The new platform allowing people to access better energy deals without paying commission

Bournemouth 

All good innovation is born from necessity and Digital Energy Revolution’s (DER) new energy platform is very necessary in a time of eye-watering wholesale price rises. 

UK electricity costs reached £277 per megawatt hour on Sept 8, 2021, a 560% increase compared with a year ago [source Bloomberg]. Natural gas prices have also surged, with a 247% increase within the last 9 months. 

DER’s new platform - which functions as a tool for accessing the very best business energy deals - could not be better timed. 

The objective is simple: DER is here to disrupt the energy market with technology to allow businesses to cut out the comparison site and energy broker middle-men; accessing energy prices directly from suppliers without added commission.  

Research presented to the UK Energy Ombudsman has shown that UK businesses are collectively paying a whopping £2 billion a year in commission to energy middle-men. The real kicker is that many businesses are not even aware that they are paying these fees while using an energy broker or comparison site, or if they are aware, they believe it to be an insignificant amount. 

The average commission added by middlemen for a business energy contract is £500 per contract year (or 9% of total energy spend). This commission is added directly onto the bills of the business concerned, who are unwittingly paying the middleman commission, every time they pay a bill. 

DER director Callum Pengelly explained: “Savvy business owners know that if they use a middle-man to arrange their business energy contract, commission will be added to their kWh unit rates to pay for the service, what most people are shocked to find out is the amount added to their unit rates.

“That’s why every man and his dog from every corner of the world is ringing you up offering you a free energy switching service!”

DER is changing things by pushing back in favour of UK businesses, offering a transparent and commission-free direct line with significantly cheaper kWh rates. 

By removing broker commission entirely for customers, DER guarantees the lowest prices on the market.

Pengelly stated: “We're all energy people here, many of us have spent our entire careers in energy, so we are thrilled to be offering UK businesses a fairer, more transparent and cost effective way to interact with the energy markets.  

“We're the only people in the marketplace brave enough to offer a money back guarantee, because we know our prices can’t be beaten by anyone.” 

Rather than adding commission into the customer’s unit rates for the use of their service, DER charges a business a one-off flat fee of £99 plus VAT, regardless of whether the business agrees a 1,2,3,4 or 5 year contract, or spends £200 or £5,000 a month.  

Not only does this approach make DER the best-priced business energy comparison site in the UK, but it also puts the user business firmly in the driving seat. 

With DER, businesses are customers - not just commission cows.  

 Milestone Group, the global fintech firm known for digital innovation in investment processing, today launched a new Fair Value Control solution. This new solution is for teams responsible for the administration and compliance of the fair value process and ensuring that funds’ securities are correctly valued in accordance with the policy set forth by their governing parties.

Fair Value Control’s purpose-built workflows provide automation, transparency, and control to the end-to-end fair value determination process. It unifies stakeholders involved in the process providing a centralized solution

for monitoring, decision-making, and implementation of fair value prices.

This ground-breaking solution leverages the proven pControl funds platform that currently supports over USD 20 Trillion in assets for mission critical business functions across investment markets.

“The solution addresses a neglected area across the market in terms of meaningful automation both for the operational teams and the pricing committees respectively,” said Robert Proctor, Head of Product – Oversight and Control at Milestone Group. “We have developed and refined these capabilities in conjunction with leading industry players looking to improve upon their existing processes.”

Milestone Group’s new solution is designed for securities valuation teams to provide a more efficient process. It reduces operational risk through systematic controls over often fragmented processes and manual handoffs. The solution also improves governance and provide insights to Fund Managers and Fund Boards. Fair Value Control is constructed for clients globally, with the launch initially focused on the US given industry timelines relating to SEC Rule 2a-5. However, the fair value process is common across the industry and the need for a more robust solution is universal.

Security valuation teams and pricing committees now have access to standard libraries of validations, controls, workflows and reporting to demonstrate adherence to best practices.

Recent independent surveys and our own observations confirm that there is significant market interest in taking advantage of a specific market standard solution for the fair value process. This implies demand for solutions that are more tailored to the fair valuation process and can help firms to fully satisfy the higher standards, particularly transparency and auditability demanded by market expectations and new regulations.

Milestone Group’s President, Geoff Hodge, added, “Our engagement with forward thinking industry players has allowed us to create the first off-the-shelf solution for fair value determinations, enabling best practice to be realized within a highly automated environment. This demonstrates our ongoing commitment to innovation to address evolving industry challenges.”

