# Ascend: portfolio, investments and team

> Ascend is a vc firm based in United States. 136 investments on record, 17 in the last 12 months, latest Oct 2026. Portfolio, stages, co-investors and team.

Source: https://millionrounds.com/fund/ascend (Millionrounds; every figure on the page links to its filing or article)

United States · [Investor](https://millionrounds.com/investors)

# Ascend

Last cheque observed Oct 2026; 136 cheques on record.

Email

Deploying now New fund $460K, Mar 2026 VC firm Website unconfirmed

Pre-seed Seed Series A E-commerce Venture Capital & Private Equity

Follow Ascend and see its new cheques in your feed. [Start following](https://millionrounds.com/login?join=1&why=follow&next=%2Ffund%2Fascend)

Deploying now

**57%** of best year **17** **cheques in 12 months**, 136 on record

Since the last cheque **21** days **00** hrs **00** min **00** sec

Median round **$4.1M** Rounds led **1 of 136** Sole investor **37 rounds** Mostly in **United States, 85%**

Pitch Ascend

## Ascend highlights

- 01 17 cheques in the last 12 months
- 02 Mostly Seed and Venture: 61% of its rounds
- 03 Sole investor in 37 rounds, median $3.5M

## What they do

- **Type:** VC firm (from a list, unverified)
- **Cheque size:** Not stated
- **Stages:** Pre-seed Seed Series A Series B Growth
- **Sectors:** E-commerce Venture Capital & Private Equity
- **Based in:** Seattle, United States
- **Cold pitches:** Not stated

A website was listed for this organisation, but we could not confirm it belongs to the firm that wrote these cheques. Either the site never mentions them, or it turned out to be a different company sharing the name. We show neither it nor anything read from it. [Tell us the right one](https://millionrounds.com/corrections?slug=ascend).

## The record

Every round we can evidence, newest first **136 appearances**

- **2026** 13 rounds
- **Oct** **[Sabi](https://millionrounds.com/company/sabi)** Seed · US · Trending Topics **$50M** With 6 others
- **Sept** **[Audivi AI](https://millionrounds.com/company/audivi-ai)** US **$850K** Sole investor
- **Aug** **[Aiforia](https://millionrounds.com/company/aiforia)** Debt · FI **$23M** With 3 others
- **Jun** **[Endurance Energy](https://millionrounds.com/company/endurance-energy)** Series A · US · TechCrunch **$54M** With 7 others
- **Jun** **[Nanoflex Robotics](https://millionrounds.com/company/nanoflex-robotics)** Venture · CH **Undisclosed** With 2 others
- **May** **[Centerbridge Partners, Ascendant Capital Partners - JV](https://millionrounds.com/company/centerbridge-partners-ascendant-capital-partners-jv)** Debt · US **$63M** Sole investor
- **May** **[Safal Partners](https://millionrounds.com/company/safal-partners)** Grant · US **$2.1M** Sole investor
- **May** **[StitcherAI](https://millionrounds.com/company/stitcherai)** Pre-seed · US **$3.0M** With 1 other
- **Mar** **[ROKIT Healthcare](https://millionrounds.com/company/rokit-healthcare)** Venture **$43M** Sole investor
- **Mar** **[Coleridge Initiative](https://millionrounds.com/company/coleridge-initiative)** Grant · US **$4.3M** Sole investor
- **Jan** **[RXC](https://millionrounds.com/company/rxc)** Series A **$4.8M** With 2 others
- **Jan** **[5E Advanced Materials](https://millionrounds.com/company/5e-advanced-materials)** AU **$26M** Sole investor
- **Jan** **[Canopy Growth](https://millionrounds.com/company/canopy-growth)** Debt · CA **$148M** Sole investor
- **2025** 29 rounds
- **Dec** **[Yoodli](https://millionrounds.com/company/yoodli)** Series B · US · TechCrunch **$40M** With 4 others
- **Dec** **[Govstream.ai](https://millionrounds.com/company/govstream-ai)** Seed · US **$3.6M** Sole investor
- **Nov** **[Hedgehog](https://millionrounds.com/company/hedgehog)** Seed · US **$8.1M** With 5 others
- **Nov** **[AZX](https://millionrounds.com/company/azx)** Pre-seed · US **$6.0M** With 1 other
- **Oct** **[Mesh](https://millionrounds.com/company/mesh)** Seed · US **$3.8M** With 4 others
- **Oct** **[Quantum Computing](https://millionrounds.com/company/quantum-computing)** US **$750M** Sole investor
- **Oct** **[Hest Outdoors](https://millionrounds.com/company/hest-outdoors)** Series A · US **$2.7M** With 2 others
- **Sept** **[ASET](https://millionrounds.com/company/aset)** Seed **$2.1M** With 1 other
- **Sept** **[A.drop](https://millionrounds.com/company/a-drop)** Seed **$1.5M** Sole investor
- **Sept** **[Neon Health](https://millionrounds.com/company/neon-health)** Seed · US **$6.0M** With 2 others
- **Sept** **[Vouched](https://millionrounds.com/company/vouched)** Series A · US **$17M** With 3 others
- **Aug** **[Audivi AI](https://millionrounds.com/company/audivi-ai)** Seed · US **$5.0M** Sole investor
- **Jul** **[Nivcent](https://millionrounds.com/company/nivcent)** Series A · US **$400K** Sole investor
- **Jul** **[Reset Company](https://millionrounds.com/company/reset-company)** Series B **$3.6M** With 1 other
- **Jul** **[piur imaging](https://millionrounds.com/company/piur-imaging)** Venture · AT **$6.6M** With 1 other
- **Jun** **[Rock Paper Coin](https://millionrounds.com/company/rock-paper-coin)** Venture · US **$5.1M** With 5 others
- **Jun** **[Arbol](https://millionrounds.com/company/arbol)** US **$100K** With 3 others
- **Jun** **[Clarify](https://millionrounds.com/company/clarify)** Series A · US **$15M** With 4 others
- **May** **[KOSHERCO](https://millionrounds.com/company/kosherco)** Series A · US **$1.0M** With 1 other
- **May** **[Envive AI](https://millionrounds.com/company/envive-ai)** Series A · US **$15M** With 2 others
- **May** **[ENERZAi](https://millionrounds.com/company/enerzai)** Venture **$5.5M** With 3 others
- **May** **[TEN](https://millionrounds.com/company/ten)** Venture **$5.8M** With 1 other
- **May** **[Knapsack](https://millionrounds.com/company/knapsack)** Series A · US **$11M** With 7 others
- **Apr** **[BALOSI](https://millionrounds.com/company/balosi)** Series A · US **$700K** With 2 others
- **Feb** **[Korion Health](https://millionrounds.com/company/korion-health)** Venture · US **Undisclosed** Sole investor
- **Jan** **[All-In Milwaukee](https://millionrounds.com/company/all-in-milwaukee)** Grant · US **$7.4M** Sole investor
- **Jan** **[KamiwazaAI](https://millionrounds.com/company/kamiwazaai)** Seed · US **$8.5M** With 1 other

