Startups
Ascendus is a nonprofit small business lender whose vision is the creation of financial ascension fo
Overview
Location
United States, New York
Employees
11-50
Phone
+1 866-245-0783
Total raised
$2M
Founded date
1991
Funding Rounds 2
| Date | Series | Amount | Investors |
| Sign up to see | Sign up to see | Sign up to see | Sign up to see |
| Jun 12, 2026 | Grant | $1M |
Mentions in press and media 8
| Date | Title | Description |
| Sign up to see | Sign up to see | Sign up to see |
| Aug 27, 2026 | Ascendus, MetLife Foundation and Urban Institute to Examine What Happens After a Small Business Owner Reaches Capital | Getting Ready to Grow: How Small Capital Drives Economic Mobility convenes funders, CDFI practitioners and researchers on September 16 in New York and online. NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, August 27, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Ascendus, a na... |
| Aug 25, 2026 | Ascendus Deploys $15 Million to 706 Small Business Owners in 2025, Releases Annual Report | Financial coaching hours grow across the portfolio as the nonprofit lender strengthens its balance sheet and expands childcare lending into California. NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, August 25, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Ascendus, a nonprofit... |
| Aug 20, 2026 | Wells Fargo Awards $1.3 Million Grant to Ascendus to Grow Small Businesses Across Four States | NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, August 20, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Announced on stage at the iHeartRadio New York’s Z100 Summer Bash presented by Wells Fargo, the grant pairs $900,000 in capital with more than 200 hours of coaching for entr... |
| Jun 12, 2026 | Wells Fargo Foundation Provides $1 Million Grant to Ascendus to Expand Capital Access for Broward County Entrepreneurs | Ascendus to deploy $900,000 in loans and pair every dollar with hands-on coaching, supporting an estimated 160 local jobs across 36 Broward small businesses. FORT LAUDERDALE, FL, UNITED STATES, June 12, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Today at t... |
| Apr 8, 2026 | Ascendus Joins Veteran Loan Fund to Expand Capital and Coaching for Veteran and Military Spouse Entrepreneurs | National CDFI joins coalition of lenders as new Accelerator offers Veterans and Military Spouses up to $350,000 in loans, grants, and free business coaching. NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, April 7, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Ascendus, a natio... |
| May 28, 2023 | Boosting CDFI Loans Through A New Secondary Market | Bank financing for entrepreneurs is harder to get these days, thanks to rising interest rates and the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank. That’s especially problematic for entrepreneurs of color, who typically have a harder time getting financ... |
| Sep 15, 2021 | For Black entrepreneurs, inequality starts with the pre-seed round | Subscribe to Fortune Daily to get essential business stories straight to your inbox each morning. Keith Kirkland is a Black entrepreneur. He and a partner devised the wearable technology that enabled a blind man to run the New York City Mar... |
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FAQ about Ascendus
When was Ascendus founded?
Ascendus was founded in 1991.
How much funding has Ascendus raised?
Ascendus has raised $2M in total across 2 funding rounds.
What funding rounds has Ascendus raised?
Parsers VC lists 2 funding rounds of Ascendus, among them a grant of $1M on Jun 12, 2026.
What has the press written about Ascendus?
Parsers VC has collected 8 articles mentioning Ascendus, among them “Ascendus, MetLife Foundation and Urban Institute to Examine What Happens After a Small Business Owner Reaches Capital” (Aug 27, 2026) and “Ascendus Deploys $15 Million to 706 Small Business Owners in 2025, Releases Annual Report” (Aug 25, 2026).
Is Ascendus still active?
Yes, Ascendus is active; its latest activity on Parsers VC dates from Oct 15, 2026.