Goldman Sachs veteran Sheila Patel has joined the board of Antler, as the global early-stage venture capital firm continues its international expansion. With three decades of experience in financial asset management, Patel has become a global leader in the asset management industry. 

Previously, Patel was chairman of Goldman Sachs Asset Management based in London, and a member of the bank’s Firmwide Management Committee, holding leadership roles in two divisions across three continents. Before Goldman Sachs, Patel headed up Trading Strategy at Morgan Stanley for seven years. As the current Vice Chairman of B Capital Group, the venture capital firm co-founded by Eduardo Saverin, Sheila brings thirty years of experience in financial markets and investment.

Sheila brings deep experience in venture, private markets and asset management. In addition to Goldman Sachs’ Firmwide Management Committee, she also served on the Partnership Committee, the Inclusion & Diversity Committee, and led ESG and Sustainability initiatives for GSAM, among other leadership responsibilities. Sheila managed a variety of Goldman Sachs businesses globally during her career, and in her role as a Board Member at Antler, Sheila will leverage her experience in asset management on a global scale.

Founded in Singapore in 2017, Antler focuses on enabling and investing in the next generation of entrepreneurs by building complementary co-founder teams, supporting the teams with deep business model validation and providing a global platform for scaling. The firm is on a mission to fundamentally improve the world by enabling and investing in the world's most exceptional people. Antler has invested in over 350 companies globally across 30 different industries. Of these companies, 40% have at least one female co-founder, and the founders represent 70 nationalities. To support its portfolio, Antler has a global network of over 600 expert advisors.

Sheila Patel said, “With innovative technology continuing to disrupt every area of life, what attracted me to Antler was its unique model – particularly its global approach to investment and focus on fostering diversity.”

Patel continued, “Where entrepreneurs innovate, and when the value-capture happens, is changing fast, and Antler is in a very promising position with its unique size and scale of its operations across key entrepreneurial hubs globally. The asset management industry needs to rethink traditional models of backing innovation, and Antler is among the change-makers in the industry, so being able to support the team was an opportunity I could not turn down.

“There are exciting times ahead and I’m looking forward to helping provide world-class entrepreneurs access to all the necessary tools to help grow their businesses.”

Magnus Grimeland, Antler Founder and CEO said, “Sheila brings to our team a wealth of experience from the asset management industry and from building strong leadership teams of high performers. It is no wonder why she is regularly featured for her insights and market observations by financial media across the globe. Furthermore, she is a role model for women around the world and is passionate about helping women succeed with pursuing their dreams. We look forward to working with Sheila to enable founders across the world realise their ambitions to build the defining companies of tomorrow.”

 LPA, the capital market technology and advisory leader, today announced the expansion of its United Kingdom office with two new hires: Peter Leech as Partner, Head of UK Consulting and Deniz Patel as Director, Head of UK Consulting and Software Sales.

Based in London, Deniz and Peter will work alongside Mark Reeves to grow the British business across services and solutions, building on LPA’s strong client base in continental Europe.

Peter has over 30 years of experience in consultancy in the financial services industry. His most recent position as Group Director & Managing Consultant at CubeMatch Limited, a financial services consultancy, where he spent 16 years of his career. During this time Peter helped grow the company, organically and through acquisitions, establishing practices, new services and balanced teams as client needs evolved. Previously, he was a Managing Consultant at TCA Consulting supporting its growth and flotation while delivering projects for multiple FS clients.

Deniz has over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry­. She most recently worked as a Sales Consultant for Arcadier Group, a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) marketplace platform company, and Business Development Director at Calypso Technology, a leading provider of cloud-enabled, cross-asset, front-to-back solutions for financial markets. Previously, she worked as a Sales Manager at FIS, Program Manager at Barclays and Management Consultant at Deloitte.

Commenting on his appointment, Peter Leech said: “I am very excited to join LPA and help grow the consultancy practice in the UK. I share the company’s view that events in recent years – from Brexit to technological advancements and the Covid-19 pandemic – have created major disruption across the financial services sector. Companies find themselves in need of expertise, knowledge and best-in-class solutions to remain agile and efficient – something LPA provides and I know clients value.” 

Deniz Patel said: “LPA has much to offer the market and its clients in advanced technologies and advisory services. These are the solutions that can help solve problems today. I look forward to working alongside Mark and Peter to help expand LPA’s client portfolio in the UK.”

