Mandala Space Ventures Sets Sail for LA Tech Week with “LA’s Deep Tech Ecosystem” Event

The deep tech community showed up in a big way for this years LA Tech Week! Mandala Space Ventures, Unlock Venture Partners, Serve Robotics, and SoCal Deep Tech came together to host LA’s Deep Tech Ecosystem: Aerospace, Robotics, and Defense Startups, one of the standout gatherings of LA Tech Week. The evening took place aboard a yacht on the bay and brought together the sharpest minds in space, robotics, and defense tech for an unforgettable night of conversation, connection, and a spectacular SoCal sunset.

All Hands on Deck

From the moment guests stepped aboard, the conversations never stopped. Founders compared notes on everything from building hardware to navigating fundraising. Investors got face time with teams tackling some of the hardest technical challenges out there. Over drinks, appetizers, and golden-hour views, new connections were made and new collaborations began to take shape.

The energy on deck was a powerful reminder of how fast LA’s deep tech ecosystem is growing, and how much momentum is building across aerospace, robotics, and defense.

Fireside Chat: Why LA Will Lead the Next Industrial Revolution

A highlight of the evening was a fireside chat with Leon Alkalai, Buck Jordan, and Drew “Murph” Busbee, moderated by Sanjay Reddy from Unlock Ventures. The panel tackled the big questions facing the region’s founders and investors:

• Why LA? With a $1 trillion economy and deep aerospace roots, Los Angeles is uniquely positioned to lead the next industrial revolution.
• Winning in defense: What it really takes for startups to break through and win defense contracts.
• The talent war: How the ecosystem can attract and keep the engineers and builders it needs to scale.

Couldn’t make it aboard? The conversation was livestreamed, and you can watch the full fireside chat to hear firsthand from these industry leaders here: https://lnkd.in/gJiGB_HM

Thank You to Our Community

A huge thank you to every founder and investor who joined us. You are the reason this ecosystem is growing so fast, and we are grateful to be part of it. Thank you as well to our co-hosts at Unlock Venture Partners, SoCal Deep Tech, and Serve Robotics for helping bring this night to life.

Special Thanks to Our Sponsors

This event would not have been possible without the generous support of our sponsors: Stifel Bank, Fenwick & West, KPMG, and JLL. Thank you for your continued commitment to LA’s founders and the deep tech community.

More Mandala Events Coming Soon

This is just the beginning, so stay tuned for more Mandala events! To learn more or get involved, reach out to info@mandalaspaceventures.com.