Best Media & Entertainment Companies in Santa Monica, United States
The 222 best Media & Entertainment companies in Santa Monica, United States in 2026, ranked by funding and momentum. Funding, investors, founders, valuation, tech stack and live signals. Top: Lions Gate Entertainment.
Ranked: Best Media & Entertainment companies in Santa Monica
| # | Company | App-install YoY | Disclosed funding | Employees | Founded | Founder | Tech stack | Patents & IP focus | Recent signals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | STIRR Ad-supported virtual MVPD platform | +11% | $5M | — | 2012 | Marla Jones Founder & CEO | UbuntuVideoJSBootstrap+20 | — | — |
| 2 | Hulu Subscription-based OTT video content streaming platform | +10% | $100M | 2,157 | 2007 | — | Cart FunctionalityShopifySentry+42 | 733 patents Patents concentrated in electrical & electronics | — |
| 3 | Atom Tickets Online movie ticketing marketplace provider | +6% | $178M | 24 | 2014 | Matthew Bakal Executive Chairman and Co-Founder | Cart FunctionalityScalaPlay+21 | 17 patents Group event ticket purchasing platform enabling collaborative ordering | — |
| 4 | Tapatalk Online community app for interest-based discussions | +4% | $6M | 28 | 2009 | — | PHPGoogle Sign-inLaravel+21 | — | — |
| 5 | Tastemade Platform offering video-based cooking related learning solutions | +1% | $116M | 127 127 → 183 (+44%) | 2012 | Larry Fitzgibbon Co-Founder and CEO | Cart FunctionalitySentryZendesk+33 | — | 2 awards |
| 6 | Labs Developer of human enhancement technology and a social-taste super application | — | $65M | — | 2025 | Maya Davis Co-Founder & Vice Chairwoman & President | — | — | — |
| 7 | Starlings Entertainment Provider of development, financing, and production for films and television | — | $10M | — | 2017 | Diane Hendricks Co-Founder | — | — | — |
| 8 | Lions Gate Entertainment Provider of multi-channel TV network, producer & distributor of films and TV programs | — | $1.8B | 870 | 1997 | Jon Feltheimer Co-CEO | Cart FunctionalityShopifySearchanise+31 | — | 8 job openings |
| 9 | Filmhub Online marketplace for film distribution | — | $7M | 49 | 2001 | Mark Simmons Co-Founder | Node.jsTailwind CSSReact+18 | — | 1 partnership |
| 10 | Skydance 🦄 Developer of film, television, animation, and interactive entertainment | — | $675M | 159 | 2010 | David Ellison Founder & CEO | WordPressApple iCloud MailMicrosoft 365+19 | — | — |
| 11 | Songtradr Online music and sound licensing platform for commercial usage | — | $169M | 95 | 2014 | — | SanityApple iCloud MailGoogle Workspace+34 | 3 patents Optimizing web interaction speed and automating intellectual property valuation analytics | — |
| 12 | The WONDER Project Provider of films and TV production services | — | $112M | — | 2014 | Kelly Hoogstraten CEO | WordPressMySQLPHP+30 | — | — |
| 13 | Snap Developer of a visual messaging service and AR creation tools 94Patents top 6%Market top 13%Innovation top 15%Tech top 15% All 14 signals ▾Patentstop 6% Markettop 13% Innovationtop 15% Techtop 15% Producttop 18% Talenttop 22% Fundingtop 26% AItop 28% Globaltop 28% Fin. healthtop 36% Newstop 37% Moattop 44% Partnerstop 48% Growthbottom 43% Patents: 13,583 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 10765 filings since 2022 vs 2664 in 2017-21 Market: 5,289 employees (top 2% of Mobile) · Revenue ~$5.9B rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 94/100 | — | $850M | 5,289 5,289 → 8,279 (+57%) | 2011 | Bill Gross Co-Founder | ContentfulSentryZendesk+27 | 13,583 patents Patents concentrated in computing, sensing & instrumentation | — |
| 14 | Leaf Group Diversified internet company operating multiple digital properties | — | $356M | 341 | 2006 | Jantoon Reigersman CFO | — | 54 patents Online content personalization, recommendation, and monetization platforms for web media | — |
| 15 | Miramax Producer of film and television content | — | $375M | 333 | 1979 | — | Cart FunctionalityApple iCloud MailMicrosoft 365+16 | — | — |
