Bean Box
Facts
- HQ
- Seattle
- Sectors
- Food & Beverage, E-commerce, Subscription services
- Founded
- 2014 Seattle business license
- Type
- Corporation Seattle business license
- Registered name
- Bean Box Inc Seattle business license
- Total raised
- $7.6M SEC Form D filings Total of this company's SEC Form D filings
- Last round
- $3.1M · Mar 2023 SEC Form D
- Founders
- Matthew, Ryan
EP12: Kirby Winfield - Founders first VC
## Key Points ### Keywords venture capital, investment strategies, AI technology, founder insights, decision-making frameworks, early stage investing, capital allocation, startup funding, Overland AI, Kirby Winfield ### Summary In this conversation, Martin Tobias interviews Kirby Winfield, a seasoned venture capitalist and founder, discussing his journey in venture capital, particularly focusing on his investment in Overland AI. Kirby shares insights into his decision-making frameworks, the importance of founder evaluation, and the evolution of his investment strategies over the years. He emphasizes the need for confidence in capital allocation and highlights common pitfalls that investors face in early-stage ventures. The discussion culminates…
Kirby Winfield | Ascend
Winfield is a four-time operator (two IPOs, two acquisitions) who spent two years as investor-in-residence at the Allen Institute for AI before launching Ascend in 2019. That background drives a blunt thesis most polished VCs won't say out loud: pre-seed money from finance-trained "quants" is dangerous, because the people writing first checks need to understand the zero-to-one journey, not underwrite growth. He frames his own value as narrow and purpose-built for the first check, and tells founders that if they don't want to take his call again after the first meeting, they shouldn't take his money. His sharpest point is…
Kirby Winfield | Ascend
Winfield is a four-time operator (two IPOs, two acquisitions) who spent two years as investor-in-residence at the Allen Institute for AI before launching Ascend in 2019. That background drives a blunt thesis most polished VCs won't say out loud: pre-seed money from finance-trained "quants" is dangerous, because the people writing first checks need to understand the zero-to-one journey, not underwrite growth. He frames his own value as narrow and purpose-built for the first check, and tells founders that if they don't want to take his call again after the first meeting, they shouldn't take his money....
YEPS 2025 (Seattle Tech Week) - The Investor-Founder Playbook: Building Unbreakable Alignment
YEPS 2025 (Seattle Tech Week) - The Investor-Founder Playbook: Building Unbreakable Alignment - Bill McAleer, Co-Founder & Managing Director @ Voyager, Firm has $550 million under management and he has experience on 28 public and private boards, with 18 exits for over $5 billion - Kirby Winfield, Founder and General Partner @ Ascend (Emerging fund) - Susanna Niu, CEO of Meeboss (2nd-time founder, 1 exit) Matt McKinney, Head of Growth @ ArcBlock - Susan Paley, Parnter @ Conduit Venture Lab (Emerging fund) Young Entrepreneurs & Professionals Summit (YEPS) 2025 Wednesday, July 30 2025 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM Microsoft Reactor…
Kirby Winfield: Founding GP@Ascend on Enterprise AI & Defense Tech
Kirby Winfield is the founding GP of Ascend, a pre-seed VC fund focused on enterprise AI. The fund's flagship investment is Overland AI, which powers autonomous ground navigation for the US Defense ecosystem. Prior to Ascend, Kirby's career as a tech founder included two IPOs and two venture backed exits.Topics: Enterprise AI Investment Thesis:Defense Tech InnovationBuilding Defensible AI Startups#AIStartups #TechExits #VentureCapital #AIInvestment
Kirby Winfield: Founding GP@Ascend on Enterprise AI & Defense Tech
Kirby Winfield is the founding GP of Ascend, a pre-seed VC fund focused on enterprise AI. The fund's flagship investment is Overland AI, which powers autonomous ground navigation for the US Defense ecosystem. Prior to Ascend, Kirby's career as a tech founder included two IPOs and two venture backed exits. Topics: - Enterprise AI Investment Thesis: - Defense Tech Innovation - Building Defensible AI Startups #AIStartups #TechExits #VentureCapital #AIInvestment
Humanizing Your Brand with Kirby Winfield
What does it take for a venture capitalist to build a successful brand strategy that resonates with founders and investors alike? In this episode, host Lindsay Pedersen sits down with Kirby Winfield, the founding general partner at Ascend, to explore the importance of defining and embodying a brand identity in the world of venture capital. Kirby shares insights on the value of authenticity, problem-driven processes, and the power of being intentional in shaping a brand that stands out in a competitive market. Define Your Brand Early: It's crucial to define your brand early on to...
