When was Ascend Elements founded?

Ascend Elements was founded in 2015 and became a unicorn in 2023, reaching the milestone in 8 years. It raised its 1st funding round 1 year after its incorporation.

Where is Ascend Elements located?

Ascend Elements is headquartered in Westborough, United States.

Which legal entities is Ascend Elements associated with?

Ascend Elements is associated with ASCEND ELEMENTS, INC. and 2 others.

How many employees does Ascend Elements have?

As of Mar 31, 2026, the latest employee count at Ascend Elements is 167.

Is Ascend Elements a funded company?

Ascend Elements is a funded company, having raised a total of $1.1B across 13 funding rounds to date. The company's 1st funding round was raised for an undisclosed amount in a Grant (prize money) round on Nov 02, 2016.

When was the latest funding round of Ascend Elements?

Ascend Elements' latest funding was a Grant (prize money) round on Feb 27, 2025, with participation from 1 investor. Its primary sector is Energy Storage Tech. In United States, the Energy Storage Tech sector has seen $4.68B in funding in 2026 to date.

Is Ascend Elements a Energy Storage Tech company?

The primary sectors of Ascend Elements are Energy Storage Tech and Solid Waste Management Tech.

Where does Ascend Elements rank among its competitors?

Ascend Elements ranks 11th amongst 131 active competitors, of which 53 are funded. It stands 2nd in terms of total funding among its competitors. The most recent competitor to raise funding was Lohum, which secured $24M in Jul, 2026.

Who are the top competitors of Ascend Elements?

Ascend Elements' top competitors include Lohum, Attero and Aqua Metals. Among them, Lohum secured the most recent funding round in July, 2026.

Ascend Elements - 2026 Company Profile, Team, Funding & Competitors

Ascend Elements is a series D company based in Westborough (United States), founded in 2015 by Yan Wang, Diran Apelian, Eric Gratz and Eric Gratz. It operates as a Manufacturer of engineered materials from recycled lithium-ion batteries and battery scrap. Ascend Elements has raised $1.1B in funding from investors like Qatar Investment Authority, BlackRock and Temasek, with a current valuation of . The company has 131 active competitors, including 53 funded and 15 that have exited. Its top competitors include companies like Lohum, Attero and Aqua Metals.

Sectors and market segments that Ascend Elements operate in

Ascend Elements serves in the Energy Tech, Environment Tech, Sustainability Tech market segments.The primary business model of Ascend Elements are:

Company Details

Manufacturer of engineered materials from recycled lithium-ion batteries and battery scrap. The company utilizes a direct precursor synthesis process to transform discarded batteries and manufacturing scrap into active cathode battery material. This process recovers critical elements for reuse in lithium-ion battery manufacturing. The company provides logistics, material-tracking, and customer support services.

Website: ascendelements.com
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Email ID: *****@ascendelements.com
Phone Number: +1 **********

Key Metrics

Founded Year

2015

Location

Westborough, United States

Stage

Series D

Total Funding

$1.1B in 13 rounds

Latest Funding Round

Grant (prize money), Feb 27, 2025, Undisclosed

Investors

Qatar Investment Authority & 32 more

Ranked

11^th among 131 active competitors

Employee Count

167 as on Mar 31, 2026

Similar Companies

Aqua Metals & 82 more

View Ascend Elements' full profile

Ascend Elements is associated with 3 legal entities given below:

Legal Entity Name	Date of Incorporation	Revenue	Latest Employee Count	Documents
ASCEND ELEMENTS, INC. CIN: 6363103 , United States, Active	Mar 27, 2017	-	262 (As on Dec 31, 2024)	-
AVSF - Ascend Elements 2023, LLC CIN: 1973942 , United States, Active		$1 - $1M (As on Apr 20, 2023)	-	-
ASCEND ELEMENTS, INC. CIN: 82-2222893 , United States, Active	Mar 26, 2017	-	87 (As on Dec 31, 2022)	-

Ascend Elements has raised a total funding of $1.1B over 13 rounds. Its first funding round was on Nov 02, 2016. Its latest funding round was a Grant (prize money) round on Feb 27, 2025 for an undisclosed amount. 1 investor participated in its latest round. Ascend Elements has 33 institutional investors.

