Ascent Equity Capital 

Ascent is a Chicago-based private equity fund focused on partnering with outstanding management teams to build leading companies.  Ascent typically makes investments through its CEO in Residence program, which involves Ascent partnering with a proven CEO first, and then working with a CEO to acquire or start-up an attractive company.  In addition, Ascent looks to back solid management teams already in place, in which the company's owners are looking for a liquidity event and management is looking to take a company or division to the next level. Ascent looks to invest in companies with high return on invested capital business models that can be built into leaders in their industries.
 

Ascent Equity Capital's investment strategy is to invest in transactions where: (i) a private company is under-managed or “under the radar”, (ii) management is able to improve the operational performance and implement a successful growth plan, and (iii) after a company has achieved critical mass and demonstrated strong growth and margins, a company is attractive to a number of large corporate buyers and larger private equity groups.  

Ascent Equity Capital makes equity investments of up to $1 million, and brings in larger private equity firms to partner with on acquisitions of companies up to $1 billon in enterprise value.  In the past Ascent has partnered with private equity groups such as Great Hill Partners in Boston, Nautic Partners in Providence, Rhode Island, and Frontenac Company in Chicago on management buyouts of companies with enterprise values as high as $100 million.  

Ascent seeks investments in companies in the business-to-business services, consumer services and products, niche manufacturing, financial services, information services and technology, healthcare, education, and media and publishing sectors.