Culver City is experiencing an influx of AI startups, drawing Silicon Valley firms and establishing the local Laurel Grill restaurant as a new power lunch destination for Hollywood executives. This trend signals a deepening integration between the tech and entertainment industries in the area.
Over the past year, more than a half-dozen AI startups have established offices in Culver City, attracted by a commercial real estate market that recently bottomed out. Council member Dan O’Brien noted that the city is becoming a nexus for artists and tech professionals seeking collaboration and opportunities with studios. "Culver City is becoming a hotbed of artists who are finding work, connecting with each other and pitching themselves to studios," said George Strompolos, founder of Promise AI, which set up its offices in the city.
Laurel Grill, a two-year-old restaurant located atop the Culver Steps, has become a focal point for these new arrivals. "Every time I’m having a meeting with an Amazon exec it’s at the Laurel Grill," Strompolos told Page Six. A bartender at the restaurant confirmed that it is frequently frequented by executives from Amazon, Apple, and Sony.
Prominent figures from the tech world are investing in the Culver City scene. Billionaire Sean Parker, co-founder of Napster, opened an office for his social AI startup Cantina Labs in the Hayden Tract. Parker was also involved in an $80 million rescue of the AI image firm Stability AI. Luma Labs, a $4 billion startup co-founded by former Apple engineer Amit Jain, has leased a 7,000-square-foot facility called the Dream Lab in Culver City. Backed by venture capital firms like Andreessen Horowitz and NVIDIA, Luma Labs provides video and image generation models that have gained traction with companies like Amazon and Wonder Project.
Other AI companies establishing a presence in Culver City include microseries studio TrueShort, AI production film studio PhantomX, and AI ad agency Native Foreign. The growth of AI in the area is partly attributed to Mike Gioia and Todd Terrazas, founders of the "AI on the Lot" conference, which has been held at Amazon MGM's Culver Studios for the past two years.
This burgeoning AI presence has led to events like an AI job fair held on the Culver Steps during LA Tech Week. While the city council generally welcomes the AI boom, O’Brien acknowledged a delicate balance must be maintained with the existing creative community, some of whom harbor reservations about the rapid advancement of AI technology.
Laurel Grill, owned by Dean McKillen and Phil Howard, owners of West Hollywood establishments Laurel Hardware and Ysabel, has filled a void in downtown Culver City for business lunch venues. "There’s not a lot in downtown Culver in terms of places to have business lunches, so [Laurel Grill] filled that gap — plus it’s a good vibe and they have a nice patio. A+ cheesy bread," one studio executive noted.