An announcement gives the size of the round, not the size of this investor's cheque: the only rounds that imply a cheque are those where they were the sole named investor.

## The team

Named by the firm itself, on a filing, its Form ADV or its company registration **12 named**

AS **Aaron Smith** Executive Officer i Filing they signed

AP **Allison P. Nolan** Director i Filing they signed

AI **Andrew I Borses** Executive Officer i Filing they signed

BD **Benjamin D. Slavet** COO AND CFO OF ASCEND CAPITAL, LLC, THE GENERAL PARTNER OF ASCEND CAPITAL LIMITED PARTNERSHIP, THE ISSUER'S GENERAL PARTNER i Filing they signed

BA **Bradley Adam Brunin** Executive Officer i Filing they signed

DP **David P. Bree** Director i Filing they signed

DS **Divya Smith** Executive Officer i Filing they signed

KW **Kirby Winfield** Managing Member i Filing they signed

MD **Malcolm D. Fairbairn** EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF ASCEND CAPITAL, LLC, THE GENERAL PARTNER OF ASCEND CAPITAL LIMITED PARTNERSHIP, THE ISSUER'S GENERAL PARTNER i Filing they signed

RO **Ronald Ollie Horne Ii** Executive Officer i Filing they signed

SD **Sarah Diekroeger** Manager i Filing they signed

TO **Thomas O. Lloyd-Butler** Executive Officer i Filing they signed

We also hold **17** people at this firm from the lists this database was built from: a weaker source than the filings, since a list does not say when a title ended. Login to see them.

