Morgan Stanley announced on November 9, 2026, its plan to acquire Vinyl Equity, a Chicago-based fintech firm. The deal is expected to close in the first quarter of 2027. The bank aims to bring share-transfer operations in-house to reduce reliance on third-party providers for processes like IPOs and corporate stock plans.
Founded in 2022, Vinyl Equity provides cloud-native services for shareholder recordkeeping, equity operations, and compliance workflows. Its platform features automated workflows, real-time record visibility, and digital KYC. These tools are designed to support T+1 settlement cycles, which require rapid processing of trades.
Vinyl Equity previously raised $11.5 million in seed funding in April 2025 and $20 million in a Series A round in June 2026. Its current client list includes Neptune Insurance Holdings and Figure Technology Solutions. The platform is capable of managing complex events such as mergers and acquisitions.
This acquisition follows Morgan Stanley’s purchase of EquityZen in January 2026. Both deals are part of the bank's strategy to expand its wealth management capabilities by integrating critical back-office functions directly under its own control.
