Dine with Ascension VC: raising your first round
Enjoy dinner drinks and a chance to meet:
Jean de Fougerolles, Managing Partner at Ascension VC, London’s most active early-stage VC. Ascension backs tech and impact founders at the earliest stages. This is a chance to connect with one of the UK’s most prolific funds and gain practical insight on raising your first round.
What they invest in:
Ascension is an early-stage (pre-seed to late seed) venture capital firm built and managed by exited operators and entrepreneurs. They back the next generation of tech and impact founders solving the world’s biggest problems.
Typical investment size ranges from £250k to £1m through its institutional and or (S)EIS funds.
Their investment portfolio:
Since 2015, Ascension has invested in 150+ startups, managing over £100m in assets across SEIS, EIS, and institutional funds. They’ve had 15 successful exits and a growing list of portfolio companies making meaningful impact in climate, health, fintech and more.
Named Seed VC of the Year 2022 (UKBAA) and London’s most active VC over the past decade (source: Beauhurst), Ascension continues to lead the way in early-stage investing.
This dinner is perfect for:
Startup founders, CEOs and management-level leaders at early-stage ventures. If you’re passionate about growing your company and learning from the best in the industry, you will find this evening invaluable.
Not quite in one of those roles? Reach out to see if there’s a fit!
If you’re a service provider, there’s one place available at each dinner – please choose the correct ticket.
The dinner conversation will be:
Jean combines founder empathy with deep investor know-how, offering practical and strategic guidance for navigating your first fundraise. On the night he'll cover:
• How to structure your first round
• What early-stage investors really look for
• The most common mistakes by early stage founders
• Picking the right early investors and spotting red flags
• Real examples from the very best in their portfolio
Expect high-impact advice, a candid look at raising in 2025 and to dine with a room full of relevant peers.
Who is Jean de Fougerolles?
Jean de Fougerolles is Partner at Ascension VC, where he has led investment into over 150 startups since 2015. Previously a founder and operator for 15+ years, Jean brings the experience of building, scaling and exiting media/tech ventures to his work with early-stage teams.
Ascension, the firm he co-founded, manages over £100m across SEIS, EIS and institutional funds and has notched up 15 exits.
Jean is particularly focused on impact-driven businesses, helping mission-led founders raise capital and scale solutions to global challenges.
What’s included?
• A private dining experience with a knowledgeable speaker hosted by TableCrowd’s experienced hosts
• 2 course dinner with wine or soft drinks
• A highly curated crowd