Mark Reeves, Senior Advisor at LPA, commented: “As a leader in software and consulting for over two decades, LPA understands what makes the capital markets tick. Regulatory reporting challenges are numerous and will only grow, along with pressure on banks and financial institutions to continue to innovate, automate as they bring business models in sales and trading into the digital enabled era. The addition of Peter and Deniz strengthens our position in the UK, accelerating growth in this vital market.”

Identity verification solutions company Authologic partnered with open banking platform Nordigen to offer businesses a new way to check the identity of their clients online. Nordigen now connects to over 2,000 financial institutions across 31 countries.

Authologic provides solutions that include tools for identity verification through online video, data, and digital IDs. With businesses facing a growing number of ways to check identity, Authologic offers its customers a full range of online verification methods without making them choose. Cooperation with Nordigen enables Authologic to offer businesses a new and exciting way to verify identity – open banking – across a network of banks larger than ever.

“Open banking provides a secure and reliable way to access banking data. Banks are a great source for identity verification and they also allow our clients to learn more about users through their account history. When it comes to identity verification, open banking is a far better alternative than penny transfers,” says Krzysztof Klimczak, co-founder and CEO of Authologic.

Using Nordigen’s account information API, Authologic clients can now access their open banking data to verify their identity, securely transfer their account history from one or many accounts at the same time, and gain flexible access transaction history. Using tools like open banking, Authologic clients can create custom workflows with ready-to-use connectors for the most popular KYC methods. Nordigen’s API is fully PSD2-compliant, which enables Authologic to ensure data privacy.

“Identity verification is critical to reduce fraud, which today amounts to more than $4.5 trillion per annum globally. But it’s not a simple problem to solve – many service providers don’t have the right tools for accurate identity verification or they use tools that are not ideal for the use case. Authologic partnership with Nordigen allows service providers to check the reputation of their customers using data from a wider network of banks. This significantly increases how many people can be verified using open banking,'' says Rolands Mesters, co-founder and CEO of Nordigen.

• Thousands of new customers each month have lowered loan interest rates by more than 50% on average
• Existing investors double-down on company as it accelerates German growth, having already saved customers $30 million 
• Service offerings in Germany to include interest-free cash advance, a budgeting tool, and a way to block shopping with credit

Anyfin, the startup that enables consumers to refinance existing loans and take control of their financial health, today announces $52 million of fresh funding to fuel the growth of its business across Europe. The capital will enable Anyfin to expand its service offering to Germany, set up a new Berlin office -- its first outside of Sweden -- and strengthen its local team. In addition, Anyfin will launch its new saving service for consumers across Germany, Sweden, and Finland, with plans to expand across Northern Europe. Anyfin’s in-app savings accounts will enable consumers to easily and intuitively manage their money without any financial expertise.

The unprecedented uptake of e-commerce -- whereby online shopping has become mainstream across all generations -- during the pandemic and the proliferation of Buy Now, Pay Later payment options have only made Anyfin’s services more relevant and necessary. With the upcoming European expansion, Anyfin’s addressable market has increased to $413Bn of volume over the next 18 months, of which $258Bn is in Germany. The total amount of outstanding unsecured consumer credit within Europe currently amounts to $1,200Bn.

Leading the new financing is existing New York-based investor FinTech Collective. Existing investors Accel, EQT Ventures, Northzone, and Global Founders Capital (GFC) also participated in the round. Two new investors joined the syndicate: Quadrille Capital in France, and Augmentum FinTech in the UK. This takes the total equity capital raised to $101m. In addition, the company has raised over $500m of debt capital from a diverse group of undisclosed lenders. 

The increased investment in Germany will include rolling out service offerings currently available in Sweden, such as an interest-free cash advance, a budgeting tool, and a way to block shopping with credit -- an increasingly pervasive problem in this age of online shopping. Already, every month, thousands of new customers lower loan interest rates by more than 50% on average, thanks to Anyfin -- a strong foundation for the company’s German expansion.

“We’re very proud that our four years of demonstrated success in the Nordics has inspired a new group of investors that we have what it takes to become a major fintech player in Europe,” said Mikael Hussain, CEO and co-founder of Anyfin. “We see the German market, which within the next couple of months will become our biggest market, as a place to show just how much we can help consumers escape the burden of debt and turn the tables on credit institutions that aren’t serving them. This investment represents growing momentum around the idea that the financial industry is due for a massive realignment, in which consumers’ financial wellbeing comes first.” 

