Best High Tech Companies in Santa Barbara, United States
The 45 best High Tech companies in Santa Barbara, United States in 2026, ranked by funding and momentum. Funding, investors, founders, valuation, tech stack and live signals. Top: Ice Energy.
Our analysis of 306 High Tech companies
$95.7b in tracked funding; 95% of the stack-profiled cohort runs cloud-native; funding activity peaked in 2025.
Ranked: Best High Tech companies in Santa Barbara
| # | Company | Disclosed funding | Last round | Employees | Founder | Tech stack | Web popularity | Patents & IP focus | Recent signals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ice Energy Offering energy storage system and demand side management for smart grid | $132M | 97 mo ago | — | — | — | — | — | 2 launchs · 1 expansion |
| 2 | InTouch Technologies Provider of SaaS-based automated robotic telehealth tools for healthcare providers | $93M | 99 mo ago | 348 | — | — | — | 188 patents Patents concentrated in transport & manufacturing processes | — |
| 3 | Elucida Oncology Developer of a particle delivery platform using nanotechnology | $82M | 67 mo ago | 23 | — | — | — | 29 patents Targeted folate‑receptor nanoparticle drug delivery systems for oncology | — |
| 4 | TrackR Provider of object tracking systems | $73M | 97 mo ago | 64 | — | — | — | 2 patents Real-time indoor asset tracking using wireless signal triangulation | — |
| 5 | Seek Thermal Manufacturer of thermal imaging cameras, cores, and sensor boards | $39M | 114 mo ago | 61 61 → 74 (+21%) | Mike Muench President and CEO | Cart FunctionalityWeeblyMySQL+36 | Top 5M | 145 patents Thermal imaging sensors, modules, calibration sources, and fever detection systems. | 3 launchs · 1 award |
| 6 | Anasys Instruments Nanoscale infrared spectrometers for advanced materials and life science research | $24M | 100 mo ago | 31 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | Cognixion Developer of an AI and AR-based application for speech impaired individuals 69AI top 15%Innovation top 17%Patents top 21%Moat top 32% All 11 signals ▾AItop 15% Innovationtop 17% Patentstop 21% Moattop 32% Fundingtop 35% Growthtop 35% Techtop 49% Talentbottom 49% Globalbottom 40% Marketbottom 33% Newsbottom 22% AI: Holds AI/ML patents (G06N-family CPC) Innovation: 55 patents (top 19% of patent-holders) · 43 filings since 2022 vs 12 in 2017-21 rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 69/100 | $23M | 6 mo ago | 34 | Andreas Forsland Founder | HubSpot CMS HubApple iCloud MailSplide+12 | Top 50M | 55 patents Brain‑computer interface hardware and biosignal interaction platforms for augmented reality communication | — |
| 8 | Carpe Data Provider of AI-powered online data solutions for insurance decisioning | $8M | 52 mo ago | 107 107 → 86 (-20%) | — | — | — | — | — |
| 9 | WorldViz Developer of VR visualization and simulation platforms and headsets | $6M | 97 mo ago | 13 | Andrew Beall CEO & CTO | Webflow EcommerceWebflowSalesforce Marketing Cloud Account Engagement+18 | Top 10M | 22 patents Real-time multi-user motion capture and tracking for immersive VR/AR environments | — |
| 10 | Riptide Riptide IO provides data integration, management and analysis solutions for devices in the Internet of Things. | $5M | 100 mo ago | 15 | Marti Ogram Co-Founder & VP Marketing | — | — | — | — |
| 11 | Groundswell Tech Groundswell Environmental is an Environmental Services company located in Pleasantville, New Jersey, United… | $4M | 55 mo ago | 1 | Mark Kram Founder & CTO | — | — | — | — |
| 12 | Dagoma French expert in professional 3D printing, prototyping, and additive manufacturing | $3M | 119 mo ago | 30 | Matthieu Regnier Co-Founder & CEO | Cart FunctionalityOdooPostgreSQL+16 | Top 5M | — | — |
| 13 | Green Hills Software Provider of embedded real-time operating systems | $1M | — | 308 308 → 266 (-14%) | Dan O'Dowd Co-Founder & CEO | PythonZohoZURB Foundation+8 | Top 5M | 64 patents Embedded real-time OS debugging, trace visualization, and multi-core scheduling optimization | — |
