Startup San Diego 2023 Impact Report is Here!

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Startup San Diego 2023 Impact Report is Here!

Posted: February 22, 2024

By Ella Napata

The 2023 Startup San Diego Impact Report is here! 2023 was a celebratory and monumental year for Startup San Diego. We welcomed Lisa Barnhouse as the 3rd Executive Director for the organization, increased ecosystem engagement, and presented nine events across the Tijuana – San Diego region.

From San Diego Startup Week to 1st Mondays, we saw amazing community building, up-leveling, and camaraderie.

Here are the 2023 impact numbers you should know about:

2,500+ Attendees
83+ Speakers
117+ Volunteers
100+ Sponsors & Members
481+ Student Entrepreneurs
66 Exhibitors
18 Pitch Competition Startups
58% Diverse Representation

Erika Gastelum, Startup San Diego, Operations Manager

Startup San Diego’s 2023 numbers showcase our diverse, thriving startup ecosystem. With 117+ volunteers, we produced 9 events from Carlsbad to Tijuana, featuring 83+ speakers, 66+ exhibitors, and 18 startup founders competing in premier pitch events. As the gateway to San Diego’s startup ecosystem, Startup San Diego hosted over 2,500 community members across all in-person events, including founders, investors, leaders, executives, students, and talent. Dedicated to building an equitable ecosystem, we published over 10 hours of panels, workshops, and pitch competitions, increasing accessibility to inspire, educate, and foster innovative high-growth companies. Our 2023 impact was made possible by our dedicated staff, board, 100+ sponsors & donors, and community partners supporting Startup San Diego’s mission.

Check out the full Impact Report and learn about our events and programs

Thank You to Our 2023 Sponsors

Huge thank you to our sponsors for supporting the San Diego #startup ecosystem: San Diego State University, Aleph One, Arkusnexus, City of Carlsbad, Qualcomm, LogicBoost Labs, Wege Foundation, The City of San Diego, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, Trust & Will, Keshif Ventures, Personal AI, Royanis and many more. Check out our full list of sponsors and how to get involved here.

What to Expect for 2024

For 2024, we have a lot in store for the startup community: 12th Annual San Diego Startup Week, quarterly 1st Mondays, Startup Awards, Startup Fair and Community Partner Expo, Startup Spotlight, and Startup San Diego Tech Reports!

Our latest event will be 1st Mondays happening March 4th, at the ClickUp HQ in Downtown San Diego. We’ll be celebrating International Women’s Month and the award-winning documentary Show Her the Money. We’ll have networking as well as an expert panel featuring producers of the documentary, women startup founders, and leaders. Join us for our quarterly 1st Mondays!