Anyfin was launched in 2017 by Mikael Hussain (CEO), Sven Perkmann (CTO) and Filip Polhem (COO), who together bring more than two decades of experience in helping to build some of Sweden’s leading technology success stories at Klarna, Spotify, and iZettle. They have continued to surround themselves with experts in design, programming, artificial intelligence (AI), and credit counselling. Now, they will add local German talent to help continue their mission to solve one of the biggest financial issues facing European consumers: unfairly high interest rates. Since launching, Anyfin has saved customers $30 million.

Using loan data with publicly available consumer data and AI, Anyfin’s proprietary platform enables consumers to refinance their existing installments, credit cards and personal loans within seconds — based on their actual risk profiles. Via Anyfin’s website or native iOS and Android apps, consumers can select their current loan provider from a dropdown menu, snap a picture of their statement or upload it. Where possible, users receive a refinancing offer from Anyfin with a lower interest rate. Anyfin’s offer can be accepted with one tap, at which point the existing loan is settled directly with the original lender and the individual’s outstanding balance moves over to Anyfin with the improved terms. 

“With global e-commerce booming during the pandemic, growing by +39% YoY in Q1 2021 and the explosion of European BuyNowPayLater (“BNPL”) solutions, Anyfin’s opportunity to help fix mis-priced credit across Europe is now a step change larger than when we first gained conviction on the opportunity at Anyfin’s Series A” said Gareth Jones, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of FinTech Collective.“With Anyfin’s continued exceptional execution we could not be more excited to be leading this round of financing to allow Anyfin to continue their mission of helping hardworking Europeans  take control of their financial past, present and future”

• Best-in-class customer satisfaction with 4.7/5 Trustpilot score and 4.9/5 iOS rating
• Secured over $500m of scalable and cost efficient funding from a diversified lender group 

 Tech Nation welcomes 30 new scaleups to its Fintech growth programme

• 30 companies have today been accepted into Tech Nation’s Fintech growth programme.
• The news comes as VC investment in the fintech sector soars in the UK, receiving more than double ($11.4bn) the amount of funding in 2021 so far (January-October) as it received in the whole of 2020 ($4.57bn). 
• Q3 2021 has set an all-time record for VC investment in UK fintech, at $4.9bn.
• The UK is home to more fintech unicorns than the whole of Europe combined, with 40 unicorns compared to Europe’s 37.
• Combined, UK fintech companies are valued at $340bn, up 61% from $210bn last year, led by the likes of Revolut and Wise.

Tech Nation, the UK’s leading growth platform for tech scaleups, today announces the 30 companies who have been accepted into Fintech 4.0 - the fourth iteration of Tech Nation’s sector-specific growth programme for fintech entrepreneurs to enable their startups to scale, both at home and abroad.

Companies accepted into the newest Fintech cohort are working to transform all areas of the finance sector; from insurance and investment, to blockchain and digital assets. This includes innovative companies who are helping younger generations earn, save and learn about money (MyPocketSkill), creating banking apps for cryptocurrencies (Ziglu), and making investing more accessible, appealing and values-based (Wombat Invest).

40% of the new cohort companies are based outside of London - including companies from Scotland (DirectID, Zumo and WhisperClaims), Wales (Yoello) and Northern Ireland (loyalBe). On top of this regional diversity, nearly a third (9) of the companies have female founders. 

Together, the new Fintech companies have raised more funds than any cohort in previous years, with a collective total raise of £128.1mn, and over 70% are revenue-generating already. In UK fintech overall, companies have raised approximately £19bn, and are generating revenues of £7.64bn, as of October 2021.

New record heights for fintech 

The high-growth companies join the programme as fintech grows significantly across the UK. The fintech sector has reached entirely new heights, already receiving more than double the amount of VC funding in 2021 so far compared to 2020 as a whole ($11.4bn in January-October 2021 vs $4.57bn in the whole of 2020), and Q3 2021 hit an all-time record for quarterly VC investment in UK fintech ($4.9bn).

Around half the investment made into UK fintech firms in 2021 ($5bn) so far has come from US investors, showing the international appeal of some of the UK’s world leading fintech firms. 

