Intelligent Investment
Los Angeles Market
Global Life Sciences Atlas
April 11, 2025 5 Minute Read
Overview
- Los Angeles is one of the nation’s most promising life sciences clusters, supported by world-class healthcare institutions and research universities. More than 49,000 people work in the local industry, while the larger region boasts more than 26,000 employees in life sciences research and development (R&D).
- Los Angeles has 11.3 million sq. ft. of life sciences lab/R&D space, including 6.3 million sq. ft. that is leased and the remainder owner-occupied.
- Between 2019-2024, life sciences companies in Los Angeles and adjacent Orange County secured almost $7.5 billion of venture capital funding investment, the seventh-largest amount in the world.
- Supporting L.A.’s life sciences ecosystem are world-renowned universities (University of California at Los Angeles, University of Southern California), leading healthcare institutions (Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Children’s Hospital) and prestigious research institutes (Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope).
- In FY 2024 the National Institutes of Health (NIH) allocated more than $1.5 billion for healthcare and life sciences initiatives to organizations in the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area, the sixth-highest amount in the U.S.
Submarkets
Industry Presence
- The more than 49,000 people who work in Los Angeles’ life sciences industry represent the ninth-largest workforce in the U.S.
- The greater Los Angeles metropolitan area has more than 26,000 employees in life sciences R&D roles, the fifth-largest in the nation.
- Life sciences companies throughout the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area secured $1.6 billion of venture capital funding—the largest amount on record—last year.
Life Sciences Venture Capital Investment Trends
Figure 1: Life Sciences Venture Capital Funding
Life Sciences Market Stats
Figure 2: Market Overview
Development Pipeline or Activity
Figure 3: Lab/R&D Space Under Construction
Key Trends/Big News
- Unlike other competitive life sciences markets, Los Angeles is not experiencing a glut of supply.
- Tenant demand in Greater Los Angeles is at its lowest level since 2021 at 218,000 sq. ft., with an average tenant requirement of 10,000-20,000 sq. ft.
- UCLA acquired a 170,000-sq.-ft. facility in the El Segundo district from Karney Properties.
- Graymark Capital completed its purpose-built 99,000-sq.-ft. Westlake Labs in Westlake Village.
Featured Project
- Westlake Labs at 120 Via Merida, Westlake Village by Gray Matter, Graymark Capital’s life science vertical.
- RSF: 98,776 sq. ft. with 35,000 sq. ft. of move-in ready, brand new speculative lab space
- Stories: 2
- Power: 4000 amps
- Floor Load: 100 lbs PSF
- Parking Ratio: 2:1,000
Westlake Labs is a purpose-built, Class A life science building in Westlake Village that is redefining the standard for laboratory space in the Los Angeles region. Westlake Labs will present opportunities for the entire life cycle of the life science industry, from mature companies to startup ventures to academia. Repositioned by Gray Matter with veteran life science architects and engineers, the modular lab space is state of the art and allows for maximum adaptability for a tenant’s use. The Conejo Valley location provides stunning views of the valley and significant indoor and outdoor amenities in a campus environment.
- Amgen
- Abbott
- AstraZeneca
- Boston Scientific
- Eli Lilly
- Fujifilm
- Genentech
- Immunity Bio
- Kite Pharma
- Takeda
- Thermo Fisher
- Xencor
- Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope
- California Institute of Technology
- Cedars Sinai Medical Center
- Children’s Hospital
- University of California at Los Angeles
- University of Southern California
Global Life Science Markets
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Denver-Boulder is one of the nation’s most important life sciences clusters and the center for life sciences in the Mountain region of the U.S.
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San Diego is one of the top three U.S. life sciences clusters. More than 89,000 people work in the local industry, over 17,000 of whom are in life sciences research and development (R&D) roles.
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The San Francisco life sciences cluster is the largest on the U.S. West Coast. More than 147,000 people work in the local industry, over 42,000 in life sciences research and development (R&D) roles.