At Best Startup California we track over 300,000 Californian startups and over 1,500,000 people who hold key positions in these companies. We use this directory of startups to highlight top employees, founders and organisations we think deserve more appreciation than they are currently getting.
We’ve ranked the top 32 LGBT companies in California, United States. The companies, startups and institutions listed in this article are all exceptional companies, well worth a follow. We have included links to their websites, socials and CrunchBase (if you’re interested in their financials).
We selected the organisations listed in this article based on:
- Track record
- Executive leadership
- Market share
- Innovation
- ESG rating
Our Data – We source our data from OSINT (open source intelligence) and public directories such as Crunchbase, SemRush and many more. The data from these sources should be treated with a degree of caution and verified yourself.
Top LGBT Companies & Startups (California, United States)
Hornet
Hornet is the world’s gay social network with 30 million members worldwide
Founder(s): Christof Wittig, Mitchell Geere, Sean Howell
Location: Los Angeles, California, United States
Industries: LGBT, Mobile Apps, Social Media
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misterb&b
Misterb&b is an operator of a property rental marketplace used to connect travelers and hosts in the LGBTQ community.
Founder(s): Chris Sinton, Francois de Landes de Saint Palais, Marc Dedonder, Matthieu Jost
Location: San Francisco, California, United States
Industries: Leisure, LGBT, Rental, Tourism, Travel
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Revry, Inc.
Revry is the LGBTQ-first streaming media network with free live TV, movies, series, news and exclusive queer programming.
Founder(s): Alia J. Daniels, Christopher Rodriguez, Damian Pelliccione, LaShawn McGhee, Wadooah Wali
Location: Los Angeles, California, United States
Industries: Communities, Digital Entertainment, Digital Media, Internet, Internet of Things, LGBT, Music, News, Podcast, TV
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Lips
Lips is a community-designed social media platform and marketplace built for women, non-binary folks, LGBTQIA community, and their fans.
Founder(s): Annie Brown
Location: San Diego, California, United States
Industries: Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, Communities, Content, E-Commerce, LGBT, Marketplace, Mobile Apps, Social Network
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gay.com
Entertainment news from a gay perspective.
Founder(s): Mark Elderkin
Location: Los Angeles, California, United States
Industries: Dating, LGBT, News
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Qmmunity
Qmmunity is an application platform for the LGBT community.
Founder(s): Gabby Gabriel
Location: Los Angeles, California, United States
Industries: Apps, Corporate Training, Internet, LGBT
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Strapping
Strapping is a fashion and lifestyle brand for gay men.
Founder(s): Natalie Pavlovsky, Stephen Conn
Location: San Francisco, California, United States
Industries: E-Commerce, LGBT, Lifestyle
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Lesbians Who Tech
Lesbian Who Tech is an online community of queer women meeting up on a monthly basis to socialize and discuss popular tech topics.
Founder(s): Leanne Pittsford
Location: San Francisco, California, United States
Industries: Communities, LGBT, Women’s
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Distinc.tt
Distinc.tt helps people discover “gay gems” in a city and connect in real life.
Founder(s): Michael Belkin, Thomas McAfee
Location: San Francisco, California, United States
Industries: LGBT, Web Hosting
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PlanetOut, Inc.
PlanetOut, Inc. is a leading global online media company.
Founder(s):
Location: San Francisco, California, United States
Industries: LGBT, Media and Entertainment, Online Auctions, Social Media
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Here Media
Here media an online media company serving the LGBT community.
Founder(s): Michael Goff
Location: Los Angeles, California, United States
Industries: Advertising, Internet, LGBT, News, Publishing
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Salsa Bear Studios
Salsa Bear Studios (also referred to as “the Company”) is an LGBT owned company.
Founder(s): Adam Rickert, Joe Ortega
Location: Pleasanton, California, United States
Industries: LGBT, Mobile
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GLAAD
GLAAD works with print, broadcast, and online news sources to bring people stories from the LGBT community that build support for equality.
