Morgan Stanley Inclusive Ventures Lab Hosts Demo Day for Largest, Most Global Cohort of Startups

(BUSINESS WIRE)--Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) today is hosting its largest global Demo Day, with 23 participating companies from North America and Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). Cohort companies will pitch over 300 investors, as well as potential business partners and customers.

Over the past five months, the Morgan Stanley Inclusive Ventures Lab has supported its ninth cohort of technology-enabled startups in the seed to Series A funding round stage. The intensive accelerator program provides each company a $250,000 investment (£250,000 in EMEA) from Morgan Stanley, as well as a variety of mentorship opportunities and business-growth resources.

“At a time when startups are facing a challenging funding environment, it is more critical than ever to provide a platform for founders to attract investment and scale their innovative solutions,” said Selma Bueno, Global Head of the Morgan Stanley Inclusive Ventures Group. “Today’s Demo Day showcases the Inclusive Ventures Lab’s largest and most global cohort to date, underscoring our mission to advance a more equitable investment landscape worldwide.”

Companies presenting at Demo Day represent a range of industries including healthcare, customer service, supply chain, recruiting and cybersecurity – with AI and sustainable solutions as cross-cutting themes. Cohort members include: Adauris (Canada), Automated Architecture (UK), Bidrento (Estonia), ByFusion (US), Cult Mia (UK), DotLab (US), eBanqo (Nigeria), Encounter AI (US), FLUIX (US), GigBridge (UK), Health in Her HUE (US), Inicio AI (UK), MEDIjobs (US), Nopalera (US), OKO (Israel), Oppos (Canada), Partsimony (US), Ridelink (Uganda), serviceMob (US), Stak Mobility (US), Tall Poppy (US), Twipes (US) and Unfabled (UK). Learn more about the companies here.

Founded in 2017, the Lab has hosted 92 companies, with a combined valuation of $923MM. Companies have raised $217MM in funding following their participation in the Lab.

Applications for the next Lab cohort will be open from February 7 - March 15, 2024. The tenth cohort will include up to 25 companies, with emphasis on businesses led by overlooked founders providing sustainability-focused products or services. Morgan Stanley will be holding pitch competitions in select cities in North America and EMEA to identify potential Lab participants over the coming months. The next Lab cohort is scheduled to launch in September.

About the Morgan Stanley Inclusive Ventures Lab

The Morgan Stanley Inclusive Ventures Lab (MSIVL) is an intensive five-month in-house accelerator program designed to help further develop and scale startups, culminating in a showcase presentation and Demo Day to the investor community. Morgan Stanley launched MSIVL, formerly called the Multicultural Innovation Lab, in 2017 in order to address inequities in funding of startup founders, which our research shows equals over four trillion dollars in unrealized returns.

About Morgan Stanley

Morgan Stanley is a leading global financial services firm providing a wide range of investment banking, securities, wealth management and investment management services. With offices in 42 countries, the Firm’s employees serve clients worldwide including corporations, governments, institutions and individuals. For further information about Morgan Stanley, please visit www.morganstanley.com.

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