Ascend Ventures

We invest in people. We build leaders. We grow the API future.

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About Ascend Ventures

Ascend Ventures backs API entrepreneurs by combining capital with strategic guidance, mentorship, and access to Ascend's powerful network. We help founders scale their businesses, connect with enterprise partners, and create lasting impact across the ecosystem.

How It Works

1

Entrepreneur Pool

Ascend sources a broad pipeline of promising founders.

2

Selection

A select cohort is chosen for Ascend Ventures support.

3

Funding

Capital helps founders build and accelerate their startups.

4

Coaching & Mentoring

Ascend sources a broad pipeline of promising founders.

5

Demos, Clients & Market Access

Founders gain help with demos, introductions, pilots, and finding customers.

6

Give Back to Ascend

Successful companies reinvest through sponsorship, mentoring, or financial support.

Give-back fuels the next cohort.
The cycle repeats.

Ways to Get Involved

Refer a Founder

Know a promising API entrepreneur? Point them toward the program.

Mentor & Coach

Share strategic advice, functional expertise, or lived operating experience.

Open Your Network

Make introductions to enterprise partners, investors, and operators.

Client Access

Help founders find early customers, pilots, and design partners.

Leadership

Steven Pae

Executive Director, Ascend & Ascend Foundation

Executive in Residence, NYU | Angel Investor

LinkedIn

Steven Pae is Executive Director of Ascend and the Ascend Foundation, the largest Pan-Asian professional organization in North America, where he leads the mission of building great Asian leaders in corporate America. He is a 30-year financial-technology executive who has held CIO and senior leadership roles at Prudential, Goldman Sachs, and Morgan Stanley. Today he is also an Executive in Residence and adjunct professor at NYU and an angel investor in underrepresented founders. He built Ascend's national Hackathon and Entrepreneurship programs.

Yash Upadhyay

Co-Founder, Ascend Ventures

AI Transformation & Innovation Leader

LinkedIn

Yash Upadhyay is an AI transformation and innovation leader who spent 15 years at Prudential building an internal-audit function into an innovation engine. He created Prudential Internal Audit's first Innovation Lab and a shared-service center applying AI and data science across Risk, Compliance, and Audit. He works at the intersection of emerging technology, business strategy, and creative problem solving, and has long been a leader in the Asian & Pacific Islander professional community.

FAQ

  • Ascend Ventures backs API entrepreneurs by combining capital with strategic guidance, mentorship, and access to Ascend's network. We help founders scale their businesses, connect with enterprise partners, and create lasting impact.

  • API stands for Asian & Pacific Islander. Ascend is the largest Pan-Asian professional membership organization in North America. Ascend Ventures focuses on supporting founders from that community.

  • Ascend sources a broad pipeline of promising API founders, then selects a cohort for support. If you are building a company and want to be considered, share your details and we will keep you updated on the program.

  • Selected founders can receive capital, coaching and mentoring from leaders and subject-matter experts, and help with demos, introductions, pilots, and finding customers through Ascend's network.

  • You can support promising API entrepreneurs through referrals, mentoring, network introductions, and client access. Share your details and we will follow up on ways to get involved.

  • The program is in its launch phase. Share your details through the interest form and we will keep you updated as cohorts and timelines are announced.

Express Your Interest