## What the register says

From the firm's own filings with the SEC, which it must file accurately by law

**7+** funds on file numbered funds in its name

## What they claim to have backed

From their own portfolio page (on their website)

**41** of 60 we have independently watched raise

[AZX](https://millionrounds.com/company/azx)[Adaptilab](https://millionrounds.com/company/adaptilab)[Aerolane](https://millionrounds.com/company/aerolane)[Attunely](https://millionrounds.com/company/attunely)[Cap Hill Brands](https://millionrounds.com/company/cap-hill-brands)[Crowd Cow](https://millionrounds.com/company/crowd-cow)[Dolly](https://millionrounds.com/company/dolly)[Endurance](https://millionrounds.com/company/endurance-energy)[Finpilot](https://millionrounds.com/company/finpilot)[Fyn](https://millionrounds.com/company/fyn)[Ganaz](https://millionrounds.com/company/ganaz)[HEST](https://millionrounds.com/company/hest)[Included](https://millionrounds.com/company/included)[Inflection](https://millionrounds.com/company/inflection)[Keepe](https://millionrounds.com/company/keepe)[Keyplay](https://millionrounds.com/company/keyplay)[LOANtuitive](https://millionrounds.com/company/loantuitive)[LegUp](https://millionrounds.com/company/legup)[Limelight](https://millionrounds.com/company/limelight)[MarkOS](https://millionrounds.com/company/mark-os)[Mesh](https://millionrounds.com/company/mesh)[Neon Health](https://millionrounds.com/company/neon-health)[Outbound AI](https://millionrounds.com/company/outbound-ai)[Overland AI](https://millionrounds.com/company/overland-ai)[Pongo](https://millionrounds.com/company/pongo)[Rock Paper Coin](https://millionrounds.com/company/rock-paper-coin)[Sabi](https://millionrounds.com/company/sabi)[Stack Moxie](https://millionrounds.com/company/stack-moxie)[Stackery](https://millionrounds.com/company/stackery)[Taqtile](https://millionrounds.com/company/taqtile)[Type](https://millionrounds.com/company/type)[Velou](https://millionrounds.com/company/velou)[Visual Vocal](https://millionrounds.com/company/visual-vocal)[Vouched](https://millionrounds.com/company/vouched)[Whalesync](https://millionrounds.com/company/whalesync)[WhyLabs](https://millionrounds.com/company/whylabs)[Worksphere](https://millionrounds.com/company/worksphere)[Wrench](https://millionrounds.com/company/wrench)[Xembly](https://millionrounds.com/company/xembly)[Zocks](https://millionrounds.com/company/zocks)[avante](https://millionrounds.com/company/avante) Athanor AI Atypical AI Battlesnake Bytewax Candidate Clarify Clarity Envive Fabric Foundation Govstream Groopit Hearvana Hedgehog Hyphen Knapsack Level Makara Meetingflow and 12 more

Weaker than a round we watched, stronger than a list somebody sold us. A firm is far less willing to put a company on its own site that it never funded.

New fund on file

**$460K**

raised in Mar 2026

From its SEC filing, not a journalist: a firm that has just raised has money to deploy.

## The cheque

Pre-seed Seed Series A

Median round joined **$4.1M** the round, not its cheque Alone, median **$3.5M**

Led 1 of 136 rounds **1%**

- **Sole investor:** 37 rounds
- **Last cheque:** Oct 2026

Rounds by stage said on their site

- Seed said *43*
- Venture *28*
- Series A said *23*
- Pre-seed said *15*
- Series B said *8*
- Growth said *-*

Cheques by month Led Joined

Nov 2023 Oct 2026

Often in the room with

- [Madrona Venture Group](https://millionrounds.com/fund/madrona) 10
- [Techstars](https://millionrounds.com/fund/techstars) 7
- [Y Combinator](https://millionrounds.com/fund/y-combinator) 7
- [Alumni Ventures](https://millionrounds.com/fund/us-strategic-tech-fund-an-alumni-ventures-fund) 6
- [Korea Tech Incubator Program For Startup](https://millionrounds.com/fund/tips-program) 5
- [Cascade Seed Fund](https://millionrounds.com/fund/cascade-seed-fund) 4

**Pitching Ascend?** Put them on your fundraising board with this record on the card, and follow them to hear when they write a new cheque.

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## Who they invest alongside

The investors most often in the same rounds as Ascend. A count of rooms they were both in, not a relationship either has claimed.

