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Top Unicorn Startups in Santa Monica for 2026

In Santa Monica, we rank 5 unicorn startups based on an algorithm that considers factors such as total investment, quarterly employee count, and website traffic. Unicorns in Santa Monica are falling behind the performance of their global counterparts.

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Top Unicorn Startups in Santa Monica for 2026

1st
Liquid Death logo
Liquid DeathSB Score: 602

Liquid Death offers 100% mountain water from the Australian Alps in eco-friendly cans. Stay hydrated with sustainable hydration in a can.

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Website
liquiddeath.com
Employee range
251 – 500
Web Traffic (Monthly)
Funding amount
$260.6M
National Rank(United States)
Regional Rank(North America)
Global Rank(Worldwide)
2nd
Recharge logo
RechargeSB Score: 510

Recharge offers e-commerce businesses a subscription management software to simplify and optimize their operations. Streamline your subscriptions with ease and efficiency.

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Website
rechargepayments.com
Employee range
501 – 1,000
Web Traffic (Monthly)
Funding amount
$277M
National Rank(United States)
Regional Rank(North America)
Global Rank(Worldwide)
3rd
Autograph logo
AutographSB Score: 365

Autograph is an NFT platform connecting iconic brands and legends in sports, entertainment, and culture to offer exclusive digital collections and experiences. Join us to access unique content from your favorite personalities and immerse yourself in the world of collectibles like never before.

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Website
autograph.io
Employee range
1 – 10
Web Traffic (Monthly)
Funding amount
National Rank(United States)
Regional Rank(North America)
Global Rank(Worldwide)

Total amount:5

Most Valuable Unicorns in Santa Monica for 2026

The top three most valuable unicorns in Santa Monica have raised total funding of more than USD 173M. Among the top three funded unicorns, the most popular industry, based on total funding, is Fintech.
1st
Skydance Media logo
Skydance MediaSB Score: 146

Skydance, founded by David Ellison in 2010, produces top-tier entertainment for worldwide audiences. The company focuses on creating high-quality, impactful media experiences across various platforms.

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Website
skydance.com
Employee range
Web Traffic (Monthly)
Funding amount
National Rank(United States)
Regional Rank(North America)
Global Rank(Worldwide)
2nd
Autograph logo
AutographSB Score: 365

Autograph is an NFT platform connecting iconic brands and legends in sports, entertainment, and culture to offer exclusive digital collections and experiences. Join us to access unique content from your favorite personalities and immerse yourself in the world of collectibles like never before.

View Full Page
Website
autograph.io
Employee range
1 – 10
Web Traffic (Monthly)
Funding amount
National Rank(United States)
Regional Rank(North America)
Global Rank(Worldwide)
3rd
Recharge logo
RechargeSB Score: 510

Recharge offers e-commerce businesses a subscription management software to simplify and optimize their operations. Streamline your subscriptions with ease and efficiency.

View Full Page
Website
rechargepayments.com
Employee range
501 – 1,000
Web Traffic (Monthly)
Funding amount
$277M
National Rank(United States)
Regional Rank(North America)
Global Rank(Worldwide)
4th
Liquid Death logo
Liquid DeathSB Score: 602

Liquid Death offers 100% mountain water from the Australian Alps in eco-friendly cans. Stay hydrated with sustainable hydration in a can.

View Full Page
Website
liquiddeath.com
Employee range
251 – 500
Web Traffic (Monthly)
Funding amount
$260.6M
National Rank(United States)
Regional Rank(North America)
Global Rank(Worldwide)
5th
Labs logo
LabsSB Score: 302