| 16 | Religion of Sports Online platform for sports content 35Moat top 22%Talent top 28%Funding top 37%Market bottom 41% All 6 signals ▾Moattop 22% Talenttop 28% Fundingtop 37% Marketbottom 41% Globalbottom 36% Techbottom 32% Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 8/10 · Soonicorn Talent: 4 named leaders on record · 4 C-suite/founder profiles curated rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 35/100 | — | $63M | 56 | 2013 | Tom Brady Co-Founder | — | — | 1 award |
| 17 | FlickPlay AR enabled social platform for sharing videos | — | $6M | 15 | 2019 | Pierina Alaimo Founder & CEO | SentryNode.jsGoogle Sign-in+21 | — | — |
| 18 | Revolution Studios Owner and distributor of film and television libraries | — | $227M | 12 | 2000 | Vince Totino CEO | WordPressMySQLMariaDB+18 | — | — |
| 19 | LiveControl Provider of video production and live streaming services | — | $33M | 65 | 2019 | Noah Johnson Co-Founder & CEO | WebflowApple iCloud MailGoogle Workspace+26 | — | — |
| 20 | K Films British film production company | — | $135M | — | 1990 | Graham King CEO | — | 2 patents Variable transmission optical filters and optically active film composites for photonic devices | — |
| 21 | Bad Robot Provider of engineering services for the entire building lifecycle | — | $40M | — | 2001 | Katie McGrath Co-CEO | Apple iCloud MailGoogle WorkspaceSalesforce+7 | — | — |
| 22 | Loaded Provider of gaming management services | — | $20M | 45 | 2016 | Brandon Freytag Founder | — | — | — |
| 23 | Whisper Social platform for local anonymous discussions | — | $61M | 149 | 2012 | Brad Brooks Co-Founder | Amazon Web ServicesZendeskMixpanel+4 | 17 patents Patents concentrated in electrical & electronics | — |
| 24 | Dispo App-based camera provider | — | $24M | 39 | 2019 | — | VercelLeverGoogle Font API+3 | — | — |
| 25 | Kin Community Multi-channel network platform focusing on female content creators | — | $40M | 55 | 2007 | — | Cart FunctionalitySquarespace CommerceSquarespace+18 | — | — |
| 26 | Victorious Award-winning SEO agency driving sustainable growth through organic search | — | $50M | 17 | 2013 | Lorenzo Kampen Founder | Managing Partner | WordPressApple iCloud MailGoogle Workspace+29 | 3 patents Patents concentrated in computing, sensing & instrumentation | — |
| 27 | Social Project Social networking site | — | $48M | 20 | 2005 | — | — | 9 patents Online social networking platform creation and community management | — |
| 28 | Fanimal Platform offering festival and concert tickets | — | $6M | 11 | 2019 | Jonny Halprin Co-Founder & CEO | — | 2 patents Electronic transaction commit systems for e‑commerce platforms | — |
| 29 | withpoly Visual content creation platform | — | $4M | 5 | 2022 | — | SentryNode.jsUnoCSS+7 | — | — |
| 30 | Adimverse Metaverse-based social platform for connecting with friends | — | $5M | 10 | 2022 | Rob Mcelhenney Co-Founder | — | — | — |
| 31 | Xfire Ultimate Wordle solver and resource for word puzzle enthusiasts | — | $18M | 27 | 2002 | — | WordPressTypeScriptPHP+40 | 7 patents Online multiplayer gaming platform services, including matchmaking, networking, and game session management | — |
| 32 | IndieFlow Music management software for musicians | — | $4M | 18 | 2019 | Omer Matz Co-Founder & CEO | SentryHelp ScoutTypeScript+34 | — | — |
| 33 | Reunion.com Personal search engine & social networking platform | — | $25M | 21 | 1995 | — | JavaApache HTTP ServerMicrosoft 365+5 | — | — |
| 34 | Image Metrics Developed software for facial analysis and recognition | — | $19M | 9 | 2000 | Kevin Walker CTO and co-founder | — | — | — |
| 35 | Gaming Society Provider of an online betting news platform for multiple sports | — | $4M | 18 | 2020 | Kevin Garnett Co-Founder | — | — | — |
| 36 | Onomy Online podcast network platform | — | $300K | 10 | 2020 | Sam Rowen Co-Founder | Cart FunctionalitySquarespace CommerceSquarespace+21 | 2 patents Optimizing the ordering of database queries for efficient information retrieval | — |
