Building A Pipeline for Our Private Capital Providers

Private Capital firms, including leading private equity and private debt investors, have built deep networks and rigorous criteria that lead to strong investment pipelines.  These networks and criteria, and the individual talent behind them, cannot be duplicated.  They are able to raise capital in private equity funds and private debt funds and deploy that capital successfully across a range of investment strategies and sectors in the United States economy.

But can these networks be augmented?  Can the capabilities of the digital economy, smooth and accelerated user experiences, comprehensive databases and algorithms, lead private business owners and potential investors to useful “collisions”?  Can these digital encounters then set the stage for successful investments and business outcomes?

At Ascenum, we think the aggregate response is a resounding “Yes.”  

While building our Marketplace, User Experience, and Economic Model, we have taken care to think through the inherent strengths of current Private Capital investee pipeline development.  This leads us to focus on ways to create low-maintenance additions to the pipeline for our Private Capital Providers.

PC Provider Criteria Drives Marketplace Matching

Revenue, EBITDA, Industry Sector, Growth Rate, Capital Structure, Funding Required…each Private Capital firm has a set of requirements/targets for prioritizing investees and deploying investment capital.  These requirements are built into Ascenum Marketplace and the Offer for each Provider.  Any Matching Results in Ascenum Marketplace mirror requirements established by the Private Capital Provider.

Precise, Low-Maintenance, No Noise Pipeline Growth

The last outcome a successful Private Capital firm needs from a new marketplace is a distraction – “matches” that absorb time and do not yield results.  Providers in Ascenum Marketplace can set their investee matching criteria as tightly, specifically, as they wish, effectively limiting matching to only very high-value potential investees.

Discretion and Control for Both PC Investor and Prospective Investees

Private Capital Providers have a great deal of control in Ascenum Marketplace.  However, control and discretion is built-in for all Marketplace participants:

• Potential investees (Ascenum private business owner Members) cannot be solicited by Providers.
• As Ascenum Marketplace generates Member/Provider matches, the Member is in primary control and owns the first outreach toward a Provider.
• Providers are not obligated to react to an outreach from a Member’s matching outcome.  
• Providers are supported and coached by Ascenum’s team to set their Offer criteria so that any Match will have an impact.  But the ultimate choice to pursue mutual interaction with a Member remains at the Provider’s discretion.

A Different, Effective, Reasonable – Better – Economic Model

And…economics.  If one is familiar with B2B Marketplaces with burdensome monthly participation fees, and raking % for the Marketplace to share in a Provider’s revenue, then get ready for a new experience.  Our Marketplace design is guided by our experience, and belief, that the economics of a Marketplace have to work for all participants, but in a particular order:

• First, for our Members (“Buyers”, “Askers” for service) in a way that is convenient and affordable, and informative.  The Marketplace provides curated data on Providers, helps Members get the information they need to save enormous amounts of time, and engage Providers who are well-matched to their business characteristics.
• Next, for our Providers.  They are proven in their service specialty and deserve a Marketplace that works for them – not so much one that creates a revenue stream for the Marketplace intermediary.  We put effort into curating our Providers, and they benefit by keeping all of the revenue they generate
• Lastly – Ascenum does generate our revenue, as our Marketplace grows and as more Members are matched to Providers.  Our success is tied to scale benefits for our Members and Providers

Our very low annual administration fee for Providers, 0% raking on Provider revenue, and the ability for all Members to generate Service Provider matches prior to committing to an in-app purchase to reveal full Provider contact information, are all distinguishing features of Ascenum Marketplace.

We are working hard every day to build Ascenum and our Marketplace.  Join us to build your pipeline and develop new opportunities.