innovateLA

FOR FOUNDERS & BUILDERS

Build the next Los Angeles company.

Two ways in. One is open now and takes a weekend; the other is a full program and opens on October 16.

APPLICATIONS OPEN · LOS ANGELES

OPEN NOW

LA Tech Week hackathon.

A weekend building something real with a team, during LA Tech Week. Compete, or mentor the teams that do. Accepted teams get mentor hours plus a shot at the incubator.

When
October 12 to 18, 2026
Where
Los Angeles
Commitment
One weekend
ApplyCompetitor ApplyMentor

OPENS OCTOBER 16

The incubator.

The full program, for founders ready to turn a consequential regional problem into a company. Mentor hours across the whole directory, and the room that comes with it.

Applications
Open October 16, 2026
Where
Los Angeles
Commitment
December 2026 to April 30, 2027
Preview the application

01 · THE FIT

Come with a problem worth owning.

We are interested in founders with technical depth, lived understanding, and the ambition to build from Los Angeles for the world. That is the same bar for a weekend and for a cohort. The hackathon is simply a shorter way to show it.

  • A clear problem
  • A credible insight
  • A bias toward testing
  • A commitment to Los Angeles

02 · WHAT HAPPENS NEXT

What acceptance actually gets you.

There is no public signup here, and mentor hours are not open to the internet. When an application is accepted we create your account and email you a link to set a password. From then on the mentor directory, booking, and your meetings live behind that account.

  • An account, created for you
  • Mentor hours you can book
  • A dashboard with your meetings
  • The room, for as long as you are in it