Gunderson Dettmer and Alpha Edison Launch PitchLive.LA to Spotlight Pre-Seed and Seed Founders During LA Tech Week

Designed to showcase the strength of Los Angeles’ entrepreneurial community, PitchLive.LA connects fearless founders and leading investors for a high-energy live pitch experience where vision meets opportunity.

Los Angeles, CA — 9/5/2025 — Gunderson Dettmer, in partnership with Alpha Edison, today announced the debut of PitchLive.LA, a live pitch competition taking place on October 14, 2025, during LA Tech Week. The event gives pre-seed and seed founders the stage to share their vision with Los Angeles’ top investors in front of a live audience, spotlighting the creativity, talent, and entrepreneurial drive that fuel LA’s startup ecosystem. Applications are open now, with limited spots available.

“Los Angeles is one of the most vibrant startup ecosystems in the world, not only because of its talent and creativity but because of its community,” said Olga Zolotnik, Partner at Gunderson Dettmer.

That creative spirit is echoed by Nick Grouf, Co-Founder and Co-Managing Partner at Alpha Edison, who added: “Los Angeles has always been at the forefront of creativity, and that creativity is central to attracting great entrepreneurs to build great companies.”

Nate Redmond, Co-Founder and Co-Managing Partner at Alpha Edison, underscored LA’s momentum: “There’s a foundational level of technical talent in Los Angeles, and an undercurrent of entrepreneurialism. The number of new businesses that start in Southern California — and Los Angeles specifically — is higher than any other place in the country.”

As Jared Mayberry, Corporate Partner at Gunderson Dettmer summed up: “PitchLive.LA is about celebrating LA’s unique blend of creativity and entrepreneurship — and we can’t wait to hear from the next generation of fearless founders.”

How PitchLive.LA Works

• Apply now: Applications are open at pitchlive.LA.
• Exclusive storytelling dinner: The top 10 founders will be invited to an exclusive development dinner hosted by Gunderson Dettmer and led by coach, entrepreneur, educator, and angel investor Jason Yeh, designed to help them refine their story before taking the stage.

Live pitch competition: Finalists will present during LA Tech Week before a panel of leading Los Angeles venture firms, including Alpha Edison, Amplify.LA, Bonfire Ventures, and Fika Ventures.

• Win startup-ready services: The winning founder will receive $50,000+ in services, including:
  • Legal services from Gunderson Dettmer
  • Financial services from Weaver & Scalepoint Advisors
  • Branding & marketing support from Westline Agency
  • A celebratory happy hour hosted by Stifel Bank

About Gunderson Dettmer

Gunderson Dettmer is the preeminent international law firm with an exclusive focus on the innovation economy. The firm serves market-leading venture capital and growth equity investors and pioneering companies through inception, growth and maturity, as well as groundbreaking public companies that result from the global venture capital ecosystem.

Gunderson Dettmer has hundreds of attorneys across eleven offices in key venture markets throughout the world – Silicon Valley, Ann Arbor, Austin, Beijing, Boston, Los Angeles, New York, San Diego, San Francisco, São Paulo and Singapore.

About Alpha Edison

Alpha Edison ("AE") is an investment firm focused on category-creating companies. Since its inception in 2016, Alpha Edison has invested in more than 80 companies and has assets under management approaching $1B across its three funds. AE is a research-driven venture firm that invests in primarily early-stage companies using data and behavioral science to provide investable insights and unlock new markets. The firm is composed of entrepreneurs, operators, technologists, and investors with a focus on investing in and building category-defining companies through a network of Nobel laureates, PhD researchers, and futurists. For more information, visit alphaedison.com.