Fundraising Fox
St. Louis · Pre-Seed–Series A · 5 people tracked
Not to be confused with Ascend Venture Capital (Venture capital · Seattle, US)
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Investment thesis
Ascend positions itself as a data-centric investor emphasizing deep industry understanding and foresight when selecting opportunities. The firm favors a selective, disciplined strategy—making fewer but smarter investment decisions—and highlights that meaningful outcomes can be achieved with modest capital. It backs adaptable founders who embrace change and disruption, and seeks brilliant people with transformative ideas. The firm frames its work as mission-critical capital aligned with a set of values it believes can benefit both founders and investors globally.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 7, 2026.
Team · 5 people
from the firm's website & curated
What they invest in
from 10 of 11 portfolio companiesAI & Machine Learning ×5SaaS ×3AgTech ×2Climate Tech ×2Cloud Computing ×2Data & Infrastructure ×2Deep Tech ×2Developer Tools ×2
HQs:United States×6
Investments · 11 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathBy year:2026 · 12023 · 12 dated
Accumulate is a blockchain protocol designed around identity and data ownership, enabling enterprises, DeFi projects, and governments to manage data securely while interacting with real-world systems through URLs.
Crypto & Web3Data & InfrastructureDeveloper ToolsEnterprise Software
Paul Snow(Chief Blockchain Scientist)
Applied Bioplastics develops sustainable plastic and composite materials, including BioFi (a thermoplastic combining agricultural waste with standard, recycled, or biobased polymers) and BTR Board (a biothermoset resin composite made with woven jute fiber).
Advanced ManufacturingCircular EconomyCleantechNew MaterialsAustin, US
Colin William Ardern(Executive Officer)Alexander Irving Blum(Executive Officer)Alex Blum(Founder)inColin Ardernin
Co-investorsGaingelsGoAhead VenturesGreat Stuff VenturesR/GA Ventures
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Astrapi develops spiral-based signal modulation technology for radio communications, enabling improvements in cellular networks, satellite systems, microwave networks, and space communications.
Deep TechDefense TechSpace TechDallas, US
Jerrold Prothero(CEO and Founder)David Shaw(Co-Founder/Chief Commercialization Officer)Rita Martinez Solon(Co-founder and Director of Strategic Support)
Co-investorsAscend Venture Capital
Cased uses AI to automate cloud infrastructure management, letting developers describe what they want to deploy and where while the tool handles tools like Terraform, Kubernetes, Docker, and AWS.
AI & Machine LearningCloud ComputingDeveloper ToolsSan Francisco, US
Garrett Bjerkhoel(Director, Promoter)inBen Bleikamp(Director, Promoter)inBryan Byrne(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)
Co-investorsAbstraction CapitalSancus VenturesFounders FundGaingels
Journey Foods provides supply chain insights and data access from thousands of sources to guide product development and operational decisions in the food industry.
AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureFoodTechSaaS
Riana Lynn(Founder)in
Co-investorsChloe CapitalSOSV
MetaSoul is a digital identity platform that creates and maintains a personalized "digital soul" for users, tracking emotional and experiential growth through a dashboard and connected app experiences.
AI & Machine LearningConsumerGamingRobotics
OXIO operates a cloud-native, API-first Telecom-as-a-Service platform that lets telcos, startups, retailers, banks, and other brands launch and manage their own MVNO or embedded connectivity products without telecom expertise.
AI & Machine LearningCloud ComputingSaaSNew York, US
Nicolas Girard(Co-founder)inJason Hugh Evans(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardJulio Vasconcellos(Director)inMatt Shapiro(Director)Caio Bolognesi(Director)inFrank Ianna(Director)
Co-investorsCollab+CurrencyDigital Currency GroupFuture Perfect VenturesKing River CapitalMONASHEESMulticoin Capital+5 more
Producers Trust builds digital infrastructure for agricultural and food systems sustainability, offering a Salesforce-based landscape relationship management platform to coordinate multi-stakeholder programs.
AgTechB2B MarketplacesClimate TechImpact & Social GoodSaaSLos Angeles, US
Keith Agoada(Chief Executive Officer)Andres Angel(Chief Financial Officer / Chief Operating Officer)
Star Catcher builds a space-based power grid that uses optical power beaming to transmit concentrated solar energy directly to satellites' existing solar arrays, increasing their available power without hardware modifications.
Deep TechEnergySpace TechJacksonville, US
Michael Snyder(Executive Officer, Director)inAndrew Rush(Executive Officer, Director)inBryan Lyandvert(Founder)inNathan O'Konek(Executive Officer)in
BoardDavid Rothzeid(Director)inJeff Johnson(Director)
Co-investorsAurelia FoundryB Capital GroupB4 CapitalFJ LabsGreatPoint VenturesInitialized Capital+7 more
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Other
Tracked investments with no reachable website or further public details — typically companies that wound down, renamed, or were absorbed.
Boat Planet
Portfolio news
latest coverage across their companies
Star Catcher · prnewswire.com · Sep 28, 2026
Frequently asked questions
- How many investments has Ascend Venture Capital made?
- Ascend Venture Capital has 11 tracked investments, including 1 dated in the last 24 months.
- What stage does Ascend Venture Capital invest at?
- Ascend Venture Capital invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A stages.
- What sectors does Ascend Venture Capital focus on?
- Ascend Venture Capital focuses on Data & Infrastructure, Deep Tech, Hardware, SaaS.
- Where is Ascend Venture Capital located?
- Ascend Venture Capital is headquartered in St. Louis, US.
- Does Ascend Venture Capital lead rounds?
- Ascend Venture Capital typically participates in rounds rather than leading them.
Media · Podcasts & interviews
featuring the teamInvestor Connect - Episode 218 - Dan Conner of Ascend Venture Capital - YouTube
Hall Martin · Dan Conner
Ascend Venture Capital Partner Dan Conner - Fuller Speed Ahead - YouTube
FreightWaves · Dan Conner
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