Case study
Morgan Stanley Inclusive & Sustainable Ventures
A competitive accelerator for ventures with both commercial and social returns. The application was a structured form, so there was no long narrative to hide behind: every short answer had to work.
The approach
1. Start from their thesis
The program looks for ventures with both commercial and social returns. Every answer was framed in those terms, using the program's own priorities and language as the structure.
2. Show a model that scales
LightEd's waste-to-energy model was presented as a repeatable unit: a clear path from pilot sites to new communities and countries, with the logic an investor-minded panel looks for.
3. Lead with traction
Reach, communities served and delivery so far went first, in plain numbers, so the panel could see the model already working before reading about plans.
Result
$250,000
secured through the 2025 cohort
The accelerator also went on to incubate Re-Build, the circular hardware venture co-founded out of LightEd's work.
Next
Prize nomination: Elevate Prize 2027Need something like this? peterphilipjohnson@gmail.com