Investor · 2 deals
Sydney
Every published round Morgan Stanley took part in, and every parcel of existing shares it bought off another holder. Deals we hold but haven't published yet are not counted.
| Company | Stage | Announced | Amount | Role | Alongside | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 86 400 | Series A | Apr 2020 | $34.5m | Lead | Startup Daily (Fri 29 Jan 2021), Startup Daily (Wed 6 Jan 2021), SmartCompany, Australian FinTech | |
| Ignition | Series B | 2019 | $26m | Lead | SmartCompany, Australian FinTech |
Companies Morgan Stanley has backed in a published round, and companies whose existing shares it bought off another holder.
This is a stake in the fund itself, money that the fund's manager invests, not a stake in the fund manager.
| Fund | Manager | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| sixth fund | Blackbird Ventures | Dealroom, Forbes Australia (Thu 8 Oct 2026), Forbes Australia (Wed 26 Aug 2026) |
Companies Morgan Stanley has backed that another company then bought. An exit for the holding, not a deal Morgan Stanley did.
| Name | Role | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| Brendan Lee | Managing Director and Head of Technology, Media and Telecommunications for Australia and New Zealand (former) | This Week in Australian Startups, Startup Daily, Business News Australia, Australian FinTech |
| Caitlin Long | Managing Director (former) | Holon Global Investments |
| David Adams | Managing Director (former) | Australian FinTech |
| Gabrielle Munzer | Main Sequence (Mon 19 Sep 2022), Main Sequence (Mon 19 Sep 2022) | |
| James Gorman | CEO | Startup Daily |
Stories naming Morgan Stanley. Where several outlets covered the same round, they are bundled under whichever ran the fullest account.
Square Peg Capital has banked about US$647 million for two fresh vehicles, its biggest fundraise yet. The piece also recalls Blackbird's billion-dollar fund and Square Peg's past stake sales and exit windfalls.
Venture firm Square Peg has confirmed two funds holding more than $1 billion between them, alongside a look back at its biggest bets, sell-downs and the acquisitions that delivered windfalls.
Also Dealroom
Weekly roundup reporting Australian startup funding rounds and government grants, a venture fund close, agreed acquisitions, an IPO pricing, a collapse, plus executive hires and AI policy developments.
Weekly people-moves column: new executives at allt, SQC, Redbelly Network, InDebted and Neara, including Clive Dickens joining allt's board and Chris McNamara becoming InDebted's CEO.
Collections technology firm InDebted has named Chris McNamara as chief executive and Brendan Lee as chief financial officer, filling a search opened when founder Josh Foreman shifted to a founder and executive director role.
Weekly roundup recording a dozen raises and acquisitions, Firmus's scheduled float, a new $50m venture fund, a founder share sale, grant winners, an accelerator intake, and an AI agent's government breach.
Also DealStreetAsia·Dealroom·This Week in Australian Startups·AFR Technology·AFR Technology·Startup Daily·AFR Technology·AFR Technology·ABC News Technology·iTnews
Morgan Stanley research values AI chip rental firm Firmus at up to $128 billion ahead of its planned IPO next month; four banks will manage the float.
Energy retailer Amber has closed an oversubscribed $78.5 million round led by Morgan Stanley's 1GT fund, with existing backers participating, to add vehicle-to-grid capability and expand into Europe.
Also Business News Australia·Dealroom·Forbes Australia·Cut Through Venture·Startup Daily·This Week in Australian Startups·Dynamic Business
Neocloud Firmus Technologies is pitching its planned $7 billion IPO to local fund managers, with co-chief executive Tim Rosenfield presenting in Melbourne alongside Daniel Kearney and former Xero finance head Kirsty Godfrey-Billy.
Morgan Stanley and Schroders have committed money to Blackbird Ventures' new $1b fund; the piece also recalls Airtree's $650m fifth fund drawing US institutional backing last year.
AgFunderNews roundup of agtech and foodtech items: several venture raises and EU grants, Uber's agreed takeover of Delivery Hero, Winnow's purchase of Lumitics, Norrsken Evolve's fund close, and Goterra's liquidation.
Morgan Stanley's property arm has held an initial close on its latest North Haven real estate fund, gathering $2.9 billion toward a $4 billion goal for US and European deals.
Swedish BNPL firm Klarna is preparing a renewed New York float, seeking as much as USD1.27 billion at a valuation a source puts at USD12.5-14 billion, after earlier delays.
Morgan Stanley's infrastructure arm has gathered $4.1bn in pledges for its fourth North Haven vehicle, and the piece also lists fresh closes by Copenhagen Infrastructure, Brookfield, Fengate, StepStone, Ridgewood, Novacap and Harrison Street.
Morgan Stanley's infrastructure investing arm has gathered $4.1 billion in commitments for its newest North Haven fund, backed by pension, sovereign wealth and insurance institutions and targeting transport, digital, energy-transition and utility assets.
