LinkedIn Top Startups 2026: The 10 companies on the rise in Los Angeles
Our annual list of Top Startups in Los Angeles uncovers the emerging companies gaining attention and recruiting top talent across the metro area. See the 50 Top Startups in the U.S. here.
This year’s list reflects the breadth of LA’s startup scene, spanning consumer brands, ecommerce and aerospace. Cosmetics company Rare Beauty takes the top spot, while apparel brand SKIMS and live-shopping marketplace Whatnot also rank. LA’s aerospace roots come through, too, with Icarus, Northwood and Vast appearing.
To compile the ranking, we use the same pillars as our U.S. Top Startups list to measure company growth and demand, with activity evaluated at the city rather than national level. Companies don’t need to be headquartered in Los Angeles to qualify, as long as they’re based in the U.S., though all are HQ’d locally. Read the full methodology at the end of the article.
Explore the list to see which companies made the cut, dig into additional insights and discover open roles or employees you may know at each one.
Here are this year’s 10 Top Startups in Los Angeles — and join the conversation using #LinkedInTopStartups.
All headcounts are provided by the companies, unless marked with an asterisk. Those headcounts are from LinkedIn data. All are rounded to the nearest five. The most common job titles, functions and skills reflect aggregated, anonymized public member data from active LinkedIn profiles of employees at each company.
1. Rare Beauty
What they do: Makeup and cosmetics brand | Los Angeles headcount: 150* | Headquarters: El Segundo, Calif. | Year founded: 2019 | CEO: Scott Friedman
Most common skills: Social Media Marketing, Customer Service, Project Management | Largest job functions: Marketing, Sales, Media and Communication
2. Icarus
What they do: Solar-powered stratospheric aircraft | Los Angeles headcount: 40* | Headquarters: El Segundo, Calif. | Year founded: 2023 | CEO: Henry Kwan
Most common skills: SOLIDWORKS, MATLAB, Troubleshooting | Most common job titles: Build Specialist | Largest job functions: Engineering, Operations
3. SKIMS
What they do: Shapewear and apparel brand | Los Angeles headcount: 400* | Headquarters: Los Angeles | Year founded: 2019 | CEO: Jens Grede
Most common skills: Customer Service, Inventory Management, Project Management | Most common job titles: Salesperson, Retail Associate, Store Manager | Largest job functions: Sales, Marketing, Operations
4. Palette Media
What they do: Creator talent management and marketing | Los Angeles headcount: 35* | Headquarters: Los Angeles and New York City | Year founded: 2020 | CEO: Daniel Daks
Most common skills: Social Media Marketing, Project Management, Customer Service | Most common job titles: Talent Coordinator, Talent Manager | Largest job functions: Media and Communication, Human Resources, Marketing
5. Northwood
What they do: Satellite ground stations | Los Angeles headcount: 90* | Headquarters: Torrance, Calif. | Year founded: 2023 | CEO: Bridgit Mendler
Most common skills: Python, MATLAB, C++ | Most common job titles: Software Engineer | Largest job functions: Engineering, Operations, Information Technology
6. Whatnot
What they do: Live shopping marketplace | Los Angeles headcount: 195* | Headquarters: Los Angeles | Year founded: 2019 | CEO: Grant LaFontaine
Most common skills: Customer Service, Data Analysis, Project Management | Most common job titles: Software Engineer, Account Executive | Largest job functions: Engineering, Sales, Operations
7. FieldAI
What they do: Robotics software | Los Angeles headcount: 170* | Headquarters: Irvine, Calif. | Year founded: 2023 | CEO: Ali Agha
Most common skills: Python, C++, Machine Learning | Most common job titles: Software Engineer, Field Application Engineer, Robotics Engineer | Largest job functions: Engineering, Sales, Information Technology
8. Angel City Football Club
What they do: Women’s soccer club | Los Angeles headcount: 180* | Headquarters: Santa Monica, Calif. | Year founded: 2020 | CEO: Amy Taylor
Most common skills: Customer Service, Project Management, Public Relations | Most common job titles: Operations Assistant, Public Relations Assistant, Account Manager | Largest job functions: Media and Communication, Operations, Sales
9. Vast
What they do: Commercial space stations | Los Angeles headcount: 1110 | Headquarters: Long Beach, Calif. | Year founded: 2021 | CEO: Max Haot
Most common skills: Project Management, SOLIDWORKS, Python | Most common job titles: Manufacturing Engineer, Mechanical Engineer | Largest job functions: Engineering, Operations, Information Technology
10. Castelion
What they do: Hypersonic defense systems | Los Angeles headcount: 175* | Headquarters: Torrance, Calif. | Year founded: 2022 | CEO: Bryon Hargis
Most common skills: SOLIDWORKS, Project Management, Python | Most common job titles: Manufacturing Engineer, Manufacturing Specialist, Research and Development Technician | Largest job functions: Engineering, Human Resources, Information Technology
This list is based on LinkedIn data and was produced by editors on the LinkedIn News team (Juliette Bell, Sarah McGrath, Emily Bruck and Juliette Schiff) in partnership with LinkedIn data scientists Alejandra Budar and Nate Goldman
You can check out the Top Startups in Austin, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, New York City, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C.
Methodology
LinkedIn measures startups based on four pillars: employment growth, engagement, job interest and attraction of top talent. Employment growth is measured as percentage headcount increase in the city over methodology time frame, which must be a minimum of 5%. Engagement looks at non-employee views and follows of the company’s LinkedIn page among members in the city, as well as how many non-employees are viewing employees at that startup. Job interest counts the rate at which people are viewing and applying to jobs at the company in the city, including both paid and unpaid postings. Attraction of top talent measures how many employees in the city the startup has recruited away from any global LinkedIn Top Company, as a percentage of the startup’s total workforce. Data is normalized across all eligible startups. The methodology time frame is July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026.
