Los Angeles Venture Association

What Los Angeles Venture Association does

The Los Angeles Venture Association (LAVA) is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit membership association founded in 1984 as the Los Angeles Venture Club (rebranded circa 1985) and headquartered at 11301 Olympic Blvd #376, Los Angeles. LAVA operates as a mesh network connecting investors (VCs, family offices, LPs, angel investors), founders, incubators and accelerators, universities, and professional service providers across the Los Angeles venture ecosystem. It delivers value through more than a dozen industry-specific community committees (LAVA Bio, Web3 LAVA, Canna LAVA, LAVA Gaming, Global LAVA, Green LAVA, LAVA Media, LAVA PE, LAVA Space, NatSec LAVA), affinity groups (Women at LAVA, Young VCs, Trojans, Bruins, Celebrities), and a Special Interest Group (LAVA Gov). Flagship programming includes the Meet the VC, First Look SoCal, and LAVA Awards events, plus investor roundtables, syndication screenings, VC Check-Ins, and private mixers.

The platform itself is powered by SilkStart Association Management Software (third-party SaaS); LAVA does not develop proprietary technology. Core product surfaces include a membership directory, events platform, LAVA Library resources hub, and job board, all delivered through the members.lava.org portal. Revenue is generated primarily through 13+ recurring membership tiers (priced from $180/year for Academic Researcher to $3,300/year for VC Firm Membership) and a multi-tier corporate sponsorship program (Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze, Media) supplemented by a Resource Partner program offering member discounts on services from Insperity, Thankz, and Robert Walters. Testimonials document concrete deal-flow outcomes (CADFORCE's $1.4M Series A led by Rincon Venture Partners, Avisare raising $1M+, Yoke securing $300K from HOTB Software with $30K MRR) attributed to LAVA networking.

Executive Director Darren Eng leads a small (1-10 employee) organization, with a board comprising managing partners from Wavemaker Partners, March Capital Partners, Bryant Stibel, Canyon Creek Capital, US Renewables Group, and senior leaders from Stubbs Alderton, Fox Rothschild, Moss Adams, Armanino, CBRE, CBIZ, and Pepperdine. The VC Advisory Board includes representatives from Upfront Ventures, Bonfire Ventures, The 22 Fund, MaC Venture Capital, BAM Ventures, Corazon Capital, and MiLA Capital, alongside family office advisors from Benenson, Trousdale Ventures, Knollwood, and UHNW single-family offices.

Name

Los Angeles Venture Association

Legal name

Los Angeles Venture Association

Website

https://lava.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Los Angeles Venture Association (LAVA) is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit membership association connecting VCs, founders, family offices, and service providers across LA's venture ecosystem through industry-specific communities, affinity groups, and flagship events like the LAVA Awards.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: LAVA generates revenue primarily through annual and monthly membership subscriptions across multiple tier levels including Corporate, VC Fund, Academic/Research, Premium Individual, Entrepreneur, Investor, VC Partner, Young VC, LP Member, and Academic Researcher categories. Pricing ranges from $180/year for Academic Researchers to $3,300/year for VC Firm Memberships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

LAVA is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit membership association that operates as the mesh network connecting investors and founders across the Los Angeles venture ecosystem. It sells tiered annual and monthly membership subscriptions to individuals (Premium, Entrepreneur, Investor, VC Partner, LP, Young VC, Academic Researcher) and organizations (Corporate, VC Fund, VC Micro Fund, Academic/Research, Corporate Plus, VC Firm), delivered through live and virtual events, sector-specific community committees, affinity groups, a membership directory, and the LAVA Library of resources and partner discounts.