Here is the list of recent funding rounds of Ascend Elements:

Filter this list

Date of Funding	Funding Amount	Round Name	Post-Money Valuation	Revenue Multiple	Lead Investors	Other Investors
Feb 27, 2025	Undisclosed	Grant (prize money)	-	-	-	OSTI
Feb 20, 2024	$162M	Series D	-	-	Just Climate, Clearvison Ventures	Iron Grey
Sep 06, 2023	$460M	Series D	-	-	BlackRock, Temasek, Qatar Investment Authority	Tenaska, Alliance Resource Partners, CMA CGM, BHP, Fifth Wall, Hitachi Ventures, Mirae Asset, At One Ventures, AgavePartners, Alumni Ventures

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View details of Ascend Elements's funding rounds and investors

The founders of Ascend Elements are Yan Wang, Diran Apelian, Eric Gratz and Eric Gratz.

Here are the details of Ascend Elements' key team members:

Yan Wang: Co-Founder of Ascend Elements. They serve on the board of 1 company.
Diran Apelian: Co-Founder of Ascend Elements.
Eric Gratz: Co-Founder & CTO of Ascend Elements and founder of 1 other company.
Contact Info: 2 email addresses
Eric Gratz: Co-Founder and Chief Technical Officer of Ascend Elements.

Ascend Elements' Board of Directors

Ascend Elements's board has 1 active member. Michael Collins is independent board member.

Here is the list of Ascend Elements' board of directors:

Name	Type	Representing	Status	Duration
Michael Collins	Independent board member	-	Current	3y 3m

View details of Ascend Elements's Founder profiles and Board Members

Ascend Elements' employee count trend

Ascend Elements has 167 employees as of Mar 26. Here is Ascend Elements's employee count trend over the years:

Employee count trend for Ascend Elements

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Top competitors of Ascend Elements include Lohum, Attero and Aqua Metals. Here is the list of Top 10 competitors of Ascend Elements, ranked by Tracxn score:

Rank	Company Details	Short Description	Total Funding	Investors	Tracxn Score
1st	Lohum 2018, Noida (India), Series C	Sustainable critical minerals and advanced materials producer	$135M	Baring Private Equity Partners, Cactus Partners ... & 132 others	75/100
2nd	Attero 2008, Noida (India), Series C	Provider of e-waste and lithium-ion battery recycling solutions	$31.1M	IFC, IndoUS Venture Partners & 10 others	71/100
3rd	Aqua Metals 2013, Reno (United States), Public	Provider of battery recycling solutions	$6M	Liquid Venture Partners, Herald Investment Management ... & 4 others	65/100
4th	Recyclekaro 2010, Navi Mumbai (India), Series A	Manufacturer of recycled metals and provider of electronic waste and battery recycling services	$21.8M	LRT, Vikasa Capital & 114 others	65/100
5th	Mangrove Lithium 2013, Delta (Canada), Series B	Developer of modular scalable lithium refining technology for battery‑grade production	$46.5M	Breakthrough Energy, BMW i Ventures & 10 others	64/100
6th	MiniMines 2020, Bengaluru (India), Series A	Provider of lithium-ion battery recycling and commodity extraction clean-tech solutions	$4.97M	Shastra, Micelio & 22 others	63/100
7th	ABTC 2011, Reno (United States), Public	Provider of Lithium-ion battery recycling platform	-	DOE, Greentown Labs & 2 others	63/100
8th	Anaphite 2016, Bristol (United Kingdom), Series A	Developer of dry coating precursor technology for battery electrode manufacturing	$22.6M	Maniv Mobility, Bristol Private Equity Club ... & 79 others	61/100
9th	SiTration 2020, Cambridge (United States), Seed	Provider of battery recycling solutions	$17.4M	2150.VC, Azolla Ventures & 9 others	61/100
10th	Redwood Materials 2017, Carson City (United States), Series E	Provider of repurposed battery packs for modular energy storage systems	$2.29B	T. Rowe Price, Capricorn & 28 others	60/100
11th	Ascend Elements 2015, Westborough (United States), Series D	Manufacturer of engineered materials from recycled lithium-ion batteries and battery scrap	$1.1B	Temasek, Fifth Wall & 31 others	60/100