| 14 | SunHydrogen Developer of technology producing renewable hydrogen from sunlight and any water | $1M | 71 mo ago | 7 | Tim Young President and CEO | Cart FunctionalitySquarespace CommerceSquarespace+17 | Top 5M | 2 patents Solar-driven water electrolysis using CdTe photovoltaic modules for hydrogen generation | — |
| 15 | t4 Spatial Developer of online infrastructure management software | $994K | 127 mo ago | 12 | Ed Richards CEO | WordPressMySQLMariaDB+33 | Top 50M | 21 patents Smart building infrastructure management with spatial audio, AR, and geometric intersection algorithms | — |
| 16 | Milo Sensors Wearable blood alcohol sensor | $762K | 105 mo ago | — | Evan Strenk Founder & Advisor | — | — | 9 patents Wearable enzymatic biosensors with controlled enzyme release and skin tamper detection | — |
| 17 | Shine Bathroom Brand of toilet care products | $750K | 82 mo ago | 6 | — | — | — | 4 patents IoT-enabled smart toilet systems with customizable features for bathroom automation | — |
| 18 | VitalScan Manufacturer of biometrical software and hardware products for monitoring | $590K | 191 mo ago | 12 | — | Cart FunctionalityDreamWeaverYouTube+13 | Top 10M | — | — |
| 19 | Mission Street Manufacturing Investment real estate firm specializing in single-tenant facilities capital markets services | $525K | 143 mo ago | — | Brian H. Jaffe Founder | — | — | — | — |
| 20 | Wyatt Technology Manufacturer of instruments and software for macromolecule and nanoparticle characterization | $323K | 46 mo ago | 131 | Philip Wyatt Founder and Board Chairman | WordPressAddsearchMySQL+35 | Top 5M | 101 patents Patents concentrated in computing, sensing & instrumentation | — |
Top 12 High Tech companies in Santa Barbara
#1
Series A · Santa Barbara, California · founded 2014 · 34 employees$23.1Mraised▾
Developer of an AI and AR-based application for speech-impaired individuals. It allows users to leverage taps and gestures for engaging in conversation and allows them to customize icons or pictures for key phrases to express themselves. The interface assembles sentences naturally, enabling opportunities to engage others in conversation with a minimal amount of taps. It includes a performance dashboard for users to track their progress and measure results.
- Jan 2026Conventional Debt$4M
- May 2024Series A$6M
- Oct 2023Conventional Debt$1.9M
- Nov 2021Seed$13M
#2
Deadpooled · Santa Barbara, California · founded 2003$132Mraised▾
Ice Energy develops utility-scale distributed energy resource and storage technologies. The company’s solutions address the increasing demand for clean energy by shifting the largest component of residential and commercial electricity usage - air conditioning - from peak to off-peak periods, when energy generation is cleaner, less expensive and more abundant. The company also offers utility scale energy storage solutions and provide utilities with innovative smart grid solutions that integrate proven distributed storage, two-way closed loop control, and permanent peak load shifting as a renewable portfolio resource.
- Jun 2018Series D$40M
- Oct 2010Series C$24M
- Oct 2008Series B$33M
- May 2007Series A$25M
#3
Series B · Santa Barbara, California · founded 2014 · 23 employees$81.5Mraised▾
Elucida Oncology is a developer of a particle delivery platform using nanotechnology. The platform is called ultra-small C dot technology, it encapsulates near-infrared dye with a rigid silica shell which is coated with a layer of polyethylene glycol (PEG). PEG also acts as an ideal linker for a broad variety of ligands. The company claims a 95% clearance of C-dots through the renal system. The company has developed an Image-Guided Sentinel Lymph Node Mapping product, Nanoparticle Drug Conjugates, Nanoparticle Radiotherapeutic Conjugates, Multiplexing: Tumor & Nerve Tissue, PET imaging, and others.
