Morgan Stanley co-leads $48 million investment in blockchain platform Securitize

• Morgan Stanley co-led a $48 million Series B fundraising round in blockchain startup Securitize Inc.
• It was Morgan Stanley Tactical Value Investing's first investment in the blockchain industry.
• The round was also led by Blockchain Capital.

Morgan Stanley co-led a Series B fundraising round in Securitize Inc, a startup developing a blockchain platform for investors to buy and sell shares in closely held companies and other assets.

The round raised $48 million and was also led by Blockchain Capital. Morgan Stanley Tactical Value Investing, a team within Morgan Stanley Investment Management, invested in Securitize. It was the team's first investment in the blockchain industry.

Securitize will now add Pedro Teixeira co-head of Morgan Stanley Tactical Value investing, to its board of directors.

"Securitize is well-recognized for pioneering the securitization of digital asset securities on the blockchain, and for its fully-compliant and fully-digital end-to-end to solution that enables private companies to raise capital, and for investors to find a path to liquidity," said Teixeira in a press release. "We make long-term investments in businesses and asset classes that are ahead of the curve. Our investment in Securitize is a sign that we believe in the growth and adoption of digital asset securities."

Other investors including Ava Labs, IDC Ventures, Migration Capital, NTT Data, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank, Borderless Capital, Global Brain, Mouro Capital, Ripio, Ripple and SPiCE VC took part in the capital raise.