With 40 of the UK’s 112 tech unicorns being fintechs - and fintech accounting for more than half (11) of the 20 UK tech companies that became unicorns in H1 of 2021 - the sector is driving the UK as a leading unicorn hub. After the UK, the next largest unicorn hub in Europe is Germany, home to 8 fintech unicorns, second is the Netherlands with 7, and third is France with 6. In terms of leading cities, London is Europe’s top fintech unicorn hub, home to 35 fintech unicorns, while Berlin is home to 6. 

In 2021, the top 2 UK fintechs to receive highest funding are Cinch (at $1.2bn) and Revolut (at $800m, Series E funding). Tech Nation’s Future Fifty alumni Revolut became the UK’s most valuable fintech company this year, surpassing Natwest with a valuation of approx £33bn. Combined, UK fintech companies are valued at $340bn, up from $210bn last year, a 61% increase in value between 2020 and 2021, being led by the likes of Revolut and Wise. 

Source: Dealroom, ‘fintech funding in the UK’

The aim of this year’s Fintech programme

The six-month government-backed Fintech programme was created to support fintech and insurtech companies in the UK. Companies accepted into the programme have access to networking events with key stakeholders, peer-to-peer meetups, and insights sessions delivered by established fintech entrepreneurs, investors and partners, which give cohort members the tools and knowledge they need to scale.
 

This year’s successful applicants will gain access to multiple insight sessions over 6 months (covering core issues, from investment to sales, partnerships and international expansion) delivered by later-stage founders, all focused on key scaling challenges, as well as regular networking opportunities (with investors, VCs, corporates and peers).

Empowering all of the scaling companies in the new Fintech cohort is at the core of Tech Nation’s mission to fuel the growth of tech scaleups who are helping us create a stronger economy, society and future. 

Quotes:

Economic Secretary to the Treasury, John Glen, said: “It's great to see 30 new companies joining Tech Nation’s Fintech programme. Our backing for this scheme is one part of our commitment to making the UK a great place for Fintech companies to set-up, and scale-up. With investment in UK Fintech soaring, and 40% of these new companies based outside of London, investors are clearly seeing the enormous potential in this sector across the UK.”

Katja Palovaara, Fintech Programme Lead at Tech Nation, said: “We are delighted to welcome these 30 inspiring fintech companies to the Fintech 4.0 cohort. As the UK’s flourishing fintech sector continues to drive more investment than ever before, our fintech companies are not just disrupting traditional financial sectors; they are working alongside them to ensure that everyone has the tools and knowledge they need to succeed financially. Many of these fintechs are not only focussed on helping people earn more and invest better, but on making the world a better and fairer place. We can’t wait to see what they do next.” 

Dr Christopher Sier, Chair of Fintech North and Fintech 4.0 Judge, said: “The diversity of the companies that have been selected is fantastic and testimony to the vibrancy of the UK Fintech scene, both in terms of product and service, but also in terms of geography. Of the winners almost half were from outside London, confirmation of the need for a regional approach to supporting the UK Fintech sector, and validation of the key findings in the recent Kalifa Review on Fintech.”

Stephen Ingledew, Executive Chair of Fintech Scotland and Fintech 4.0 Judge, said: "Fintech innovation is making a significant contribution to the development of the digital economy across the UK and the Tech Nation Fintech Growth Programme is a valuable initiative supporting innovative enterprise, including ground breaking firms from Scotland such as DirectID, Zumo and WhisperClaims. Fintech SMEs hugely benefit from the Programme in driving accelerated growth and the opportunity to embrace the opportunities of scaling, all of which supports the further demonstration of the UKs global fintech leadership."

Sarah Williams Gardner, CEO of Fintech Wales and Fintech 4.0 Judge, said: “I’m delighted to hear that Cardiff-based Yoello will be part of Tech Nation’s Fintech 4.0 programme. Over the past 18 months, they have adapted their business to serve the hospitality industry and a truly difficult time making a real difference. They join MyPinPad, who recently were announced as Future Fifty 10.0 cohort. These both follow in great footsteps with Delio, Credas, and Coincover who have all been on the Fintech programme, demonstrating the depth and breadth of the thriving Welsh fintech ecosystem, which was recently highlighted in the UK strategic Fintech Strategy led by Ron Kalifa - and there's plenty more to come.”

Helene Panzarino, Associate Director at Centre for Digital Banking and Finance and Fintech 4.0 Judge, said: “It's easy to get caught up in the fantastic funding stories that surround scaling fintechs, but to achieve genuine commercial growth and own a market takes more than funds. By supporting diverse products, services and teams in their scaling journey the economy, the industry and most importantly, customers will benefit from the Tech Nation Fintech 4.0 programme as well.”