Founder(s):
Location: Los Angeles, California, United States
Industries: LGBT, News, Social Media, Social News
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MyUmbrella
Mobile
Founder(s): Angelic Williams
Location: Concord, California, United States
Industries: LGBT, Mobile, Mobile Apps, Private Social Networking, Social Media, Social Network
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Améredia
Améredia enables multicultural marketing communications for global brands across U.S. and international markets.
Founder(s): Pawan J. Mehra, Sam Jhans
Location: San Francisco, California, United States
Industries: Advertising, Brand Marketing, Events, LGBT, Public Relations, Social Media
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LGBTWeddings.com
A wedding planning platform that connects the wedding industry and LGBTQ community to plan amazing weddings
Founder(s):
Location: Mariposa, California, United States
Industries: LGBT, Marketing, Wedding
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dot429
dot429 is a print, online, and in-person platform that brings together LGBT people and their allies.
Founder(s): Bill Stewart
Location: San Francisco, California, United States
Industries: Internet, LGBT
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Metrosource
Metrosource is a magazine publication engaged in publishing LGBTQ based culture, entertainment, design, travel, and fitness content.
Founder(s): Rob Davis
Location: Long Beach, California, United States
Industries: Content, LGBT, Publishing
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Community Marketing & Insights
Community Marketing & Insights is an LGBTQ market research firm.
Founder(s):
Location: San Francisco, California, United States
Industries: Advertising, Communities, LGBT, Marketing
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Gayscape
Gayscape is an internet-based online platform that offers online apps for gay individuals for private webcam chats & videos.
Founder(s):
Location: Westlake Village, California, United States
Industries: Apps, Information Technology, Internet, LGBT, Web Apps
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Midboss
MidBoss is a gaming, tech, and geek culture company with a focus on the alternative and LGBT lifestyles that encompass gaming culture.
Founder(s): Matt Conn, Toni Rocca
Location: San Francisco, California, United States
Industries: Gaming, LGBT, PC Games
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The San Diego LGBT Community Center
The San Diego LGBT Community Center promotes LGBT health and human rights and provides program services to the LGBT community.
Founder(s):
Location: San Diego, California, United States
Industries: Communities, Health Care, LGBT, Social
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Pink Banana Media
Pink Banana Media is an advertising company specializing in companies that cater to the LGBT community.
Founder(s):
Location: Los Angeles, California, United States
Industries: Advertising, Consulting, LGBT
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Los Angeles Blade
Los Angeles Blade is a weekly newspaper that covers LGBT news.
Founder(s):
Location: Los Angeles, California, United States
Industries: Information Services, LGBT, News
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SF Pride Celebration Committee
The San Francisco Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Pride Celebration Committee® is a 501(c)3 non-profit membership organization.
Founder(s):
Location: San Francisco, California, United States
Industries: Association, Communities, LGBT, Non Profit
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Rainbow Community Center
Rainbow Community Center is a non-profit organization that offers support & social opportunities to the LGBTQI+ community & its allies.
Founder(s):
Location: Concord, California, United States
Industries: Communities, LGBT, Non Profit
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Wimbify
Wimbify is the Social Travel Sharing App for LGBT Community.
Founder(s):
Location: San Francisco, California, United States
Industries: Leisure, LGBT, Tourism, Travel
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Out & Equal Workplace Advocates
Out & Equal Workplace Advocates help organizations create workforce equality by hiring an LGBT workforce.
Founder(s):
Location: San Francisco, California, United States
Industries: Human Resources, LGBT, Non Profit
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Oasis Legal Services
Oasis Legal Services is a consulting legal firm that provides immigration, citizenship and screening services.
Founder(s):
Location: Berkeley, California, United States
Industries: Consulting, Legal, LGBT
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GayGuideBook.com
GayGuideBook.com is an online support group for the gay community.
Founder(s):
Location: South San Francisco, California, United States
Industries: LGBT
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Silicon Valley Pride
Silicon Valley Pride
Founder(s):
Location: San Jose, California, United States
Industries: LGBT
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Grindr
Grindr is a location-based social application for gay, bi, trans, queer people and other members of the LGBT community.
Founder(s): Joel Simkhai, Scott Lewallen
Location: West Hollywood, California, United States
Industries: Apps, iOS, LGBT, Location Based Services, Social Media, Social Network
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