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Dan Stolar is a distinguished investor and Managing Partner at Ascend Capital Partners, known for his strategic insights in venture capital and private equity. He specializes in identifying and nurturing high-growth companies across technology, healthcare, and sustainable solutions.
Dan Stolar primarily invests in high-growth companies within the technology sector (SaaS, AI, FinTech), healthcare (biotechnology, digital health), and sustainable solutions (clean energy, agri-tech). He focuses on innovative companies with strong management teams and disruptive potential.
Dan Stolar works as a Managing Partner at Ascend Capital Partners, an investment firm dedicated to empowering transformative companies.
Dan Stolar stands out as a highly respected and influential investor in the venture capital and private equity landscape. With a career spanning over two decades, Stolar has built a reputation for his astute market insights, strategic vision, and unwavering commitment to fostering innovation. He is widely recognized for his ability to identify early-stage companies with significant growth potential and guide them towards market leadership.
Currently, Dan Stolar holds the position of Managing Partner at Ascend Capital Partners, a dynamic investment firm focused on disruptive technologies and high-impact ventures. In this pivotal role, Stolar leads investment committees, shapes the firm's strategic direction, and mentors a team of investment professionals. His leadership has been instrumental in Ascend Capital Partners' success in identifying and cultivating a robust portfolio of groundbreaking companies.
Stolar's investment focus areas are diverse yet strategically aligned with future market trends. He has a particular expertise in the technology sector, including Software as a Service (SaaS), artificial intelligence (AI), and financial technology (FinTech). Beyond tech, Dan Stolar actively seeks opportunities in the healthcare industry, specifically in biotechnology and digital health solutions that promise to revolutionize patient care. Furthermore, his portfolio includes investments in sustainable solutions, such as clean energy technologies and advanced agricultural innovations, reflecting a commitment to environmentally conscious and impactful ventures. His investment criteria emphasize strong management teams, proprietary technology, and a clear path to market dominance.
Before co-founding Ascend Capital Partners, Dan Stolar honed his financial acumen and investment prowess through a distinguished career. He earned his MBA from a top-tier business school, laying a strong foundation in finance and strategic management. His early career included significant roles in investment banking at a leading global institution, where he advised on complex mergers, acquisitions, and capital raises for Fortune 500 companies. This experience provided him with an invaluable understanding of corporate finance and market dynamics. Subsequently, Stolar transitioned into private equity, where he managed large-scale investments across various industries, consistently delivering exceptional returns for his limited partners.
Throughout his career, Dan Stolar has been instrumental in numerous successful exits and growth stories. While specific company names are often confidential, his portfolio companies have consistently achieved significant milestones, from successful IPOs to strategic acquisitions by industry giants. He is known for not just providing capital, but also for offering invaluable strategic guidance, operational expertise, and access to an extensive network, empowering founders to scale their businesses effectively.
Dan Stolar's dedication to innovation and value creation continues to drive his investment philosophy. He remains a prominent figure in the investment community, actively seeking out the next generation of visionary entrepreneurs and transformative companies that are poised to reshape industries and create lasting impact. His strategic approach and deep industry knowledge make him a sought-after partner for ambitious startups looking to achieve their full potential.
Dan Stolar is the Managing Partner at 137 Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm based in New York City, New York. Prior to his current position, he served as a General Partner at Lerer Hippeau and co-founded the messaging application GroupMe, which was acquired by Skype in 2011. Stolar holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and has accumulated over a decade of institutional venture capital experience. His investment track record encompasses more than 50 transactions and a portfolio featuring over 15 unicorn or high-growth technology companies, recently highlighted by a seed investment in the artificial intelligence startup Nexlify in March 2025. He currently focuses on backing pre-seed and seed-stage startup founders across the software, artificial intelligence, financial technology, developer tools, and consumer internet sectors.