[**Madrona Venture Group** VC firm **10** rounds together](https://millionrounds.com/fund/madrona)[**Techstars** VC firm **7** rounds together](https://millionrounds.com/fund/techstars)[**Y Combinator** Accelerator **7** rounds together](https://millionrounds.com/fund/y-combinator)[**Alumni Ventures** VC firm **6** rounds together](https://millionrounds.com/fund/us-strategic-tech-fund-an-alumni-ventures-fund)[**Korea Tech Incubator Program For Startup** Government **5** rounds together](https://millionrounds.com/fund/tips-program)[**Cascade Seed Fund** VC firm **4** rounds together](https://millionrounds.com/fund/cascade-seed-fund)[**Flying Fish Partners** VC firm **4** rounds together](https://millionrounds.com/fund/flying-fish-partners)[**Liquid 2 Ventures** VC firm **4** rounds together](https://millionrounds.com/fund/liquid-2-ventures)[**Bessemer Venture Partners** VC firm **3** rounds together](https://millionrounds.com/fund/bessemer-venture-partners)[**EIC Accelerator** Government **3** rounds together](https://millionrounds.com/fund/eic-accelerator)[**FUSE** VC firm **3** rounds together](https://millionrounds.com/fund/fuse)[**PSL Ventures** VC firm **3** rounds together](https://millionrounds.com/fund/psl-ventures)

## Recently backed

The latest companies Ascend put money into.

[**Sabi** $50M · Oct 2026](https://millionrounds.com/company/sabi)[**Audivi AI** $850K · Sept 2026](https://millionrounds.com/company/audivi-ai)[**Aiforia** $23M · Aug 2026](https://millionrounds.com/company/aiforia)[**Endurance Energy** $54M · Jun 2026](https://millionrounds.com/company/endurance-energy)[**Nanoflex Robotics** Jun 2026](https://millionrounds.com/company/nanoflex-robotics)[**Safal Partners** $2.1M · May 2026](https://millionrounds.com/company/safal-partners)

## On podcasts

1 episode naming Ascend in the title, and 4 more that mention it.

- [This Week in Startups](https://millionrounds.com/podcasts/this-week-in-startups) 10 Jan 2023 · 1h 35m Coinbase cuts 20%, Microsoft to invest $10B into OpenAI & Ascend Elements CEO Mike O'Kronley | E1654 Mentions [Ascend](https://millionrounds.com/fund/ascend) Apple PodcastsShow page

### Mentioned in

- [BRAVE Southeast Asia Tech](https://millionrounds.com/podcasts/brave-southeast-asia) 6 Dec 2024 · 47 min AI Parenting & Companions: Medicalizing Loneliness, Ultra Processed Humanity, Childcare Barbell - E500 Apple PodcastsShow page
- [BRAVE Southeast Asia Tech](https://millionrounds.com/podcasts/brave-southeast-asia) 30 Jul 2024 · 43 min Founder Frauds, Startup Accounting Tricks (GMV, Revenue, Gross Margin, Contribution Margin) & Revenue Bundling & Valuation Multiples with Adriel Yong - E453 Apple PodcastsShow page
- [BRAVE Southeast Asia Tech](https://millionrounds.com/podcasts/brave-southeast-asia) 20 Jun 2024 · 30 min Darwinian VC Evolution: Strategy Changes Due to Low Southeast Asia Fund Performance 0.4X vs. USA, India & China - E436 Apple PodcastsShow page
- [Venture Unlocked](https://millionrounds.com/podcasts/venture-unlocked) 10 Apr 2024 · 45 min What's happening at the seed stage? Featuring Jenny Fielding, Kirby Winfield, and Nate Williams Apple PodcastsShow page

## Quick answers about Ascend

### What does Ascend invest in?

Ascend invests most often at Seed and Venture (61% of the rounds on record), in sectors such as E-commerce and Venture Capital & Private Equity.

### How active is Ascend?

136 investments on record, 17 of them in the last 12 months, and it led 1. The most recent was in Oct 2026.

### What has Ascend invested in recently?

Its most recent investments on record: Sabi (Seed, Oct 2026), Audivi AI (Undisclosed round, Sept 2026) and Aiforia (Debt, Aug 2026).

### How big are Ascend's cheques?

The median round it joins is $4.1M.

### Does Ascend lead rounds?

Sometimes: it led 1 of its 136 investments on record (1%).

### Where does Ascend invest?

Most of the companies it backs are in the United States (85%).

### Is Ascend investing now?

Yes: it is actively investing, with 17 investments in the last 12 months.

### Who does Ascend invest alongside?

Most often Madrona Venture Group (10 rounds together), Techstars (7 rounds together) and Y Combinator (7 rounds together).

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Built from the rounds we watched, its filings and its own website, refreshed every night. [How we count](https://millionrounds.com/methodology) · [Report a correction](https://millionrounds.com/corrections?slug=ascend) · [Is this your firm? Claim it](https://millionrounds.com/claim?org=ascend)