- Jan 2021Series B$44M
- Jun 2020Series A$8.8M
- Feb 2019Series A$28.8M
- Apr 2017Seed—
#4
Acquired · Santa Barbara, California · founded 2002 · 348 employees$93.3Mraised▾
Provider of SaaS-based automated robotic telehealth tools for healthcare providers. The company has developed a single portal called Solo that physicians can access for patient communication and consultation. The platform is FDA-cleared remote presence devices to provide care anywhere across the healthcare continuum EDs, ICUs, procedure rooms, patient wards, clinics, ambulances, and homes. The company's Remote Presence telemedicine network is powered through its SureCONNECT cloud-based infrastructure.
- May 2018Series C$21M
- Apr 2018Series C$8.6M
- Feb 2018Conventional Debt—
- Jun 2016Series C$15M
#5
Series B · Santa Barbara, California · founded 2009 · 64 employees$72.7Mraised▾
Provider of object tracking systems. It offers tracking devices that can be attached to items. The device can be paired with the app to track and locate items by ringing it. It works on crowd sourced Bluetooth network allowing other users to help find items on a map. It can also be attached to pet collars. Its features include a phone finder, family sharing, and separation alerts.
- Jun 2018Series B$10.1M
- Aug 2017Series B$51.5M
- Oct 2016Series A$753.2K
- Oct 2015Series A$8.7M
#6
Series B · Santa Barbara, California · founded 2012 · 61 employees$39.2Mraised▾
Manufacturer of thermal imaging cameras, cores, and sensor boards. The company provides thermal solutions to professionals and consumers. It designs and manufactures microbolometer detectors. The company offers products for automotive, firefighting, commercial trades, hunting, law enforcement, and other applications.
- Feb 2017Series B$2.1M
- Jun 2015Series B$7.2M
- Dec 2014Series B$10M
- Nov 2012Series B$20M
#7
Acqui-Hired · Santa Barbara, California · founded 2005 · 31 employees$24Mraised▾
Nanoscale infrared spectrometers for advanced materials and life science research. They offer innovative solutions for nanoscale chemical identification and material characterization. Their photothermal AFM-IR technology provides easy-to-interpret data for diverse applications, including polymers, 2D materials, and micro-electronics. They deliver products and solutions that measure spatially varying physical and chemical properties with nanoscale spatial resolution. Their systems provide productive solutions that help researchers clear the path to their next discovery and help industrial companies to solve critical process problems. They offer innovative modes for nanoscale IR spectroscopy, including Resonance Enhanced Force Volume (REFV) AFM-IR, Surface Sensitive AFM-IR, and Scattering SNOM. They provide correlative nanoscale chemical and property analysis for polymers, 2D materials, failure analysis, life sciences, mechanical property mapping, and nanoscale thermal analysis.
- Apr 2018Grant (prize money)$2.8M
- Feb 2017Grant (prize money)$155K
- Feb 2014Grant (prize money)$1.1M
- May 2013Grant (prize money)$1.3M
#8
Series B · Santa Barbara, California · founded 2016 · 107 employees$8Mraised▾
Provider of AI-powered online data solutions for insurance decisioning. The platform aggregates and analyzes online sources to deliver insights for risk assessment, claims handling, underwriting, and fraud detection. It equips insurers with data-driven tools to identify risk, uncover fraud, and expedite low-risk claims. The technology supports commercial and personal lines with solutions for small business evaluation, claimant experience enhancement, and operational efficiency. By integrating external data elements, the service helps insurance organizations refine pricing, reduce losses, and improve customer decision processes throughout the insurance lifecycle.
