San Diego Startups to Watch in 2027: Verified Companies in Biotech, AI, Robotics and Software
San Diego is best known for life sciences and wireless technology, and its startup scene still reflects that mix. But lists of "startups to watch" age fast, and the 2026 version of this article mixed real startups with listed giants, mature companies and names we could not find at all. For this 2027 edition we checked every company on its own website, contact page and newsroom in October 2026: that it still operates, that it still gives a San Diego address, headquarters or press dateline, what it actually sells, and which funding round it announced itself. We removed growth figures and ecosystem statistics we could not source, and the companies from the old list that are no longer startups, or that we could not verify, are in a separate section near the end.
Quick answer: the San Diego startups to watch in 2027 are Element Biosciences (DNA sequencing and multiomics), Biolinq (a needle-free glucose sensor), Plexium (protein degrader drugs), Kneron (edge AI chips), Brain Corp (autonomy software for robots), ClickUp (an AI work platform), Trust & Will (online estate planning) and Cloudbeds (hotel management software). Illumina and Qualcomm, which topped the old list, are large listed companies, not startups.
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Why San Diego Matters for Founders in 2027
San Diego's strength is deep tech that needs labs, hardware and patient investors: three of the eight companies below work in sequencing, medical devices or drug discovery, and Element Biosciences and Plexium both give addresses in the same 92121 ZIP code north of downtown. The University of California San Diego is a working partner for local companies, as Brain Corp's 2026 research partnership with its engineering school shows. Software companies such as ClickUp, Trust & Will and Cloudbeds show the city also grows companies that sell worldwide online. If you are comparing places to build, see our guides to Berlin startups to watch and China startups to watch.
San Diego Startups to Watch in 2027 Compared
Sources: each company's official website, contact or about page and newsroom, checked 27 October 2026. "None cited" means we found no official funding announcement we could link.
The San Diego Startups to Watch in 2027
1. Element Biosciences: DNA sequencing and multiomics
Element Biosciences makes benchtop instruments for DNA sequencing and multiomics: AVITI, AVITI LT and AVITI24, which reads RNA, protein and cell morphology on one system, plus VITARI, open for pre-order. Its contact page gives an address on Barnes Canyon Road, San Diego. On 19 October 2026 it launched Cytos, a single-run workflow that captures guide RNA, morphology, protein and the whole transcriptome from the same cell for CRISPR and drug-discovery screens. Its newsroom also reports ISO 13485 certification (June 2026) and a win in a German patent case against Illumina (July 2026). We found no funding announcement on its site, so we cite none.
Lesson for founders: you can compete with the dominant company in your own city if you give customers a cheaper, more flexible option and defend it with your own patents.
2. Biolinq: a needle-free glucose sensor
Biolinq makes Biolinq Shine, which it calls the first fully autonomous, needle-free glucose sensor. It tracks glucose, activity and sleep, and a small light shows whether glucose is in range (blue) or above it (yellow), with or without a phone. According to its news page, the US FDA granted Biolinq Shine De Novo classification, announced on 25 September 2025, for adults 22 or older who are not on insulin. The company announced a $100 million Series C on 22 April 2025 to move from development to commercial readiness. Its company description places it in San Diego.
Lesson for founders: in medical devices, a narrow first indication (here, adults not on insulin) is the fastest route to a regulatory green light.
3. Plexium: drugs that remove disease-causing proteins
Plexium is a targeted protein degradation company: it designs small molecules (monovalent direct degraders and molecular glues) that make the cell break down proteins that drive disease. Its DELTA Discovery platform combines AI with phenotypic screening. Its clinical trials page says it is enrolling adults with SMARCA4-mutated advanced or metastatic solid tumours in a study of PLX-61639, an oral SMARCA2-selective degrader (NCT07284186). Its homepage gives an address on Scranton Road, San Diego, and lists investors including The Column Group, SoftBank, DCVC Bio and BVF Partners, without amounts.
Lesson for founders: a discovery platform becomes believable to investors when the first drug from it reaches patients.
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4. Kneron: AI chips for devices
Kneron designs neural processing units (NPUs), the chips that run AI models on a device instead of in the cloud, plus SoCs, an image processor, AI models and its KNEO software platform for cars, cameras, edge servers and smart devices. Its about page says it was founded in October 2015 by Albert Liu and is headquartered in San Diego, and its homepage cites more than $235 million in venture funding. Its news page lists the KL1140 chip (26 November 2025), the KNEO Pi development board and a 3D facial recognition module (May 2026).
Lesson for founders: hardware startups sell faster with a full stack: a chip plus models, software and a development board that engineers can try on day one.
5. Brain Corp: autonomy software for commercial robots
Brain Corp builds BrainOS, an autonomy platform that robot makers put into floor scrubbers, inventory-scanning robots, tuggers and pallet jacks. In its May 2026 release on a research partnership with UC San Diego it describes itself as headquartered in San Diego, with more than 50,000 robots deployed across six continents. Its newest service, ShelfOptix, offers robot-powered shelf scanning for retailers as a managed service.
Lesson for founders: Brain Corp sells the brain, not the robot. Licensing your software to manufacturers can scale faster than building every machine yourself.
6. ClickUp: one workspace with AI built in
ClickUp combines projects, docs, chat, whiteboards, time tracking, dashboards and automations in one workspace, with its Brain AI and AI agents that search your work and take actions. There is a free-forever plan that needs no credit card. Its about page lists its San Diego HQ among its locations.
Lesson for founders: a generous free plan lets a product spread team by team inside companies before anyone signs a large contract.