8 tips for how to pick great Pre-Seed Founders by Kirby Winfield from Ascend.vc
Kirby's original post https://www.linkedin.com/posts/winfield_preseed-investing-is-easy-a-dont-activity-7186077270862659584-J1J4/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
What's happening at the seed stage? Featuring Jenny Fielding, Kirby Winfield, and Nate Williams
Follow me @samirkaji for my thoughts on the venture market, with a focus on the continued evolution of the VC landscape.This week we're doing another special roundtable discussion with a focus on the seed stage market. Joining us are Jenny Fielding of Everywhere Ventures, Kirby Winfield of Ascend, and Nate Williams of UNION Labs.This whole conversation was focused on seed stage investing. We spent most of our time discussing how the market reset affects seed-stage decision-making, fund sizing, and reserve strategies. We also touched on what they are seeing and hearing from LPs...
Ignite VC: Shaping the Future of Startups and Venture Capital with Kirby Winfield of Ascend VC | Ep41
In this episode of the Ignite podcast, Kirby Winfield, founding general partner of Ascend VC, shares his journey from a marketing executive in early internet startups to a seasoned venture capitalist. Kirby's narrative begins with his roots in Seattle, detailing his initial foray into the startup world with GoToNet and his subsequent ventures, including Marchex and Dwellable, highlighting the lessons learned from each. He candidly discusses the challenges and personal sacrifices involved in the startup ecosystem, such as the impact on his health and family life, which led to a significant personal and professional recalibration. Kirby's transition to venture...
Ignite VC: Shaping the Future of Startups and Venture Capital with Kirby Winfield of Ascend VC| Ep41
In this episode of the Ignite podcast, Kirby Winfield, founding general partner of Ascend VC, shares his journey from a marketing executive in early internet startups to a seasoned venture capitalist. Kirby's narrative begins with his roots in Seattle, detailing his initial foray into the startup world with GoToNet and his subsequent ventures, including Marchex and Dwellable, highlighting the lessons learned from each. He candidly discusses the challenges and personal sacrifices involved in the startup ecosystem, such as the impact on his health and family life, which led to a significant personal and professional recalibration. Kirby's transition to venture capital…
Kirby Winfield on Growth of Seattle's Venture Ecosystem
Kirby Winfield speaks about his experience being an operator in Seattle over the past 30 years, how the venture ecosystem has evolved throughout the years and some similarities and differences between the venture landscape in the 90s/early 2000s and today. Kirby Winfield is a Seattle-based founder, operator and now investor. From 1996-2015, Kirby led 4 startups, either as a co-founder and/or executive from start to exit (2 IPOs and 2 acquisitions). He then began angel investing and in 2019 he launched Ascend VC, which is now the most active pre-seed VC firm in the Pacific Northwest investing out of their…
Kirby Winfield, Founding GP at Ascend VC
In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Kirby Winfield, Founding GP at Ascend VC, about his love for angel investing and the passion he feels in providing founder-friendly venture capital with genuine value to add to their partners’ offerings. By leaning into projects they have a genuine love for and interest in, Ascend gives so much more than just capital, forging a unique identity among a crowded field of VC firms through real commitment and support to turn business aspirations into commercial reality. We also speak about Kirby’s background in the startup space and taki...
EP 38: AI, Content & ChatGPT w/ Stew Fortier of type.ai and Kirby Winfield of Ascend.VC
We have two fantastic guests joining us today. First up, Kirby Winfield, an investor in AI-based companies. He has his own fund and a residency at the Allen Institute for AI in Seattle. Our second guest is Stew Fortier, an entrepreneur who has focused on content-related businesses, such as Foster and Well Said Labs. Currently, he is the co-founder and CEO of type.ai. Together, we explore the potential of AI-generated content, its implications for businesses, and how it can enhance customer experience. Kirby and Stew share their expertise and insights on the evolution of AI chat and its impact on…
What's next in the Silicon Valley Bank saga
Startups and investors cheered the U.S. government's promise this weekend to fully protect deposits after the Silicon Valley Bank collapse. But the move left many unresolved questions and challenges for the U.S. financial system and the tech industry. Our guests on this episode of the GeekWire Podcast discuss their recent experiences and offer their informed opinions on what could come next. Speaking with GeekWire co-founder John Cook are: Kirby Winfield, founding general partner of Seattle venture capital firm Ascend; and Aviel Ginzburg, general partner at Seattle VC firm Founders’ Co-op. They both reflect on what happened last week, explaining how…
Building Startup ecosystems, the solo GP life, and lessons from the dotcom bubble with Kirby Winfield of Ascend.Vc
The road of a solo GP is full of highs and lows, and today’s guest Kirby Winfield has been through all of it. After working in the 90s tech and startup scene in Seattle, Kirby went on to found Ascend VC as a solo GP. We talk about his biggest lessons, the best advice he’s gotten, and dig into some of the stories from the trenches as an emerging manager.About Kirby Winfield:Kirby Winfield is currently the Founding General Partner at Ascend.vc, a pre-seed stage venture fund investing in marketplace, e-commerce/DTC, and B2B...