- Apr 2022Series B—
- Aug 2017Series A$1.3M
- May 2017Series A$6.7M
#9
Seed · Santa Barbara, California · founded 2004 · 1 employees$3.7Mraised▾
Develops software that enables environmental intelligence. It automates field sensor data collection, processing, and visualization to enable informed decisions in a timely manner. Groundswell develops products to meet the needs of program directors, engineers, scientists, and regulators responsible for environmental, security, and resource management.
- Jan 2022Seed$1.7M
- Sep 2012Seed$350K
- Apr 2011Seed$300K
- Mar 2010Seed$1M
#10
Series A · Santa Barbara, California · founded 2002 · 13 employees$6.2Mraised▾
Developer of VR visualization and simulation platforms and headsets. Its products include a VR creation and collaboration tool, an application development platform, and a patented VR system for professionals. It mainly caters to product design, academic research and architecture, engineering, and construction applications.
- Jul 2018Series A$1.2M
- Feb 2018Series A$843.5K
- Jan 2017Series A$675K
- Mar 2015Series A$2.5M
#11
Acquired · Santa Barbara, California · founded 2012 · 15 employees$5.5Mraised▾
Offers a device integration platform (BrightEdge) to enterprises for device management and data streaming to its cloud, BrightWorks. BrightWorks provides data storage, analysis and visualisation optimized for sensors and devices.
- Apr 2018Series A$1.5M
- Nov 2015Series A$4M
- Jul 2014Conventional Debt$400K
#12
Seed · Santa Barbara, California · founded 2014 · 30 employees$3.3Mraised▾
French expert in professional 3D printing, prototyping, and additive manufacturing. They specialize in on-demand 3D printing, rapid 3D prototyping, and small to large series production. Services include design, prototyping, and production of custom 3D parts. They offer a bureau d'études to transform ideas into concrete projects, optimizing models for reliable additive manufacturing. They serve various sectors including prototyping & design, leisure & events, industrial tooling, and finished products. Committed to local manufacturing, quality, and sustainability, they use biosourced materials and focus on circular economy principles: reduce, reuse, recycle, and repair. They offer support/contact, login, register, cart, and blog access.
- Sep 2016Angel$3.3M
Funding & investor landscape
Notable founders
Market landscape — 10 sub-themes by coverage
Share of High Tech coverage by sub-theme.
Regulatory-risk over time rising
Funding & growth over time
funding rising · growth rising
How research on Semiconductors is moving in the United States
A read on the academic research around Semiconductors — which themes are gaining ground, the institutions and researchers driving them, and how the tone is shifting. Based on 8,739 United States-affiliated papers.
- Georgia Institute of Technology489
- IMEC343
- Intel325
- Purdue University West Lafayette218
- Industrial Technology Research Institute177
- Photonics56→121
- Photonic integrated circuit49→81
- Artificial neural network3→29
- Detector25→48
- Scalability53→73
- Photonics45→59
- Artificial neural network2→14
- Rapid single flux quantum2→12
- Detector20→29
- Image sensor2→11
- Photonics10→28
- Hardware security module6→13
- Thermal10→16
- Automotive industry2→8
- Photonic integrated circuit9→14
Where semiconductors is researched across United States
Location clusters by institution affiliation — each city's volume, stance tone, and a quick read on its hot topic, what's advancing, the opening opportunity, and the main concern.
Who's filing semiconductors patents in the United States
United States semiconductors patent filing is cooling — 112,775 filings from 8,000 assignees (2016–2025), led by IBM, Applied Materials, Intel; annual filings 11572→7675.
- IBM19691
- Applied Materials13119
- Intel11689
- Micron Technology10011
- Texas Instruments4804
- LAM RES4667
- Sandisk Technologies3051
- Qualcomm2897
Common questions
Rohit lives in the feed. He covers what's moving right now — the funding rounds, launches and shifts breaking across the trade press — and ties them back to where the sector is heading.