ascension

What ascension does

Ascension is a French rope-access (travaux sur cordes) and difficult-access specialist founded in 1998 and headquartered in Aytré, Nouvelle-Aquitaine. The company delivers professional services across three core verticals: building and construction (including historic monument maintenance, social housing, roofing, masonry, facade cleaning, and safety system installation); industrial (silo cleaning, anti-corrosion treatment, confined-space and ATEX-certified operations for cement, paper, energy, and agro-food sectors); and civil engineering/art structures (bridge inspection, waterproofing, shotcrete, repointing). Its core technology combines traditional rope-based access methods with specialized equipment including ATEX-compliant tools, Binwhip/Bin Drill mechanical silo-cleaning systems, panoramic/ventilated masks, ARI breathing apparatus, and 360° video inspection capabilities.

The business operates on a project-based professional services revenue model, with pricing structured per quote based on site scope. Customers include French municipalities (La Rochelle, Saintes, Rochefort), government/cultural agencies (DRAC, Centre des Monuments Nationaux), transport infrastructure (SNCF), maritime entities (Port de La Rochelle, Chantiers Amel), and industrial firms (Hydro Application, cement industry). Ascension claims national coverage across France and selected international capabilities, distributed through direct field-service delivery. Marketing is primarily website-driven (ascension.fr) supplemented by participation in the Zoom Métiers career fair. The company is structured as a SARL (Société à Responsabilité Limitée), privately held and self-funded since founding, with no disclosed external investors or M&A activity.

Name

ascension

Legal name

SARL ASCENSION

Website

https://ascension.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Ascension is a French rope-access and difficult-access services company, founded in 1998 and based in Aytré, serving building, industrial, and civil engineering clients across France with specialized height-work, silo cleaning, and ATEX-certified confined-space operations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rope Access & Height Maintenance Services

NAICS

Commercial and Institutional Building Construction (236220)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711), Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340)

akta.pro primary industry

Rope Access & At-Height Inspection Services (EUAEAHAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

High-Rise/Rope-Access Window Cleaning (HSAEAJAD)

Keywords

• Rope access services
• Height maintenance services
• Industrial silo cleaning
• Civil engineering maintenance
• Building facade repair

Headquarters

HQ city

Aytré

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Rope Access Services: Ascension generates revenue through professional services delivering rope-based height access and difficult access work. Services include cleaning, maintenance, inspection, repair, and safety installation across building, industrial, and civil engineering sectors. Revenue is project-based, with both one-time interventions and recurring maintenance contracts.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Ascension provides professional rope-access (travaux sur cordes) and difficult-access work for the building, industrial, and civil engineering sectors. Services include maintenance, cleaning, inspection, repair, and safety-installation work performed at height or in confined spaces as a faster and more cost-effective alternative to traditional scaffolding, delivered as one-time interventions or recurring contracts across France and internationally.