Labs Companies, Inc. (branded and doing business as Labs) is an American global human-enhancement technology company headquartered in Santa Monica, CA. Established in 2025 through a restructuring of LavLabs Inc., Labs now serves as the parent holding company of LavLabs, itself apart of seven core family of labs: Labs Intelligence, Labs Realities, Labs Blocks, Labs Crypto, LabsX, Factory5227 and several specialized multi-labs. Each lab is dedicated to advancing human capabilities through transformative products, services, platforms, and technologies (PSPTs) in AI, digital economies, immersive realities, consumer internet, wearables and social experiences. The Labs Manifesto: Humanizing every moment on the internet. Our name “Labs” celebrates the field of Chemistry, and our test-tube emblem, Chemí (/kim-me/), reflects our commitment to innovation. At Labs, our mission is to inspire creativity with innovative-ideas that help build communities and advance human capabilities. We believe that every human on the planet could thrive greatly with equal access and opportunity to technology. Through our flagship, franchise, framework and fandom, family of brands, we create transformative human-experiences that connect humanity through creativity, community, and innovation. Our ecosystems and economies spans across a core and specialized family of labs, including Labs Financial Group (managing Labs Payments, Yuhmmy Wallet and financial solutions within the FinTaste ecosystem), Labs Investor Group (managing early-stage, growth-stage, CVC, fund-of-funds, hedge fund, mutual fund, ETF, index fund and pension fund investments through Labs Ventures, Labs Capital, Labs Investments, Labs Funds, Labs Equity and Labs Shares), Labs Realty Group (managing YuhmmyHouse, a Social-Taste Super Club and the Tastespitality Ecosystem), Labs Start Studios (Hatch Studio, Launch Studio, and Lift Studio for entrepreneurial enhancements), Labs Learn Studios (Labs University, Labs Academy, and Labs Institute for educational enhancements), Labs Entertainment (managing Yuhmmyevents and its annual Yuhmmylicious Week and CraveCon), Labs Media (managing the official podcast by Labs: TechTubeTalks, and Yuhmmy: TastefulTalks). Our inaugural family of brand is Yuhmmy, the world’s first Social-Taste Super Brand and ecosystem designed for discovering, experiencing, and sharing anything tasty. Its Yuhmmy App brings people together to explore food, drinks, sweets, snacks, and recreational flavors in fun, funny, and flavorfully engaging ways. Featuring innovative tools like Tastechat, Taste Sports, Taste Drops, Cravecash, YuhmmyAI, and Yuhmmy AR/VR, Yuhmmy empowers a revolutionary “Tasteconomy” driven by Taste Intelligence. Labs is committed to reshaping the future of human-enhancements, seamlessly merging digital and physical worlds to redefine engagement, empowerment, education and earning. Our Labs Foundations supports sustainability, S.T.E.A.M. education, and scholarships for underserved communities through 5227.org and Lifthumankind.org, committing 1% of proceeds and resources via pledge 1%.

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Website
labscompanies.com
Employee range
1 – 10
Web Traffic (Monthly)
Funding amount
$30M
National Rank(United States)
Regional Rank(North America)
Global Rank(Worldwide)

Total amount:5

Top Hiring Unicorns in Santa Monica by Employee Number

The top three hiring unicorns in Santa Monica have an average employee size that is smaller than to the global average. Among these, the Ecommerce & Retail industry features the unicorn with the largest workforce.
1st
Recharge logo
RechargeSB Score: 510

Recharge offers e-commerce businesses a subscription management software to simplify and optimize their operations. Streamline your subscriptions with ease and efficiency.

View Full Page
Website
rechargepayments.com
Employee range
501 – 1,000
Web Traffic (Monthly)
Funding amount
$277M
National Rank(United States)
Regional Rank(North America)
Global Rank(Worldwide)
2nd
Liquid Death logo
Liquid DeathSB Score: 602

Liquid Death offers 100% mountain water from the Australian Alps in eco-friendly cans. Stay hydrated with sustainable hydration in a can.

