5 LA Hardware Startups to Know

LA's legacy tech industries like robotics and defense are providing talent for burgeoning hardware startups.

Written by Abel Rodriguez
A tech employee sits at a desk working on a VR headset
Photo: Shutterstock
UPDATED BY
Abel Rodriguez | Apr 23, 2025

Southern California has successfully attracted innovative entrepreneurs who have founded and scaled their companies across various industry verticals, including AI, robotics and defense. Over the last decade, several high-profile hardware companies have also come to call SoCal home, as they rely on the region’s skilled workforce to develop new and intriguing technologies. Below are some of the top SoCal hardware companies to know.

Top LA Hardware Startups

  • Red 6
  • Machina Labs
  • Kernel
  • Flow Technologies
  • SOUNDBOKS

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Top LA Hardware Startups to Know

Red 6 is an aerospace company with a presence in Santa Monica. Launched in 2018, the veteran-founded company developed the EVE headset and ATARS solution, which is an advanced augmented reality system that supports pilot training in dynamic environments. According to the company, its technology features a low-latency protocol and can capture biometrics, flight data and user input to speed up debriefings.

 

Machina Labs uses AI and robotics to provide high-end manufacturing services for the aerospace and automotive industries. The company offers an advanced 7-axis robotic system that can perform a variety of tasks like scanning, trimming and drilling. According to Machina Labs, its product is designed to replicate the work of master artisans on a much larger scale.

 

California-based startup Kernel is taking on neuromedicine. Founded in 2016, Kernel has developed headsets that’s capable of generate detailed brain activity maps for researchers. In addition to its non-invasive neuro measurement hardware systems, Kernel offers services and software solutions that support data analysis and management.

 

MARKBOTIX is an LA hardware startup developing robotic solutions for older individuals and people with disabilities. Its flagship platform, GRACE, which stands for Ground Robotic Assistant for Care Enablement, was created after a rigorous validation process involving elderly individuals and caregivers. The robotic system is designed to reduce fall risks and aid caregivers.

 

Danish hardware developer Soundboks might have started out in Copenhagen, but it didn’t take long for the company to identify Los Angeles as the ideal location for its base of operations. Founded in 2015, the company established its LA office just a year after launching. Today, the company develops and manufactures high-quality, portable speakers capable of blasting music for up to 40 hours.

 

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