805 Startups

What 805 Startups does

805 Startups is a Southern California-based startup ecosystem support organization founded in 2016 by Alon Goren and Gary Livingston and headquartered at Hub101 co-working space within California Lutheran University in Westlake Village, CA. The company operates Startmada, a hybrid online-offline community platform that combines an online member directory and peer support spaces with monthly in-person events such as the VIP Lunch Club in Conejo Valley. Its core products include the Startmada online community, tiered membership subscriptions, the Startmada Incubator Program (free, no-equity), the VIP Lunch Club, nine curated peer support groups (Founders, Government, Non-Profits, Career Professionals, Service Providers, Students, C-Suite, Venture, Advisors), and an Industry Partner sponsorship program. Since inception, the organization reports 600+ events, 375+ activated mentors, 9,976+ members across 8 meetup groups, and $73.4M in capital raised by community members, with stated reach across Santa Barbara, Ventura, and Los Angeles counties.

The business model is membership-driven and multi-stream: individual subscriptions range from $2/month (Supporter) to $200/month (Biz Dev Platinum), VIP Lunch single-event tickets are sold at $50 early-bird pricing, and Industry Partner sponsorships run from $500 to $2,500/month under 12-month contracts. The incubator program is offered free with no equity taken, functioning as a funnel for community engagement rather than direct revenue. The organization serves a hybrid customer base including startup founders, career professionals, accredited investors, students, non-profits, government agencies, and a small set of named sponsor partners (SoCal IP Law Group, Stradling Law, START Design Studios). 805 Startups is privately held with 1-10 employees, no disclosed external funding rounds, and operations supported by co-located infrastructure at Hub101 and a network of regional meetup groups.

Name

805 Startups

Legal name

805 Startups

Website

https://805startups.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

805 Startups is a Southern California startup ecosystem organization operating the Startmada community platform, tiered memberships, monthly VIP Lunch Club events, a free incubator program, and curated peer support groups serving founders, investors, professionals, and government entities across LA, Ventura, and Santa Barbara counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Startup Community and Entrepreneur Networking

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA), Business Planning, Pitching & Competitions (Pitch Decks, Demo Days) (EDAMAHAB)

Keywords

• Startup community network
• Entrepreneur networking events
• Startup incubator programs
• Peer mentorship groups
• Venture deal flow network

Headquarters

HQ city

Westlake Village

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Monthly subscription plans for online and in-person membership access including Supporter ($2/mo), Champion ($10/mo), Standard Lunch Club ($35/mo), Biz Dev Gold ($99/mo), and Biz Dev Platinum ($200/mo) tiers.
2. VIP Lunch Event Tickets: Single-event ticket sales for monthly VIP Lunch Club in Conejo Valley, CA. Early-bird pricing at $50 per ticket, with food and drinks included.
3. Industry Partner Sponsorships: Monthly sponsorship packages for businesses seeking relationship marketing opportunities through VIP Lunch and online events. Lead tier starts at $500/month for VIP, $750/month for online; Title tier at $1,500/month for VIP, $2,000/month for online; combined packages at $1,000-$2,500/month with savings.
4. Incubator Program: Free incubator program (no cost, no equity taken) serving founders in Greater LA area regardless of industry or lifecycle stage. Generates value through member conversion and community engagement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

805 Startups operates a regional startup ecosystem support organization centered on the Startmada online community platform and in-person events across Southern California. It provides tiered membership subscriptions, a free no-equity incubator program, monthly VIP Lunch Club networking events, curated peer support groups, mentorship matching, and industry partner sponsorships. The core offering combines community access, deal flow support (SEC compliant, no finder's fee), and curated relationship building for founders, investors, professionals, nonprofits, and government entities.

Product overview

805 Startups operates Startmada, a comprehensive startup ecosystem platform consisting of multiple integrated products and services: the Startmada online community (featuring mentorship programs, virtual events, workshops, and peer support groups), the Startmada Incubator Program (free, no-equity support matching founders with mentors), the VIP Lunch Club (monthly in-person networking events), Peer Support Groups (curated networks for Founders, Government, Non-Profits, C-Suite, Venture, Advisors, Service Providers, Students, and Talent), and tiered Membership Programs with online and in-person access ranging from $2 to $200/month. The company also offers an Industry Partner Program for relationship marketing and business development services. All offerings serve the Southern California startup community across Santa Barbara, Ventura, and Los Angeles counties since 2016.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Startmada Incubator: A free incubator program for founders in the Greater LA area, regardless of industry, market, or lifecycle stage, offering mentorship, peer support, and networking opportunities.
• VIP Lunch Club

