Technology Partners

AscendRural pilot opportunity

AscendRural is seeking the most promising products and services to pilot in central Minnesota to improve the well-being of rural communities. Selected organizations will partner with AscendRural and local community partners to pilot their innovations that align with local needs.

Interested in participating in a future pilot?

What’s in scope, what’s not:

We believe that rural America deserves a seat at the innovation table. AscendRural is dedicated to bridging the gap between cutting-edge technology and rural community challenges. We are seeking products and services related to mental and physical health, connectivity, and social infrastructure.

Early-stage technologies must address the unique challenges and nuances of rural communities, such as geography, workforce and cultural dynamics. Companies must be open to feedback from community leaders, and willing to iterate quickly to serve the needs of pilot partners.

AscendRural is not an extension of sales or business development activities. Our primary objective is to meet the needs of central Minnesota followed by scaling to other communities if we are successful.

AscendRural Youth Resilience Pilot Partners:

AscendRural is proud to work with technology innovators to explore prevention-focused tools to support youth mental health. Learn more about our partners in this new pilot program, which launched March 2025.


Supportiv

Supportiv is a real-time, anonymous, 24/7 digital peer-to-peer support platform. It facilitates small, moderated group conversations addressing mental, emotional, and social challenges while providing valuable resources for youth.

“We reach very hard-to-reach populations, people who want to remain anonymous, who don’t think therapy is ‘for them.’ We’re excited by the creativity these AscendRural partnerships can bring — the ways we can integrate mental health into what we’re already doing. How can we partner on that?”

Steve Lafferty, VP of Client Solutions

Psyche Care

Psyche Care is a digital caregiver support platform designed to empower parents to become therapeutic caregivers. It offers evidence-based techniques to help caregivers navigate daily challenges and crisis situations with confidence, while providing tools and guidance to help caregivers create strong support systems and build resilience in children facing mental health challenges.

“I love AscendRural’s approach to co-developing solutions: Their focus on learning from these communities and iterating throughout the pilot process is exciting to see. We’re so grateful to have this opportunity so early on in our solution’s development.”

Mallika Pajjuri, Co-founder and CEO

Pilot partner benefits

Pilot partners will be at the forefront of transforming rural well-being with the opportunity to implement your innovative solutions to address critical community needs. As a partner, you will:

  • Get discovered by rural leaders

  • Receive valuable feedback and guidance on what’s working and what could be improved to expand impact and ROI

  • Secure funding to support time and resources required to run the pilot program

  • Access dedicated implementation support, including support in measuring and sharing your impact

  • Directly collaborate with AscendRural and technology partners to enhance your solution based on the community's needs

  • Have the opportunity to benefit rural communities across the country