List of Funded San Diego Startups For 2025

San Diego startups raised $3.37 billion in 2024, cementing the city’s position as one of America’s fastest-growing innovation hubs. Ranking #25 globally and #9 in the United States, San Diego’s startup ecosystem grew 19.4% in 2025, driven by its world-class biotech cluster, defense technology expertise, and proximity to both top universities and the U.S.-Mexico border.

Our team at Growth List compiles comprehensive data every week on recently funded San Diego startups, tracking funding rounds, company details, verified contact information, and much more. Whether you’re an investor seeking opportunities, a founder researching competitors, or a B2B service provider looking to connect with high-growth companies, this database provides actionable intelligence on San Diego’s thriving startup landscape.

Below is a snapshot of our database featuring 100 of the most recently funded startups in San Diego. Each listing includes the company’s website, industry classification, funding amount, funding type, and the date of their last funding round. Growth List subscribers also receive double-verified email addresses for CEOs and key decision-makers, lead investor information, and dozens of additional data points to help identify the best opportunities.

👉 Jump to the List of 100 Funded San Diego Startups

Recently Funded Startups in San Diego

Understanding San Diego’s Startup Ecosystem

Why San Diego Is a Rising Startup Hub

San Diego’s startup ecosystem has experienced remarkable growth, with nearly 2,000 life science companies generating $56 billion in economic output. The city attracted over $3.6 billion in venture capital investments in 2025, demonstrating strong investor confidence in the region’s innovation potential.

The city’s success stems from several distinct advantages:

Life Sciences Leadership: San Diego is globally recognized as a biotech powerhouse, second only to Boston and the San Francisco Bay Area. The region’s concentration of research institutions, including the Salk Institute, Scripps Research, and Sanford Burnham Prebys, creates an unmatched environment for healthcare innovation. With 3.2 million square feet of new lab and research space being added by the end of 2025, infrastructure continues to expand rapidly.

University Excellence: UC San Diego leads the nation in producing STEM graduates, providing a continuous pipeline of technical talent. San Diego State University partners with Techstars San Diego to run one of the top accelerator programs in North America, offering startups access to mentorship, capital, and a collaborative ecosystem.

Defense & Technology Expertise: San Diego’s strong military presence has fostered specialization in defense technologies, cybersecurity, and aerospace innovation. Companies like Shield AI, which raised significant funding for autonomous systems, exemplify this sector’s strength.

Cross-Border Advantages: Proximity to Tijuana creates unique opportunities for cross-border innovation, manufacturing partnerships, and access to expanded markets. This geographic advantage differentiates San Diego from other major startup hubs.

Quality of Life: San Diego offers a collaborative, less competitive culture than Silicon Valley, combined with exceptional weather, coastal lifestyle, and work-life balance that helps attract and retain top talent.

San Diego vs. Other Major Startup Hubs

While Silicon Valley remains dominant in software and consumer tech, San Diego specializes in capital-intensive, research-driven sectors. The city’s life sciences cluster rivals Boston’s biotech ecosystem, with advantages in wireless technology and defense applications.

Unlike New York City’s fintech focus, San Diego excels in deep tech and healthcare innovation that requires patient capital and longer development timelines. Organizations like Startup San Diego provide ecosystem support through events like San Diego Startup Week, fostering connections between founders, investors, and corporate partners.

San Diego Startup Funding by Stage

Understanding funding stages helps contextualize the growth trajectory of San Diego’s startup companies:

Seed Funding in San Diego

San Diego’s seed-stage startups typically raise between $500,000 and $3 million, with biotech companies often securing larger amounts due to laboratory and research costs. Local angel groups like Tech Coast Angels San Diego and the San Diego Angel Conference provide critical early-stage capital and mentorship.

Notable seed-stage companies include AI and healthcare startups that leverage the region’s technical talent and research infrastructure. The collaborative nature of San Diego’s ecosystem means seed-stage founders benefit from extensive support networks and university partnerships.

Series A Funding in San Diego

Series A startups in San Diego typically raise $5-15 million as they scale operations and expand market reach. The city’s venture capital firms, including Avalon Ventures, Correlation Ventures, and Finistere Ventures, provide both capital and industry-specific expertise.

Series A companies benefit from San Diego’s capital-efficient culture, where sustainable growth models are valued over aggressive cash burn. This approach aligns well with the longer development cycles common in life sciences and deep tech sectors.

Series B and Beyond

Series B startups and later-stage companies have raised substantial rounds, demonstrating San Diego’s ability to support companies through to maturity and exit. Six San Diego startups have achieved unicorn status (valuations exceeding $1 billion), with the top three collectively raising more than $9.8 billion.

Notable unicorns include ClickUp (productivity software), Seismic (sales enablement), and Drata (security compliance), showcasing the diversity of San Diego’s innovation across multiple sectors.

Key Industries in San Diego’s Startup Landscape

Biotechnology and Life Sciences

San Diego’s biotech sector is the city’s crown jewel, generating $56 billion in economic output from nearly 2,000 life science companies. The ecosystem benefits from specialized infrastructure like lab incubators, proximity to world-class research institutions, and a deep pool of scientific talent.