| 37 | Gif Your Game GIF creation software for gamers | — | $10M | 3 | 2018 | — | Node.jsYouTubeVideoJS+27 | — | — |
| 38 | HitFix Entertainment and culture website covering music, film, TV, and more | — | $10M | 14 | 2009 | Jennifer Sargent CEO & co-founder | — | — | — |
| 39 | Creator Now Platform offering virtual event management software | — | $3M | 15 | 2021 | Kate Ward Co-Founder | WebflowAmazon Web ServicesTikTok Pixel+14 | — | — |
| 40 | mayk Online digital collaborative platform for music creation | — | $5M | 29 | 2020 | Akiva Bamberger Co-founder & CTO | WebflowTikTok PixelGoogle Analytics+15 | — | — |
| 41 | ThisNext Provides personalized recommendation ecommerce portal | — | $10M | — | 2005 | Eric Hammond Ex-Co - Founder / VP | — | — | — |
| 42 | Network of One Multi-channel network | — | $10M | — | 2013 | Jasondra Gibbs Co-Founder & Co-CEO | — | — | — |
| 43 | Vertical Entertainment Independent film distributor providing full-service marketing and sales solutions | — | $620K | 52 | 2013 | Nikia Washington President | WixSentryBootstrap+11 | — | 1 award |
| 44 | Chromatik Music Assisting Platform | — | $8M | 6 | 2010 | Matt Sandler Founder | — | — | — |
| 45 | Twenty20 Unlimited creative assets, AI tools, and resources for creatives | — | $10M | 10 | 2012 | — | — | 6 patents Portable digital video camera hardware and imaging components | — |
| 46 | Fresno Unlimited Entertainment content production company | — | $8M | 2 | 2014 | Robert Goldberg Founder & CEO | — | — | — |
| 47 | Kuapay Provider of articles on personal finance, business, and lifestyle topics | — | $7M | 51 | 2011 | Joaquin Ayuso Founder and CEO | — | — | — |
| 48 | dot.LA Online portal offering LA startup news | — | $4M | 16 | 2020 | Sam Adams Co-Founder & CEO | VarnishEnvoyPrebid+14 | — | — |
| 49 | TopFloor Online content-driven discovery platform for multi-category fashion products | — | $6M | — | 2012 | Michael Jones Co-Founder | — | — | — |
| 50 | Tu Vision Canal Online video sharing platform | — | $6M | — | 2011 | Ulysses Alvarado Founder & CEO | — | — | — |
Top 12 Media & Entertainment companies in Santa Monica
#1
Seed · Santa Monica, California · founded 2025$65Mraised▾
Developer of human enhancement technology and a social-taste super application. It is a superintelligence human-enhancement technology company based out of Silicon Beach LA. The company focuses on advancing human capabilities through technological innovation. It is building a company with multiple labs to explore various aspects of superintelligence and human-enhancement. The company is developing applications in areas such as taste, AI and extended reality starting with its Yuhmmy App.
- Aug 2025Seed$35M
- Apr 2025Seed$22.5M
- Apr 2025Conventional Debt—
- Seed$7.5M
#2
Series A · Santa Monica, California · founded 2017$10Mraised▾
Provider of development, financing, and production for films and television. The company focuses on producing commercial films and television series. It supports quality content, authentic voices, and character-driven stories. The company develops and produces series for distribution to networks.
- Dec 2025Series A$10M
#3
Public · Santa Monica, California · founded 1997 · 870 employees$1.8Braised▾
Provider of multi-channel TV network, producer & distributor of films and TV programs
- Apr 2024Post IPO$225M
- Sep 2023Post IPO$30M
- Jan 2022Grant (prize money)$17.4K
- Mar 2018Conventional Debt$512.3M
#4
Series A · Santa Monica, California · founded 2001 · 49 employees$6.8Mraised▾
Online marketplace for film distribution. It allows filmmakers and catalog owners to connect with streaming service buyers. Provides a cloud-based infrastructure for content creators and owners to upload their content, remove territories that the content is already sold in, select streaming service providers, and set different release dates for different service providers.