Also alternativeswatch.com·buyoutsinsider.com·serrarigroup.com
Weekly roundup of four Australian startup raises: Kismet's $20m seed extension, Primary's $3.5m seed round, Willed's $3m from Seven West Media, and East Forged's $1.5m from a Vietnamese agribusiness's venture arm.
Sydney cash-management startup Primary has completed a $3.5m seed round backed by Carthona Capital and five other funds, with Carthona partner Damian Fox set to join its board.
Also SmartCompany
TEN13's investor letter celebrates passing $100 million deployed, plus fresh backing for iion and Switchboard, team promotions, AutoGrab's overseas growth and NZ-arm sale, and the Mr Yum–Me&U merger.
Bridging lender Bridgit has banked a $14.6m equity round through OIF Ventures plus a $125m debt facility, positioning the Surry Hills startup for Australia's looming intergenerational wealth handover.
Also OIF Ventures portfolio·Australian FinTech·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Australian FinTech·Australian FinTech
Telix, an ASX-listed radiopharmaceutical maker headquartered in Melbourne, is preparing a dual US listing; the piece also covers revenue growth, cancer trial results and recalls its 2017 float.
Melbourne wealth platform OpenInvest has landed a backing deal with Tayside Group, the Smith family's family office. The piece also covers OpenInvest's partner pipeline, looming Australian advice reforms, and Kelly+Partners' use of the platform.
Credit and payments platform Shift has hired Stephanie Olliver into a newly created General Counsel role, bringing legal experience from PayPal, Nano Digital Home Loans, Macquarie Group and Morgan Stanley.
AgFunderNews's monthly roundup of agrifood leadership changes: Benson Hill's CEO resigns, McCormick promotes Brendan Foley, Clear Frontier hires Charles Newton, plus other executive appointments, layoffs, and Karakuri's shutdown.
Airwallex appoints Justin Yek as Head of Strategic Finance and Corporate Development and Jon Stona as Global Head of Marketing, both joining its global leadership team as the payments platform pursues 2023 expansion.
Ignition Lane's weekly tech roundup covering fresh Australian startup raises, new venture funds and closes, a wave of acquisitions, delistings and a liquidation, executive moves, and Canva's product launch.
Also Centerstone Capital portfolio·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·6clicks.com·ARN (ARNnet)·Centerstone Capital portfolio·Techboard·Startup Daily
Main Sequence announces Gabrielle Munzer's promotion to its first Partner, tracing her journey from capital markets through Senior Associate and Principal roles and the signals the firm values in venture partners.
Australia's Main Sequence fund promotes Gabrielle Munzer to Partner to lead its biotech push; the article also covers her finance background, the firm's company-building model, a UNSW accelerator, and recent diverse hires.
OIF Ventures republishes an AFR report on NetApp buying Canberra data-technology firm Instaclustr for a reported $500 million-plus, covering founder paydays and the fund's returns, including a 20-times outcome on its early backing.
Australian venture firm King River Capital has launched a digital asset fund holding over $50 million in commitments toward a $150 million target, and hired David Adams as partner to manage it.
Swiss digital asset bank SEBA completed a CHF 110 million Series C in January 2022, co-led by Altive, Ordway Selections and Summer Capital, with DeFi Technologies, Alameda Research and existing investor Julius Baer participating.
Advice technology provider Ignition expands into the UK with offices in London and Edinburgh, shortly after closing an AUD26 million Series B led by Morgan Stanley.
Also SmartCompany
Blackrock has sold down its Afterpay stake below the 5% substantial holder threshold, while the BNPL firm's shares slide to a seven-month low despite Morgan Stanley staying positive.
Ignition Advice hired Robert Coulter as APAC business development director while expanding globally after its 2020 Series B raise backed by Morgan Stanley.
Australian smartbank 86 400 completed a $34 million Series A in March, led by Morgan Stanley, lifting total capital to $90 million to fund product development and mortgage growth.
Challenger banks Xinja and 86 400 reach APRA licensing milestones and launch app-based retail transaction and savings accounts, becoming the first neobanks to offer Australian retail deposit products.
Tyro Payments has informally appointed Morgan Stanley as it prepares for a possible ASX listing, reportedly seeking a large valuation with a substantial raising, though no deal is agreed and other banks remain in talks.
Morgan Stanley has begun approaching investors for an equity raising at newly licensed digital bank 86 400, which is seeking fresh capital to fund its first three years of operation.
Analysis of Elon Musk's autonomy-day claims that shared driverless fleets could multiply Tesla's worth, plus Morgan Stanley cost comparisons and a passing reference to Tesla's three-billion-dollar capital raising.
LEO Pharma has struck a deal to buy ASX-listed Peplin for roughly US$287.5 million, with its two biggest shareholders, including GBS Venture Partners, backing the transaction.