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7. Trust & Will: online estate planning
Trust & Will lets people create wills and trusts online, with attorney-led options, probate support and tools for financial advisors, attorneys and nonprofits. Its press release on the Series C, datelined San Diego on 11 March 2025, says it raised over $25 million led by Moderne Ventures, that it was founded in 2017, that more than 1 million people use it and that it is the official estate planning provider for AARP members. Its press page also notes a fourth year on the Inc. 5000 list in 2026.
Lesson for founders: partners such as banks, advisors and member organisations can bring you customers at a cost no ad campaign can match.
8. Cloudbeds: software for independent hotels
Cloudbeds sells a hospitality management system that unifies the property management system, channel manager, booking engine, payments, revenue management and guest marketing. Its press release of 22 October 2026, datelined San Diego, adds a point-of-sale system for hotel outlets and says Cloudbeds was founded in 2012 and is trusted by tens of thousands of properties in more than 150 countries. Its contact page lists its US office in San Diego, alongside offices in Dublin, São Paulo, Barcelona and Toronto.
Lesson for founders: small, independent customers are often ignored by big vendors; one platform that replaces many tools wins them.
San Diego Companies From the Old List That Changed or Could Not Be Verified
The 2026 version of this article listed ten companies. Here is why the others are no longer in the main list:
- Illumina and Qualcomm: both are headquartered in San Diego, but they are large listed corporations, not startups. Illumina's about page says it started in 1998.
- Lytx: the fleet video telematics company started as DriveCam in the 1990s, according to the timeline on its website, which speaks of "27+ years of innovation". It is an established company, not a startup.
- Shield AI: the defence AI company was founded in 2015 and now lists San Diego as one of seven US offices without naming a headquarters. According to Reuters, it raised about $2 billion in a Series G at a $12.7 billion valuation in March 2026, so it has outgrown a startup list.
- Turquoise Health: its official website showed a bot check when we tried to open it, so we could not confirm its current product or location. According to SiliconANGLE, it raised a $40 million Series C led by Oak HC/FT in March 2026.
- Meridian Auto Parts: we found no official source for the old article's claims, and business directories say the company was founded in 1989, so it is not a startup.
- CultureBee: we found no official website confirming the product described in the old article, so we removed it.
We also removed the old article's links to third-party startup lists and its general statements about the ecosystem that had no source.
Which San Diego Startup Should You Learn From?
- You build lab tools or medical devices: study Element Biosciences (competing with a giant) and Biolinq (a narrow first FDA indication).
- You build a drug discovery company: study Plexium, which took its platform into a clinical trial.
- You build AI hardware or robots: study Kneron (chip plus software stack) and Brain Corp (licensing autonomy to manufacturers).
- You build SaaS for teams: study ClickUp and its free plan.
- You build consumer services or fintech: study Trust & Will and its partner channels.
- You sell to small businesses: study Cloudbeds and how it serves independent hotels worldwide.
How Founders Use San Diego's Startup Scene
You do not need to live in San Diego to learn from these companies, but if you build in Southern California, start with people and money. Meet founders and investors at the events in our guides to startup events in Los Angeles and startup events in San Francisco, and for life sciences, the top biotech startup events and healthtech startup events. When you are ready to raise, compare angel investors in North America, early-stage VC firms and VCs for AI startups, and test your pitch at the startup competitions in North America.
Comparing cities? Our startup cities directory and the list of top cities for AI startups in Europe help you weigh the options. Before you copy any of these business models, validate your startup idea with real customers. When you want to get noticed, list your startup in the F/MS marketing directories, publish your startup press release and write about your product with the F/MS AI SEO Tool so customers and AI assistants can find you.
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FAQ About San Diego Startups to Watch in 2027
Which San Diego startups should I watch in 2027?
Our verified list: Element Biosciences, Biolinq, Plexium, Kneron, Brain Corp, ClickUp, Trust & Will and Cloudbeds. Each still operates and gives a San Diego address, headquarters or press dateline on its official site, checked in October 2026.
Are Illumina and Qualcomm startups?
No. Both are headquartered in San Diego, but they are large listed companies; Illumina started in 1998. We moved them out of the startup list.
Which San Diego startup has FDA clearance?
Biolinq. The FDA granted its needle-free glucose sensor, Biolinq Shine, De Novo classification, which the company announced on 25 September 2025, for adults 22 or older not on insulin.
Which San Diego biotech startups are worth following?
Element Biosciences for sequencing and multiomics instruments, Plexium for targeted protein degradation drugs, and Biolinq for medical wearables. Our guide to biotech startup events lists where to meet companies like them.
Is Shield AI still a San Diego startup?
It was founded in 2015 and has a San Diego office, but its site names no headquarters, and according to Reuters it was valued at $12.7 billion in March 2026, so we no longer list it as a startup.
Which San Diego startups raised money recently?
Of the rounds announced on official sites, Biolinq's $100 million Series C (April 2025) and Trust & Will's Series C of over $25 million (March 2025) are the latest we cite. Kneron's homepage cites more than $235 million in venture funding in total.
Why did you remove Turquoise Health?
Its official website showed a bot check, so we could not confirm its current product and location on the company's own pages. According to SiliconANGLE it raised a $40 million Series C in March 2026.
What can founders learn from San Diego startups?
Start with one narrow, provable use case, partner with universities and established channels, and offer customers a cheaper or more flexible option than the market leader.
Where can I get a backlink by writing about my startup?
You can publish a guest post in one of the Fe/male Switch startup blogs, which rank in Google and in AI tools. Get a quality backlink.
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
