Carta, a software platform purpose-built for private capital, and Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, a global leader in financial advisory services, have announced an expanded strategic relationship. This collaboration integrates Morgan Stanley Wealth Management’s services into the Carta platform, offering users streamlined access to personalized financial guidance, education, and tailored wealth planning as their companies progress from startup to public company and beyond.
This expanded partnership deepens an existing collaboration between Morgan Stanley at Work and Carta, creating a unified experience for Carta users and companies at various growth stages. In October 2024, Morgan Stanley at Work was designated as Carta’s exclusive U.
S. public equity management and broader workplace benefits platform for late-stage private companies preparing to go public. Since then, the collaboration has garnered significant interest and adoption from customers, reflecting activity in the IPO market.
Jed Finn, Head of Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, stated, “With the expansion of this strategic relationship, Morgan Stanley builds on its reputation as an industry leader in the private markets space. Our integrated three-channel approach—combining the personalized guidance of our Financial Advisors, the scalability and white glove service of our workplace solutions, and the power and flexibility of the E*TRADE self-directed platform—positions us uniquely to support private market executives and their teams at every stage of their wealth journey. We are here to deliver the full firm to these companies and participants as they navigate the path from startup to IPO and beyond.”
The Morgan Stanley Wealth Management collaboration represents the latest development for Carta’s IPO Advisory product suite. Previously, Carta announced the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) as its preferred partner for IPO listings last week. Earlier this year, Odyssey Trust was selected as Carta’s preferred provider for public transfer agent and trust services, while Morgan Stanley at Work became Carta’s exclusive U.
S. public equity management and workplace benefits platform. These partnerships collectively provide customized guidance for companies, founders, and employees throughout the private-to-public transition.
Henry Ward, Chief Executive Officer of Carta, commented, “Preparing for a private liquidity event or an IPO involves numerous financial decisions for founders and employees. Our expanded collaboration with Morgan Stanley helps us support startups at every stage, from formation to IPO. By integrating Morgan Stanley Wealth Management onto the Carta platform, we are providing founders and employees the guidance they need to make confident decisions today and plan for what’s next.”
Through this partnership, Carta users can expect deep domain expertise in private capital from Morgan Stanley advisors, who possess decades of experience in private markets. Users will also have streamlined digital integration with Carta, gaining access to personalized Morgan Stanley Wealth Management resources such as financial education and research directly within their Carta portal, with the option to connect with an advisor. The collaboration offers unique access to Morgan Stanley’s product suite, including investment advisory services, financial planning, cash management, retirement solutions, giving capabilities, and intellectual capital. Furthermore, Morgan Stanley Wealth Management will provide personalized liquidity education and guidance for Carta users as they participate in private liquidity events and transition to public markets.
This collaboration further strengthens Morgan Stanley’s leadership in the private markets. The firm recently launched its Founders Specialist designation for Advisors, a specialized team dedicated to addressing the unique needs of founders and private market executives, and the Private Markets Transaction Desk, which facilitates the buying and selling of private company shares in the secondary market for eligible shareholders and investors.