Product overview

LAVA is a membership-based venture association offering a platform that connects entrepreneurs, investors, and service providers in the Los Angeles venture ecosystem. The organization provides a suite of products including a membership directory for networking, an events platform for deal flow activities, industry-focused communities (LAVA Bio, Web3 LAVA, Gaming, Space, etc.), affinity groups (Women, Young VCs, university alumni), a resources library, and a job board. Membership tiers include Corporate, VC Fund, and Individual (Premium, Entrepreneur, Investor, VC Partner, LP) options. The platform is powered by SilkStart association management software.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• LAVA Membership Program Membership-based professional association offering tiered annual and monthly subscriptions for individuals and organizations in the LA venture ecosystem, connecting investors, founders, and service providers through events, directories, and communities.
• LAVA Membership Directory Searchable directory of LAVA members including corporate members, individual investors, entrepreneurs, and service providers in the LA venture ecosystem, available at members.lava.org/directory.
• LAAVA Events Platform Event management and registration system for LAVA programs including investor roundtables, syndication screenings, VC Check-Ins, and annual events like Meet the VC, First Look SoCal, and LAVA Awards.
• LAVA Library (Resources) Resource hub providing members with valuable content relevant to investors and entrepreneurs, including HR solutions, staffing services, partner discounts, and research articles.
• LAVA Job Board Online platform for posting and browsing jobs within the LA venture and startup ecosystem.
• LAVA Awards Annual awards show celebrating the LA venture ecosystem, featuring Hall of Fame inductees, celebrity investments, diversity initiatives, and notable startup investment activity. The 2020 show was led by Verizon as title sponsor with a tribute to Kobe Bryant.
• LAVA Industry Communities Sector-specific community committees including LAVA Bio, Web3 LAVA, Canna LAVA, LAVA Gaming, Global LAVA, Green LAVA, LAVA Media, LAVA PE, LAVA Space, and NatSec LAVA, each hosting focused webinars, panels, and initiatives with prominent members.
• LAVA Affinity Groups Networking groups including Women at LAVA, Young VCs at LAVA, Trojans at LAVA (USC alumni), Bruins at LAVA (UCLA alumni), and Celebrities at LAVA.
• LAVA Gov Special Interest Group Closed special interest group representing the interests of fund managers and entrepreneurs on issues affecting the private investment ecosystem through legislative and regulatory advocacy.

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• InsperitycoreOthersInsperity provides the WX Startup Scholarship offering qualified startups the chance to experience the Insperity Workforce Acceleration HR solution for one year at a substantial discount. Available to LAVA members with greatest discounts.
• ThankzcoreOthersThankz provides talented offshore and cost-effective staff for LAVA member companies. Handles all recruitment, legal, HR, and payroll, specializing in marketing, e-commerce, and finance roles.
• Robert WalterscoreOthersRobert Walters is a specialist professional recruitment consultancy partnering with LA VCs to back high-growth startups hire leadership talent. All LAVA members receive a discount on standard fees.
• NuleepminorOthersNuleep is a community partner of Green LAVA, focusing on ESG impact and sustainability initiatives.
• SpaceWERXcoreOthersSpaceWERX is a partner of NatSec LAVA, recognizing local innovation in defense, national security, cybersecurity, aerospace, space, and supply chain.
• SoCal Deep TechcoreOthersSoCal Deep Tech is a partner of NatSec LAVA, supporting deep tech innovation in the Southern California ecosystem.
• SilkStartcoreTechnology or IntegrationSilkStart provides the Association Management Software powering the LAVA website and membership platform at members.lava.org.
• Echo-FactorycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEcho-Factory partnered with LAVA to produce the 2020 Awards Show.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Angel Capital Association (ACA): The professional association for angel investors and angel groups in North America. ACA is a direct peer to LAVA in terms of being a membership-based organization supporting early-stage investors and founders through events, education, and network access.
• Pasadena Angels: LA-area angel investor group with direct board overlap with LAVA (Chris Wadden, past president of Pasadena Angels, sits on the LAVA board). Competes for the same SoCal angel membership base and deal flow.
• Keiretsu Forum: A global angel investor network with multiple chapters including a strong Southern California presence. Operates a similar multi-tier membership model for accredited angel investors, with structured deal screening and syndication.
• National Venture Capital Association (NVCA): The national trade association of the U.S. venture capital industry. NVCA is the most direct analog to LAVA's role as a membership-based venture industry organization, just operating at national scale with policy advocacy and benchmarking rather than regional deal-flow programming.
• Band of Angels: Silicon Valley-based angel investor group founded in 1994. Operates the same member-funded, deal-screening angel model as LAVA-affiliated networks, with Garrett Gilbertson of LAVA's Family Office Advisory Board also chairing its LA chapter.
• Tech Coast Angels: One of the largest and most active angel investor networks in the LA region. Operates the same geographic market as LAVA with a similar investor-founder matching value proposition, making it the closest regional peer.

Emerging players

• AngelList: The dominant digital platform for startup deal flow, fundraising, and talent. Represents an emerging, tech-led alternative to traditional associations like LAVA for sourcing deals, screening startups, and forming syndicates.
• Golden Seeds: A national angel investor network with a focus on women-led companies. Operates a similar member-investor, structured deal-flow model to LAVA's angel members but with a narrower thesis around gender-diverse investing.

Regional players

• OCTANE: Orange County-based innovation hub and accelerator network. Listed as a LAVA partner serving a complementary SoCal geography with overlapping founder and investor communities in deep tech and tech-enabled industries.
• Alliance for Southern California Innovation: A regional innovation advocacy and ecosystem organization explicitly partnering with LAVA. Addresses a closely overlapping constituency of SoCal investors, founders, and innovation-focused institutions, but with a more policy and ecosystem-development orientation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/LAVA310
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/los-angeles-venture-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 Los Angeles Venture Association