Morgan Stanley Investment Management (MSIM) has successfully closed the Morgan Stanley Next Level Fund, L.P. at its target size of $50 million in total capital commitments. The fund, part of MSIM’s $200 billion alternative business, is backed by corporate partners including Hearst, Microsoft, and Walmart, along with Altria, Ten Figures Ventures, and Phalanx Impact Partners. Building on the expertise of the Morgan Stanley Inclusive Ventures Lab and HearstLab, the Next Level Fund focuses on early-stage technology and technology-enabled companies with underrepresented founders. Target sectors include technology, consumer/retail, financial technology, healthcare, consumer products, and media and entertainment. The fund provides not only capital but also access to global resources and capabilities from its corporate partners. So far, a quarter of the fund’s capital has been deployed across nine companies, many founded and serving underrepresented groups. Examples include HourWork, a SaaS recruiting and retention platform, and Bodily, providing support for women from pregnancy to postpartum. The fund aims to contribute to a more equitable funding landscape for promising startups.
By FCCT Editorial Team
, an independent military force, and allied militias in Sudan raped several dozen women and girls in West Darfur’s capital, El Geneina, and those fleeing to Chad between late April and late June 2023, Human Rights Watch said today. The assailants appear to have targeted people because of their Massalit ethnicity and, in some cases, because they were known activists.){kind=link}