEOs in Los Angeles (Jason Calacanis, Jason Nazar and Mike Jones) I can personally tell you how valuable good mentorship can be. So for new entrepreneurs this is a great way to get involved with the community and meet some of the players. It might even be the chance to cozy up with a local VC and take your apartment based idea to a beach side office space.
Apply now for inclusion, class begins in November.
From the official site:
Launchpad LA was founded in 2009 by Mark Suster with the idea of helping young talented startup entrepreneurs get funded and grow while remaining in Southern California. The idea came from Mark’s frustration of seeing too many companies receive funding by Northern California VCs and then relocate their teams. Mark was further inspired by the aims and initiatives of John Morris, the former head of the Tech Coast Angels. The Launchpad LA initiative is a true collaboration amongst Los Angeles’ best VCs who have a shared interest in seeing a robust tech community continue to thrive in Los Angeles.
