Seattle-based venture firm Ascend announced the close of its $25 million second fund on May 9, 2023. Fund II was designed for pre-seed AI and machine-learning startups, especially in Seattle and the broader Pacific Northwest. It is a historical close, not a current fundraising announcement: a separate GeekWire report said Ascend was raising Fund III in April 2025.
What Ascend Fund II was designed to invest in
Ascend, led by founder and solo general partner Kirby Winfield, described Fund II as a pre-seed fund for AI and machine-learning companies, with an emphasis on the Pacific Northwest and particularly Seattle. The announcement marked a shift from Fund I’s broader mix, which had included brands and marketplaces. TechCrunch’s May 9, 2023 report covered the strategy and fund close.
Winfield framed AI as a major platform shift, but not as a label that makes a company worth backing on its own. TechCrunch quoted him: “AI doesn’t matter,” he said. “What matters is the solution you are selling to your customers.” In practical terms, Ascend’s stated interest was in whether technology delivered a better outcome for customers, rather than whether a startup simply described itself as an AI company.
Examples Winfield cited from Fund I included Xembly, a virtual chief of staff; Fabric, a headless e-commerce platform; and WhyLabs, an AI observability platform. The range illustrated his emphasis on using technology to improve a solution, rather than limiting the portfolio to one narrow product category.
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How much Ascend raised, and how the fund was structured
Ascend announced a $25 million close for Fund II in May 2023, compared with a $15 million Fund I, according to GeekWire’s May 9, 2023 coverage.
TechCrunch reported, based on Winfield’s account, that the $25 million came entirely from individuals and was divided between two vehicles: one of $22.5 million and another of $2.5 million funded by existing portfolio-company founders. Those are reported fundraising details, not independently verified fund records.
Why the firm said it was doubling down on AI
Winfield’s rationale was that AI represented a platform-shift moment and that a pre-seed investor should respond to it. GeekWire quoted him saying, “AI is having a platform-shift moment. It would be irresponsible not to double down.” He paired that view with a preference for investing early, when Ascend could seek more ownership in a company. The comments describe Winfield’s thesis at the time of the 2023 announcement, not a guarantee about the performance of AI startups or Fund II investments.
Winfield brought operating and investing experience to that thesis. GeekWire reported that he had spent two decades in leadership roles at four startups before entering venture capital in 2019, and that he had backed more than 70 startups across the Pacific Northwest by May 2023.
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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Funding was only one part of the pitch. Xembly CEO Pete Christothoulou told TechCrunch that “An AI fund without the right underpinnings is just money,” emphasizing relationships, baseline advice and technical guidance alongside capital. That perspective is a useful reminder that the fund’s stated AI focus alone does not establish what support any particular portfolio company received.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Is Ascend still raising this $25 million fund?
No. The $25 million figure refers to Fund II’s close announced in May 2023. GeekWire reported on April 15, 2025, based on public SEC filings, that Ascend was raising a third fund. That later report described the firm’s focus as vertical AI agents and applications, as well as AI model and infrastructure startups. It is evidence of a subsequent fundraising effort, not evidence that Fund III had closed.
The 2025 report also gave later-period investment parameters: Ascend typically planned 35–40 investments per fund and preferred to be a company’s first institutional investor, with checks of $250,000 to $750,000. Those figures belong to GeekWire’s 2025 description of the firm while it was raising Fund III; they should not be read as Fund II terms.
Ascend’s portfolio page currently presents the firm as a pre-seed investor in the Pacific Northwest and lists companies including Atypical AI, avante, Finpilot and WhyLabs. Portfolio membership and company status can change, so the page is a current snapshot rather than a record of Fund II’s original terms.
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What the announcement means for founders and readers
- For founders: The 2023 mandate pointed to pre-seed AI and machine-learning companies, with a geographic center of gravity in Seattle and the Pacific Northwest. It did not mean that an AI label alone met Ascend’s stated investment test.
- For readers tracking venture funds: Keep the dates and fund numbers separate. Fund II’s $25 million close was announced in 2023; Fund III fundraising was reported in 2025, with different later-period investment details.
- For interpreting the capital figures: The reported $22.5 million and $2.5 million vehicles and individual-only source of funds came from Winfield’s account as reported by TechCrunch, while the $25 million close was reported by both TechCrunch and GeekWire.
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