To be eligible, companies must be fully independent, privately held, have 30 or more full-time employees in the city, be 7 years old or younger and be headquartered in the country on whose list they appear. We exclude all staffing firms, think tanks, venture capital firms, law firms, management and IT consulting firms, nonprofits and philanthropy, accelerators and government-owned entities. Startups who have laid off 10% or more of their workforce based on corporate announcements or public, reliable sources between July 1, 2025 and the list launch, are not eligible. These decisions are made by the LinkedIn News team based on company statements and/or reputable news outlets.
About company insights
Data reflects aggregated public member data from active LinkedIn profiles in the relevant metropolitan area and includes full-time employee profiles associated with the company on LinkedIn. We exclude members who identify as part-time or contractors. All insights reflect a 12-month time period looking back from August 2026. Skills data was derived from measuring the most frequent skills among a company’s employees. Most common job titles represent the occupations that are most common within each company. Largest job functions measure the most prevalent function areas within each company.
The platform uses live-streamed auctions. Whatnot generates revenue through fees charged to sellers and collaborations with influencers and brands to promote products on the platform Finally, Marina del Rey is not located in Los Angeles. Administratively, it is an unincorporated seaside community in Los Angeles County. The marina, which includes residential, light commercial, and office facilities, is a major boating and water recreation destination of the Greater Los Angeles area. Marina del Rey is in a beautiful area with expensive real estate. It is approximately 4 miles south of Santa Monica, 4 miles north of Los Angeles International Airport, and 12.5 miles west-southwest of downtown Los Angeles. It is surrounded by the City of Los Angeles [END].
users to automatically sync their inventories and orders across platforms. Whatnot had begun selling shelf-stable food items like candy and snacks, in the summer of 2025. By April 2026, it introduced a "fresh food" category, which included foods like fish and steak. Between July 2025 and January 2026, Whatnot's food category had increased 30% month-over-month. In April 2026, Whatnot was included on the TIME100 Most Influential Companies of 2026 list. In September 2026, Whatnot announced updated commission rates, introducing a financial structure in which commission rates would be lowered for vendors who hit specific thresholds for monthly sales (starting at $ 15,000). Also in September, a partnership between secondhand online retailer ThredUp and Whatnot was announced, with Whatnot hosting ThredUp's first live shows from its distribution centers in Atlanta, Georgia and Dallas, Texas. In October 2026, it was announced that record label Mass Appeal and Whatnot would collaborate on a "shopping mall-inspired" Whatnot Liveplex to house hip-hop collectibles for the New York City Comic Con. Whatnot functions as a remote-first company with co-located hubs in U.S., the United Kingdom, Ireland, Poland, and Germany [To be continued].
A Series F funding round conducted in October 2025 raised another $ 225 million and valued the company at $11.5 billion. [...]. The company reported that over 20 million new accounts were created in 2025 and that "Sports" and "TCG cards" were the top two best-selling categories in the U.S. that year. In February 2026, following changes at the United States Postal Service (USPS) that risked delaying package acceptance scans, Whatnot introduced new in-app scanning tools. In March 2026, Whatnot had 15 arbitration claims filed against it, in which customers accused the company of conducting an unlawful gambling scheme, violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act by allowing sellers to hold randomized box and repack breaks on its platform, violating sweepstakes and consumer lottery laws. In a statement to The Athletic, Whatnot rejected the characterization of these complaints, stating that gambling was not allowed on its platform and "while sellers who 'break' only make up 4% of sellers on our platform, we've taken care to bring that experience online in a way that holds everyone accountable.". Also in March, it was announced that Whatnot had integrated with Shopify, which allows [To be continued].
The following information are excerpts.from Wikipedia's Whatnot page: Whatnot is a digital marketplace and live-stream shopping platform where users can buy and sell items in online video auctions. The company was incorporated in Delaware but is based in Marina Del Rey, California. Whatnot's slogan is "Shop, Sell, Connect". It is the largest live shopping platform in the United States. Whatnot was founded in 2019 by Grant LaFontaine and Logan Head. Before expanding to host a more diverse range of products, the platform started as a marketplace for Funko Pop figurines. In 2020, Whatnot began hosting live shows in which sellers would promote products and field questions from potential customers. This soon became an important part of the company's business model. In 2024, Whatnot launched a rewards program in which sellers could create rewards for buyers to earn, such as coupons, free shipping, and access to exclusive shows and merchandise. That same year, sellers using Whatnot sold $3 billion worth of goods via live sales, mainly in collectible categories like trading cards and sports cards. Whatnot received $ 265 million in a Series E funding round that valued the company at $ 4.97 billion [To be continued].
Honesty in business is a profitable and sustainable strategy that builds reputation, fosters loyalty, and ensures long-term growth. Practical tips for applying honesty in your business—especially if you are from Africa and looking to engage with people in Europe: • Do not exaggerate or overpromise: Clearly communicate the actual benefits of your product or service. Do not ask for money upfront, and do not ask the buyer to pay your taxes; that is your obligation, not the buyer’s. Buyers will pay their own taxes in their respective countries. Promising results you cannot deliver destroys trust from the very beginning. • Be transparent regarding pricing and policies: Present clear costs and purchase terms, and detail exactly what your offer includes—without any fine print or hidden charges. • Acknowledge your mistakes: If a product fails, a delay occurs, or an operational error is made, address it directly with the client and offer a genuine solution. How you respond during adversity defines your brand and helps you build an unparalleled reputation.