#17 Founding Partner of Ascend.vc: Kirby Winfield on all things Venture | Startup Project by Nataraj
In this Episode of Startup project (https://thestartupproject.io/) , Nataraj talked to Kirby Winfield, Founding GP of Ascend.vc (pre-seed fund based in Seattle). Prior to founding Ascend.vc, Kirby was part of founding teams at Go2Net (GNET), Marchex (MCHX), Dwellable (Acquired by Home Away (AWAY)) & AdXpose (Acquired by comScore (SCOR)). Full conversation includes: - Through line of a successful career - How can companies strategize for an exit? - The why behind starting a pre-seed fund? - Helping startups from zero to one - Price discovery of startups in current private markets Follow Kirby on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/winfield/. Checkout Ascend.vc for…
730 - Kirby Winfield, Founding Partner at Ascend.vc
Kirby Winfield is a seasoned startup operator and investor, and is currently the Founding General Partner at Ascend.vc, a pre-seed stage venture fund investing in marketplace, e-commerce/DTC, and B2B software startups in the Pacific Northwest. ★ Support this podcast ★
018 - Kirby Winfield, Founding Partner at Ascend.vc
About KirbyKirby Winfield is a seasoned startup operator and investor, and is currently the Founding General Partner at Ascend.vc, a pre-seed stage venture fund investing in marketplace, e-commerce/DTC, and B2B software startups in the Pacific Northwest. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit words.seedscout.com
018 - Kirby Winfield, Founding Partner at Ascend.vc
About KirbyKirby Winfield is a seasoned startup operator and investor, and is currently the Founding General Partner at Ascend.vc, a pre-seed stage venture fund investing in marketplace, e-commerce/DTC, and B2B software startups in the Pacific Northwest.
Bean Box raises $2.4M Series A as pandemic drives specialty coffee demand to homes, CEO says growth near 200%
Seattle startup Bean Box raised $2.4 million in a Series A round as pandemic-driven home coffee demand sharply increased; the 2014-founded company reports ~200% year-over-year growth, over 40% gross margin, doubled subscribers, and expansion beyond the Pacific Northwest.
Kirby Winfield
Kirby is a seasoned startup operator and angel investor. He is currently the Founding General Partner at Ascend.vc, a pre-seed stage venture fund investing in marketplace, e-commerce/DTC, and B2B software startups in the Pacific Northwest. He is also a Techstars mentor, passionate Board member, and Board Chair-elect at Special Olympics of Washington, where he helped bring the 2018 Special Olympics USA Games to Seattle. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Kirby Winfield (Ascend VC) on shifting mindset, investing in founders, and finding love in the game
Kirby Winfield is a 3x founder with 3x exits who turned VC. But his journey was not all unicorns and rainbows even after his repeated success. He goes behind the scenes on his path to finding love in the game, what he looks for in startups, and his unique approach to investing in founders at Ascend.vc.
Madrona Venture Group leads $9M round in Trade Coffee, a marketplace linking home brewers to 56 roasters and 400+ blends
Madrona Venture Group led a $9 million financing round in New York-based Trade Coffee, a two-year-old marketplace connecting home brewers with over 400 blends from 56 small roasters and offering single orders or subscriptions; Trade has nearly 75,000 subscribers after tripling since January.
Seattle startup Joe Coffee says mobile orders tripled amid COVID-19, waives commissions and defers fees to help hundreds of shops
Seattle coffee tech startups, including Joe Coffee, are racing to support independent cafes as coronavirus closures disrupt routines; Joe Coffee reports mobile orders tripled and is waiving commissions and deferring setup fees to help shops stay open. Larger chains like Starbucks have shifted to drive-thru models while local startups onboard more shops to meet surging demand.
People
-
Kirby Winfield Director