Product overview

Ascension is a French rope access company offering a comprehensive suite of work-at-height and difficult-access services. The core offering centers on "travaux sur cordes" (rope access work), supplemented by specialized modules including industrial maintenance, silo cleaning (manual and mechanical using Binwhip equipment), civil engineering maintenance, historic monument inspection, and height access securing systems. Services span urban, maritime, and industrial environments across building, civil engineering, and industrial sectors. Founded in 1998, the company operates from Aytré, France, serving clients throughout France and internationally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Travaux sur cordes (Rope Access Work) Core rope access services enabling work at height and in difficult-to-access locations as an alternative to traditional scaffolding, providing faster and more cost-effective solutions for building, civil engineering, and industrial projects.
• Travaux en hauteur (Work at Height) Height work services including renovation of coverings, zinc work, masonry on public and private buildings, monument maintenance, and difficult-access building maintenance such as window cleaning and high-level element replacement.
• Travaux d'accès difficile (Difficult Access Work) Services in areas where traditional means cannot be used, providing technically adapted and cost-effective alternatives for complex industrial and construction challenges.
• Maintenance industrielle (Industrial Maintenance) Industrial maintenance services including cleaning (high-pressure, sandblasting, hydro-stripping), control (ultrasonic thickness measurement, cable and tie-rod verification, inspection with photo/video reports, 360° video), and securing height access (guard-rails, lifelines, ladder systems, fall protection systems, protective nets).
• Nettoyage de silos (Silo Cleaning) Silo cleaning services for industry and agriculture, handling concrete, fiber, and metal structures. Includes manual and mechanical cleaning using Binwhip and Bin Drill equipment, material unblocking, and regular maintenance with painting and welding.
• Maintenance des ouvrages d'art (Civil Engineering Maintenance) Maintenance of civil engineering structures and bridges, extending their lifespan and improving performance while controlling costs through project-managed actions including inspection, witness placement, shotcrete, finishing, repointing, and waterproofing.
• Inspection de monuments historiques (Historic Monument Inspection) Inspection services for historic monuments using photo and/or video reports to identify deterioration, prevent element falls, and ensure facade safety. Includes maintenance of lightning conductors, bell tower inspection, and clock repair.
• Travaux en zones urbaines (Urban Area Work) Specialized height work in urban environments for buildings, pools, historic structures, and sports facilities where scaffolding cannot be installed. Includes BTP work (covering, zinc work, masonry, repainting), security installations, anti-bird systems, and event installations.
• Travaux en zones maritimes (Maritime Area Work) Maritime zone services including maintenance of quays, cranes, port installations, lighthouses, semaphores, and buoys. Covers painting and masonry verification of navigational aids and security systems installation.
• Sécurisation d'accès en hauteur (Height Access Securing) Installation of safety systems including guard-rails, lifelines, ladder systems, fall protection systems, and protective nets to protect workers and secure building facades against falling elements.
• Formations (Training) Training services to prevent accident risks during height displacements, helping clients avoid risks during height work operations.
• Traitements anti-corrosion (Anti-Corrosion Treatment) Industrial anti-corrosion treatments as part of maintenance campaigns in difficult-access environments.

Quantifiable outcome

• 22 years of expertise since 1998

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Jarnias: Jarnias is one of the largest French specialists in rope-access and difficult-access work for industrial, energy, and infrastructure clients. It is highly comparable to Ascension given identical core methodology (travaux sur cordes) and similar customer verticals, but operates at significantly larger scale.
• Acro BTP: Acro BTP is a French rope-access contractor specializing in building envelope work, facade maintenance, and height-access interventions. It is a direct competitor to Ascension in the building and urban rope-access segments, serving similar syndicates, property managers, and local authorities.

Broad incumbents

• Spie: Spie is a major French technical services group providing multi-technical facility maintenance, energy, and communications infrastructure services. It overlaps with Ascension through industrial maintenance and building services contracts, though its portfolio extends far beyond rope access.
• Onet: Onet is a large French group offering facility management, cleaning, security, and industrial maintenance services. It competes with Ascension in integrated maintenance and at-height cleaning for industrial and commercial clients, but as part of a much broader services portfolio.
• Sodexo: Sodexo is a global facility management and food services group with significant French operations in building maintenance and technical services. It competes for outsourced maintenance contracts that may include at-height or specialized cleaning components relevant to Ascension.
• Altrad: Altrad is a French-headquartered global leader in scaffolding, industrial services, and access solutions. It overlaps with Ascension in industrial access and confined-space services for energy and process-industry clients, though it operates at vastly larger scale across multiple geographies.
• BrandSafway: BrandSafway is a global provider of scaffolding, rope access, insulation, and industrial coating services. It is comparable to Ascension in offering rope-access work at height for industrial and infrastructure clients, but serves much larger multi-national contracts and end markets.
• Bilfinger: Bilfinger is a European industrial services provider with strong presence in process industry maintenance, inspection, and access services. It is comparable to Ascension in serving energy, chemical, and industrial clients with specialized at-height and confined-space work, though at significantly larger scale and broader scope.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ascension