View Full Page
Website
liquiddeath.com
Employee range
251 – 500
Web Traffic (Monthly)
Funding amount
$260.6M
National Rank(United States)
Regional Rank(North America)
Global Rank(Worldwide)
3rd
Autograph logo
AutographSB Score: 365

Autograph is an NFT platform connecting iconic brands and legends in sports, entertainment, and culture to offer exclusive digital collections and experiences. Join us to access unique content from your favorite personalities and immerse yourself in the world of collectibles like never before.

View Full Page
Website
autograph.io
Employee range
1 – 10
Web Traffic (Monthly)
Funding amount
National Rank(United States)
Regional Rank(North America)
Global Rank(Worldwide)
4th
Labs logo
LabsSB Score: 302

Labs Companies, Inc. (branded and doing business as Labs) is an American global human-enhancement technology company headquartered in Santa Monica, CA. Established in 2025 through a restructuring of LavLabs Inc., Labs now serves as the parent holding company of LavLabs, itself apart of seven core family of labs: Labs Intelligence, Labs Realities, Labs Blocks, Labs Crypto, LabsX, Factory5227 and several specialized multi-labs. Each lab is dedicated to advancing human capabilities through transformative products, services, platforms, and technologies (PSPTs) in AI, digital economies, immersive realities, consumer internet, wearables and social experiences. The Labs Manifesto: Humanizing every moment on the internet. Our name “Labs” celebrates the field of Chemistry, and our test-tube emblem, Chemí (/kim-me/), reflects our commitment to innovation. At Labs, our mission is to inspire creativity with innovative-ideas that help build communities and advance human capabilities. We believe that every human on the planet could thrive greatly with equal access and opportunity to technology. Through our flagship, franchise, framework and fandom, family of brands, we create transformative human-experiences that connect humanity through creativity, community, and innovation. Our ecosystems and economies spans across a core and specialized family of labs, including Labs Financial Group (managing Labs Payments, Yuhmmy Wallet and financial solutions within the FinTaste ecosystem), Labs Investor Group (managing early-stage, growth-stage, CVC, fund-of-funds, hedge fund, mutual fund, ETF, index fund and pension fund investments through Labs Ventures, Labs Capital, Labs Investments, Labs Funds, Labs Equity and Labs Shares), Labs Realty Group (managing YuhmmyHouse, a Social-Taste Super Club and the Tastespitality Ecosystem), Labs Start Studios (Hatch Studio, Launch Studio, and Lift Studio for entrepreneurial enhancements), Labs Learn Studios (Labs University, Labs Academy, and Labs Institute for educational enhancements), Labs Entertainment (managing Yuhmmyevents and its annual Yuhmmylicious Week and CraveCon), Labs Media (managing the official podcast by Labs: TechTubeTalks, and Yuhmmy: TastefulTalks). Our inaugural family of brand is Yuhmmy, the world’s first Social-Taste Super Brand and ecosystem designed for discovering, experiencing, and sharing anything tasty. Its Yuhmmy App brings people together to explore food, drinks, sweets, snacks, and recreational flavors in fun, funny, and flavorfully engaging ways. Featuring innovative tools like Tastechat, Taste Sports, Taste Drops, Cravecash, YuhmmyAI, and Yuhmmy AR/VR, Yuhmmy empowers a revolutionary “Tasteconomy” driven by Taste Intelligence. Labs is committed to reshaping the future of human-enhancements, seamlessly merging digital and physical worlds to redefine engagement, empowerment, education and earning. Our Labs Foundations supports sustainability, S.T.E.A.M. education, and scholarships for underserved communities through 5227.org and Lifthumankind.org, committing 1% of proceeds and resources via pledge 1%.

View Full Page
Website
labscompanies.com
Employee range
1 – 10
Web Traffic (Monthly)
Funding amount
$30M
National Rank(United States)
Regional Rank(North America)
Global Rank(Worldwide)

Total amount:5

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Regional Rank

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Global Rank

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Top Cities for Startups in United States - Ranked by StartupBlink

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2026 National Rank CityGlobal RankTotal Score & National ShareAnnual Growth

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