Why attend 4YFN Los Angeles?

USA – Next month’s 4YFN Los Angeles event presents an opportunity for ambitious tech startups striving to accelerate their global ambitions. As media partners with 4YFN events worldwide for the past few years we have seen the success of an ecosystem built to support the needs of early stage companies. The LA edition takes place at MWC Los Angeles from 22-24 October. Why should you go? Here are some excellent reasons from the 4YFN team:

1. Cali is the spiritual home of venture capital
The growth of the semiconductor industry and the growth of venture capital firms and funds in Silicon Valley in the 1950s are no coincidence – the two form such a prolific form of symbiosis that it changed the technology sector forever. Silicon Beach is within touching distance of venture capital’s Bay Area birthplace and Los Angeles is home to a sizeable VC culture itself: it is the fourth largest VC hub in the US. The pockets of investors might not be as deep in LA as in SF, but investors are much more inclined to cooperate in LA for big projects than they might be in other places. 4YFN LA is expecting at least 100 investors. With 150 startups on exhibition, the odds of meeting your gamechanger look very good indeed.

2. An ecosystem paved with cooperative gold
Because the LA ecosystem is less competitive than some of the more well established tech communities, LA is ripe for cooperation – whether that’s from VCs working together or startups that support one another. Cooperation defines a healthy ecosystem, creating new opportunities and a positive feedback loop that reinvests success to spur the entire network. At 4YFN, we believe deeply in the power of community and are grateful this year to be partnering with communities like TrepCamp, Sprockit and Expert Dojo in LA to bring new opportunities and content to the startups we serve.

3. Heavyweight footfall from MWC
MWC is the most important annual event for the mobile industry. It is an unmissable occasion for tech executives from the world’s leading tech companies. 4 Years from Now is a key component of MWC LA. That means that as well as attracting large numbers of investors and accelerators, 4YFN experiences heavyweight footfall from industry leaders, creating opportunities for corporate venturing, acquisition and partnership.

4. So talented
California as a whole is home to some of the best universities the US has to offer, providing an endless fountain of youth to sustain the tech sector. Nearly 30,000 students graduate from USC and UCLA each year and the institutions are fertile breeding grounds for startups. Angel.co estimates that nearly 7,000 USC graduates are involved in as many as 2,000 startups.
LA attracts dreamers and creatives from all over the world. Because the cost of living in LA is relatively low compared to its Silicon Valley neighbour and it offers lifestyle perks like beaches and mountains, it is easy to attract talent to LA. Talent is a big draw for 4YFN, with many big corporations and growing startups attending to find their next big signing. That makes 4YFN LA a great place to be – whether you are seeking talent or a new career ladder to climb.

5. Demographics worthy of commercialization
The diversity crisis in the tech industry has real consequences: it affects the quality of the technologies being developed, it means real commercial opportunities are lost and, research shows, more ethnically or gender balanced companies outperform their imbalanced peers. LA is one of the most diverse cities in the US, if not the world. From Koreatown to Little Armenia, the opportunity for diversity in LA is unparalleled and it is one that 4YFN will be exploring in depth this coming October.

6. Media & Entertainment, Plus Tech
LA is the undisputed home of media and entertainment. The worlds of media and entertainment and technology are colliding – fast. That explains the recent Disney-Fox deal, the prominence of Netflix and the growth of businesses like Amazon Prime Video. Content delivery requires the cooperation of hardware manufacturers, network operators, studios and more. New forms of entertainment are being invented, new ways of experiencing it are emerging. We are on the precipice of realising truly immersive technologies and one of 4YFN exhibitors, Antiloop, reports that they picked up three major clients at a 4YFN event. That’s why bringing together the whole ecosystem in the global capital of entertainment is a must!

7. The healthy heart of digital wellness
Los Angeles is synonymous with health and wellness and 4YFN is moving strategically towards this vertical: it is one of the fastest growing areas of the technology sector and the source of armies of startups. 4YFN is welcoming startups specialising in digital health and wellness in LA along with investors interested in the vertical and we are curating inspiring onstage discussions to talk about the future of health in the digital age.

Don’t miss out on your opportunity to attend, exhibit or sponsor. For more information, go to the event website.