- May 2025Series A$7M
- Dec 2021Seed$6.8M
- Sep 2017Seed—
#5
Skydance 🦄Acquired · Santa Monica, California · founded 2010 · 159 employees$675Mraised▾
Developer of film, television, animation, and interactive entertainment. It creates content across multiple platforms, including streaming services and theaters. The company develops and produces original content as well as works with established franchises. Its offerings span various genres, from action and sci-fi to comedy and animation. It also has divisions focused on sports-related content and interactive gaming experiences. The company's goal is to produce high-quality, engaging entertainment for a global audience.
- Jul 2023Conventional Debt$1B
- Oct 2022PE$400M
- Feb 2020PE$275M
- Jan 2018PE$100M
#6
Series E · Santa Monica, California · founded 2014 · 95 employees$169.4Mraised▾
Online music and sound licensing platform for commercial usage. It allows music professionals, advertisers, producers to discover artists, songwriters, and built-in catalogs for licensing music. It also allows indie artists to create a profile to showcase their work and license or sell their music to potential commercial buyers.
- Nov 2023Series E$69.4M
- Jun 2021Series D$50M
- Jul 2020Series C$30M
- Mar 2019Series B$12M
#7
Series D · Santa Monica, California · founded 2014$112.2Mraised▾
Independent studio for values-based Films and TV programming, telling stories that restore faith in things worth believing in.
- Oct 2023Series D$112.2M
#8
Public · Santa Monica, California · founded 2011 · 5289 employees$850Mraised▾
Developer of a visual messaging service and AR creation tools. The company provides a platform for visual communication among individuals. It also offers tools for developers to create augmented reality and artificial intelligence experiences. The company supports advertising opportunities and provides community guidelines for its users.
- Apr 2020Post IPO$850M
#9
Acquired · Santa Monica, California · founded 2006 · 341 employees$356Mraised▾
Leaf Group is a diversified internet company which owns and operates multiple media (eHow, Livestrong.com, LeafTV, Cuteness, Techwalla, Sapling) and marketplace (Society6, Saatchi Art, The Other Art Fair) properties targeting consumers across multiple lifestyle segments. Monetizes using branded content creation and programmatic advertising.
- May 2017Post IPO$1.8M
- Aug 2014Post IPO$11.2M
- Sep 2013Conventional Debt$225M
- Jul 2013Post IPO$19.1M
#10
Acquired · Santa Monica, California · founded 1979 · 1 employees$375Mraised▾
Producer of film and television content. This studio develops and produces original movies and television series, encompassing a wide variety of genres. It collaborates with established and emerging talent to create projects for theatrical release and streaming platforms. The company also manages existing intellectual property, developing sequels and adaptations of successful franchises. Its business model involves securing financing, overseeing production, and distributing finished products to various markets.
#11
Series B · Santa Monica, California · founded 2013 · 56 employees$63Mraised▾
Online platform for sports content. It provides game highlights, scores, podcasts, and articles about sports tournaments or leagues. It delivers detailed articles, videos, and podcasts covering inspirational athlete stories, interviews, awards, and events.
- Jun 2022Series B$50M
- Jul 2020Series A$10M
- Apr 2018Seed$3M
#12
Series C · Santa Monica, California · founded 2014 · 24 employees$178.2Mraised▾
Online movie ticketing marketplace provider. It provides an app to book movie tickets, view showtimes, watch trailers and reviews. Users can buy tickets and concessions through Atom. Users can also watch trailers, check local showtimes. Ticket purchasing is limited to select cities. The app is available for both iOS and Android devices.
- Mar 2018Series C$60M
- Aug 2017Series C$58.2M
- Jan 2016Series B$50M
- Series A$10M
Funding & investor landscape
Notable founders
Market landscape — 10 sub-themes by coverage
Share of Media & Entertainment coverage by sub-theme.
Regulatory-risk over time rising
Funding & growth over time
funding rising · growth rising
Common questions
Sweetie watches where the money and the users are piling in. She covers sector wealth and momentum — the install curves and revenue pools that show which corners of the market are quietly on fire.