Recent funding highlights include therapeutics companies developing novel treatments for cancer, rare diseases, and chronic conditions. The city ranks #4 globally for healthtech startups, reflecting its specialized expertise in medical innovation. Companies leverage partnerships with Scripps Health, UC San Diego Health, and other research hospitals to accelerate clinical development.

Facilities like LabCentral-San Diego provide wet lab space and shared equipment, reducing capital requirements for early-stage biotech companies. This infrastructure advantage, combined with the region’s FDA expertise, makes San Diego ideal for companies navigating regulatory pathways.

Artificial Intelligence and Software

San Diego’s AI startup ecosystem is experiencing rapid growth, with companies applying machine learning to healthcare diagnostics, autonomous systems, and enterprise applications. Worth AI and Safe Superintelligence Inc. represent the city’s growing strength in fintech AI and AI safety research.

The University of California San Diego’s strong computer science and engineering programs provide technical talent, while collaborations with defense contractors drive innovation in autonomous systems and computer vision applications.

Defense Technology and Aerospace

San Diego’s concentration of military installations and defense contractors has spawned a robust cluster of defense technology startups. Companies develop advanced systems in autonomous vehicles, cybersecurity, satellite communications, and tactical software.

Shield AI, which develops AI pilots for military and commercial aircraft, exemplifies the sector’s potential. The company’s significant funding rounds demonstrate investor appetite for defense innovation, particularly in areas addressing national security priorities.

Healthcare Technology

Beyond pharmaceuticals and devices, San Diego excels in digital health and healthcare IT. Startups address clinical workflows, patient engagement, telemedicine, and healthcare data analytics. The convergence of San Diego’s healthcare expertise and technical capabilities creates opportunities for startups solving complex industry challenges.

Companies benefit from partnerships with San Diego’s healthcare systems, providing real-world testing environments and early customer validation. The city’s focus on healthcare quality and innovation supports iterative product development.

Clean Energy and Sustainability

San Diego’s commitment to environmental sustainability has fostered cleantech startups focused on renewable energy, water technology, and sustainable materials. The city’s ambitious climate goals create local demand for innovative solutions while providing testing grounds for technologies addressing global challenges.

Environmental startups benefit from California’s supportive regulatory environment, access to corporate sustainability partnerships, and alignment with consumer preferences for sustainable products and services.

San Diego Startups at a Glance

• Number of San Diego, CA startups in our database: 222
• Number of verified email addresses in our database: 298
• Number of social profiles in our database: 511
• Other data points stored: 3,187
• Total funding raised in 2024: $3,370,114,716
  • Seed: $52,012,130
  • Series A: $450,149,404
  • Series B: $510,500,000
  • Series C: $310,500,000
  • Other funding*: $666,209,977
• Total funding raised in 2025: $513,200,000

*Other funding includes private equity, debt financing, and various other types of capital.

How to Connect with San Diego Startups

The Optimal Outreach Window

The best time to reach out to recently funded startups is within 2-3 weeks of their funding announcement. During this period, companies are actively allocating their new capital, evaluating vendor partnerships, and expanding their teams.

Our Growth List database tracks funding announcements weekly and provides verified contact information for founders and key decision-makers, eliminating hours of research time and enabling timely, relevant outreach.

Who Should Target San Diego Startups?

San Diego’s funded startups represent ideal prospects for various service providers:

• Lab Equipment & Supplies: Life sciences companies need specialized equipment, reagents, and services
• Marketing Agencies: Funded companies require branding, content marketing, and growth strategies as they scale
• Recruiters: Series A and B companies are aggressively hiring scientific, technical, and commercial talent
• Software Vendors: Growing startups adopt new tools for collaboration, data management, and operations
• Legal & Financial Services: Biotech and defense companies need specialized advisory for regulatory compliance, IP protection, and corporate development
• Real Estate & Facilities: Companies expanding operations need lab space, office facilities, and specialized infrastructure

For more information on targeting funded startups across different industries and stages, explore our comprehensive database.

Frequently Asked Questions

Stay Updated on San Diego Startup Funding

Our team updates this list every week with the latest funding announcements from San Diego’s thriving startup ecosystem. Subscribe to Growth List to receive recently funded San Diego startups delivered directly to your inbox, complete with verified contact information and comprehensive company details.

For startups in other major markets, check out our lists of funded startups across the United States or explore industry-specific databases including SaaS startups and biotech companies.

---

Better leads. Better pipeline. Better growth.

Sign up for Growth List today and get 100 free verified leads to recently funded startups.

You May Also Like…

• San Francisco Startups – 500+ funded companies in Silicon Valley’s innovation hub
• Los Angeles Startups – Entertainment, media, and tech startups in Southern California
• Boston Startups – 429+ funded companies in America’s biotech capital
• Austin Startups – 300+ funded companies in Texas’ tech hub
• United States Startups – Comprehensive database of funded startups nationwide
• Funded Startups – Recently funded startups across all locations and industries