In addition to homegrown tech companies, plenty of businesses that have been more closely associated with Silicon Valley now have a large presence in Silicon Beach.
According to a July report from CBRE Group Inc.,
L.A. County added more than 22,000 tech workers over the last five years, while the number of jobs in software development and engineering grew by nearly 15%. Thomas Phelps IV, chief information officer at veteran Long Beach-based software developer Compulink Management Center Inc. (doing business as Laserfiche), says the Los Angeles area appeals to startups seeking talented executives from established local companies and to industry behemoths expanding their footprints with graduates from local universities.
“We’ve got a lot of great schools, which really provide a pipeline of talent for these companies,” said Phelps, who also serves on the boards of Innovate@UCLA and Long Beach Accelerator, organizations aiding local entrepreneurs starting out in the tech industry.
“It’s just very logical to see more and more companies that actually start in Los Angeles with the rich talent that’s available,” Phelps said.
Stewart Easterby, operating partner at venture capital firm Greycroft, said that ecosystem will continue to expand as companies launched in the last five years grow into established businesses in search of premier talent.
“I’ve been in the L.A. tech (world) for 20 years,” said Easterby, who formerly served as chief operating officer at TrueCar Inc. “It’s more robust than ever. We have a couple generations of successful entrepreneurs, and that sends signals to other entrepreneurs that L.A. is a good place to start your business.”
To keep track of all that’s happening in L.A.’s busy tech sector, here’s a guide to some of the well-established businesses and the up-and-coming companies shaping the industry locally.
The Big Players Casting A Long Shadow in LA
Growing Companies Make Their Mark
Rising Stars That Are Worth Watching