Products and services

• Startmada Online Community The primary online community platform offering mentorship programs, virtual events, workshops, office hours, speaker panels, fundraising/deal flow support (SEC compliant, no finder's fee), dedicated self-promotion space, member directory, and resource access for entrepreneurs and professionals across Southern California.
• Peer Support Groups Vetted and moderated peer groups organized by professional category including Founders, Career Professionals, Government, Non-Profits, Service Providers, Students, C-Suite Members, Venture/Investors, and Advisors, providing dedicated support spaces and networking opportunities within the Startmada platform.
• Membership Programs Tiered membership subscriptions including Online plans (Supporter at $2/month, Champion at $10/month) and VIP Lunch Club plans (Standard at $35/month, Biz Dev Gold at $99/month, Biz Dev Platinum at $200/month) providing access to the online community, in-person VIP Lunch events, targeted introductions, branded promo codes, and promotional benefits.
• Startmada Incubator Program A free, no-equity incubator program matching founders in the Greater Los Angeles area with strategically aligned peers, mentors, weekly office hours, workshops, founder peer support groups, and access to monthly VIP Lunch events in Thousand Oaks plus monthly happy hours in Calabasas.
• VIP Lunch Club Monthly in-person networking event held in Conejo Valley, CA (with plans for additional locations) featuring a curated guest list, food and drinks, and authentic relationship building among entrepreneurs, investors, and professionals, with single-ticket early-bird pricing at $50.
• Industry Partner Program Monthly sponsorship packages for businesses seeking relationship marketing through VIP Lunch and online events, including VIP Industry Partner tiers (Lead at $500/month, Title at $1,500/month), Online Industry Partner tiers (Lead at $750/month, Title at $2,000/month), and combined packages, providing brand visibility, tickets, marketing placements, and business development services.
• Mentorship Program Mentorship program where mentors earn points through activities such as running workshops, hosting office hours, participating in peer support meetings, and joining quarterly leadership meetings, with rewards including community recognition, free tickets, marketing opportunities, and speaking slots.

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• California Lutheran UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaunch partner for VIP Lunch Club and key Industry Partner. California Lutheran University School of Management works with 805 Startups to support entrepreneurship education and provide mentorship through university resources and student engagement opportunities.
• Hub101coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-working space partner located at Cal Lutheran campus. Hub101 provides an affordable, dynamic space for entrepreneurs to launch startups and offers aspiring student entrepreneurs opportunities to interact with seasoned founders.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Techstars: Global accelerator network operating mentor-driven programs across multiple verticals and geographies. Comparable as a broader incumbent running accelerator-style startup programs, mentorship matching, and sponsor/partner ecosystems, though at vastly larger scale than 805 Startups.
• Y Combinator: Leading global startup accelerator offering cohort programs, demo days, and an investor network. Directly relevant as the benchmark accelerator model with comparable startup community, demo/pitch events, and founder-investor matchmaking, but operates at massive global scale vs. 805 Startups' regional focus.
• Galvanize: Technology education and workspace operator (now part of Stride) running bootcamps, workshops, and community events for entrepreneurs and developers. Comparable to 805 Startups in combining workspace/community with entrepreneurship education and event programming, though at broader national scale.
• General Assembly: Global technology education and career transformation company offering bootcamps, workshops, and corporate training programs. Comparable to 805 Startups in providing entrepreneurship education, workshops, and community events for founders and career professionals, though at larger enterprise scale.

Direct peers

• Founder Institute: Pre-seed accelerator and founder development program running structured cohorts and mentorship matching worldwide. Comparable to 805 Startups in providing early-stage founder education, peer support, and mentor matching without taking equity in some tracks, though with a broader global footprint.
• MassChallenge: Global no-equity startup accelerator operating industry-vertical programs with mentor networks and corporate partner sponsorships. Highly comparable to 805 Startups' no-equity incubator model and multi-stakeholder (founders, corporates, government) approach.
• Blackbox: Community-driven accelerator and founder network running events, demo nights, and mentor matching programs. Comparable to 805 Startups in emphasizing authentic community, peer support groups, and event-led founder development for early-stage entrepreneurs.
• Dreamit Ventures: Early-stage accelerator and venture fund running cohort programs with mentor networks and corporate partnerships. Comparable as an accelerator-style program combining mentorship, investor deal flow, and corporate sponsor relationships, though typically equity-taking.
• Startup Grind: Global startup community platform hosting local events, workshops, and conferences for entrepreneurs and investors. Directly comparable to 805 Startups in being a community-led, event-driven organization serving founders and investors across multiple regions.

Emerging players

• SoGal Ventures: Global venture fund and community supporting diverse founders through events, education, and investment. Comparable to 805 Startups as a community-first organization hosting in-person events and peer networks for founders and investors, with overlap on sponsor/partner monetization.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/805startups
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/805startups
• Xx.com/805startups

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about 805 Startups