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Ascend Venture Group

North America, New York, United States, New York

Description

Ascend Venture Group is a New York-based venture capital firm established in 2000, specializing in early-stage investments within the technology sector. The firm primarily targets disruptive companies poised for significant growth, focusing on innovative solutions across various industries. With a long-standing presence in the venture capital landscape, Ascend Venture Group has cultivated a reputation for identifying promising startups at their foundational stages.

The firm's investment strategy centers on providing crucial capital and strategic guidance during the Seed and Series A funding rounds. Ascend Venture Group typically deploys initial checks ranging from $500,000 to $3 million, demonstrating their commitment to supporting nascent companies as they develop and scale. Beyond financial backing, Ascend is known for its hands-on approach, actively collaborating with founders to navigate challenges and accelerate growth. They often participate in subsequent follow-on rounds, reinforcing their long-term commitment to their portfolio companies.

Ascend Venture Group boasts an impressive portfolio of companies that have gone on to achieve significant success and attract substantial further investment. Their investments include well-known names such as Kabbage, Betterment, Warby Parker, Zocdoc, Oscar Health, Casper, and Compass. Collectively, Ascend's portfolio companies have successfully raised over $10 billion in follow-on capital from other investors, underscoring the firm's ability to pick winners and the market's confidence in their selections. Furthermore, the firm has facilitated over 20 successful exits, providing strong returns for its limited partners and validating its investment thesis.

Investor Profile

Ascend Venture Group has backed more than 43 startups, with 0 new investments in the last 12 months alone. The firm has led 10 rounds, about 23% of its total and boasts 16 exits across its portfolio.

Investment Focus Highlights

  • Concentrates on Series B, Series A, Series Unknown rounds (top funding stages).
  • Majority of deals are located in United States, Nigeria, Japan.
  • Strong thematic focus on Software, Education, Service Industry.
  • Typical check size: $500K – $3M.

Stage Focus

  • Series B (26%)
  • Series A (26%)
  • Series Unknown (23%)
  • Series D (12%)
  • Series C (12%)
  • Angel (2%)

Country Focus

  • United States (95%)
  • Nigeria (2%)
  • Japan (2%)

Industry Focus

  • Software
  • Education
  • Service Industry
  • Advertising
  • Information Technology
  • Internet
  • Developer Platform
  • E-commerce
  • Business Information Systems
  • Messaging
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FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Learn who this investor regularly partners with—both firms and angels—and explore their latest activity.

Who does Ascend Venture Group frequently co-invest with?

Capital Resource Partners
North America, Massachusetts, United States, Boston
Co-Investments: 3
Quad Partners
North America, New York, United States, New York
Co-Investments: 4
RBC Venture Partners
North America, Ontario, Canada, Toronto
Co-Investments: 2
Technology Partners
North America, California, United States, Palo Alto
Co-Investments: 3
TCV
North America, California, United States, Menlo Park
Co-Investments: 2
NJTC Venture Fund
North America, New Jersey, United States, Mount Laurel
Co-Investments: 2
TDF Ventures
North America, Maryland, United States, Chevy Chase
Co-Investments: 2
Mid-Atlantic Venture Funds
North America, Pennsylvania, United States, Bethlehem
Co-Investments: 2
IV
North America, California, United States, Costa Mesa
Co-Investments: 3
Early Stage Partners
North America, Ohio, United States, Cleveland
Co-Investments: 2

Which angels does Ascend Venture Group often collaborate with?

SI
North America, Washington, United States, Seattle
Shared Deals: 1
SZ
North America, Illinois, United States, Chicago
Shared Deals: 1
SJ
North America, California, United States, San Jose
Shared Deals: 1
KW
North America, Washington, United States, Seattle
Shared Deals: 1

What are some of recent deals done by Ascend Venture Group?

Sola Rentals

Los Angeles, California, United States

Sola Rentals is a property management firm that offers residential apartments and construction management services to landlords & tenants.

LeasingRentalRental PropertyResidentialVacation Rental
Series UnknownJan 1, 2020
IfOnly

San Francisco, California, United States

IfOnly is a marketplace for incredible experiences with local talent and top luminaries.

E-CommerceMarketplaceRetailRetail Technology
Series DSep 28, 2018
Cepi Style

New York, New York, United States

Cepi Style is an app for style consultations.

AppsFashionSoftware
Series UnknownJan 1, 2018
Keepe

Seattle, Washington, United States

SaaS-enabled B2B Marketplace for Home Repairs

B2BE-CommerceMarketplaceReal EstateSaaSSoftware
AngelSep 6, 2017
Amount Raised: $1,500,000
Opn

Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

Opn offers fintech solutions, consulting, and digital solutions for e-commerce.

BlockchainFinancial ServicesFinTechPayments
Series BJul 21, 2016
Amount Raised: $17,500,000
Dollar Shave Club

Santa Monica, California, United States

DSC is a lifestyle brand and e-commerce company that delivers razors and other personal grooming products to customers by mail.

E-CommerceInternetRetail
Series DNov 19, 2015
Amount Raised: $90,700,000
Ruby's Rockets

New York, New York, United States

Ruby rockets specialize in producing non-GMO snack foods.

Food and BeverageFruitNutrition
Series UnknownApr 23, 2015
ProductionBeast

Santa Monica, California, United States

Platform for Production Professionals

Professional NetworkingProject ManagementSocial MediaSocial Recruiting
Series UnknownJan 1, 2015
Mogreet

Venice, California, United States

Mogreet is a text message marketing platform focused on the delivery of fully branded, rich media to mobile devices via MMS.

App MarketingMessagingMobileMobile PaymentsSMS
Series UnknownApr 4, 2012
Amount Raised: $4,100,000
StrikeIron

Cary, North Carolina, United States

StrikeIron offers a cloud-based data quality suite offering web-based infrastructure to deliver business data to internet-connected systems.

CRMEnterprise SoftwareSaaSSoftware
Series DMar 23, 2009
Amount Raised: $5,500,000