Ezechi Britton, CTO in Residence at Impact X Capital and Fintech 4.0 Judge, said: “Having spent my career working in, building and investing in UK Fintech it's astounding to see such a talented cohort of Fintechs hungry, ready and waiting to transform the global economy. It's been an honour to have ringside seats as these Fintech founders continue to disrupt the incumbents whilst increasing access to financial services in ways that would have been impossible in the past. I look forward with great anticipation to what this next generation of up and coming Unicorns do next. UK Fintech is truly a world-leading industry and this cohort of 30 will be at the beating heart of it.”

Alastair Lukies CBE, Founder and CEO of Pollinate and Fintech 4.0 Judge, said: “I’m delighted and honoured to have been working with Tech Nation for the 4th year running to help select and  welcome these 30 fintechs into the programme. The UK continues to lead the way for innovation in fintech, and the selection and diversity of these companies truly represents that, and is a recognition of industry growth - even throughout the global pandemic. SMEs across every industry are truly the backbone of our economy, and I’m excited to see how these companies continue to grow within Tech Nation’s programme.”

Jelena Ewart, Co-Founder at Upside Partners and Fintech 4.0 Judge, said: "The only thing more exciting than the pace of global fintech investment has been the rise in the quality of the startups we’re seeing. Specifically in the UK, it’s clear that years of compounding support and investment in the venture landscape are paying off. It truly takes a village to build a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem, and I’m thrilled that Tech Nation is continuing to double down on its commitment to the leaders building the digital infrastructure of the future."

Yuelin Li, VP Strategy at Onfido and Fintech 4.0 Judge, said: “The calibre and diversity of fintechs joining TechNation’s fintech 4.0 programme is indicative of the strength and transformation of the UK’s financial sector. Over the past 18 months, digital innovation has been at the heart of keeping us all connected to essential financial services, with digital identity verification providing just one secure, seamless solution when we all needed it most. With investment in the industry continuing to reach new heights, it’s an exciting time to be involved in the ecosystem and there’s no doubt that this new cohort will accelerate our collective ambition to make the world a fairer and more accessible place.” 

 AxeTrading, the fixed income trading software company, today announced that it has demonstrated the integration of ICE’s leading pricing, analytics and market data into the AxeTrader Quoting and Execution Management System (QEMS). Users of the AxeTrader QEMS will be able to access ICE’s pricing and analytics tools, including end-of-day evaluated pricing, continuous fixed income evaluated pricing, best execution services and ICE Liquidity Indicators™.

As the electronification of fixed income markets continues to accelerate, traders and other investment professionals are demanding solutions that help them make more informed and efficient decisions. The AxeTrader QEMS provides dealer-grade pricing through a user configurable quoting engine, manages RFQs, executes orders and helps achieve best execution across multiple execution platforms and trading venues. The addition of ICE’s pricing and analytics tools deepens the resources available to AxeTrading customers.

ICE’s high-quality pricing and analytics data offers an expansive set of tools that can be used throughout the investment process and help to support customers in their assessment of regulatory compliance requirements. ICE calculates and publishes independent evaluations for 2.8 million fixed income securities and provides continuous evaluated pricing throughout the trading day through its Continuous Evaluated Pricing service. ICE Liquidity Indicators can help in quantifying security and portfolio liquidity across fixed income and equity asset classes, while ICE’s Best Execution Service can help customers manage and measure bond trade execution quality and support them with their assessment of regulatory compliance. ICE’s fixed income and data offering is part of Intercontinental Exchange (NYSE: ICE), a leading global provider of data, technology, and market infrastructure.

Stephen Baker, Global Head of Sales of Fixed Income and Data Services at ICE, said, “Our pricing, analytics and market data supports mission-critical trading processes throughout the lifecycle of an investment and helps users make more informed decisions. AxeTrader’s flexible and innovative trading solutions continue to provide users with an optimized and intuitive workflow that allows them to take advantage of high-quality data, trade more efficiently, and help to meet various regulatory compliance requirements.”

Ralf Henke, CEO and Co-Founder of AxeTrading, said, “Working with ICE we will be able to expand our clients’ access to truly market leading trading workflows and analytics. AxeTrading is part of a new generation of technology providers whose ethos and business is built around openness, flexibility, and interoperability. Traders benefit from their choice of connectivity to the broadest ecosystem of best-in-class pricing and analytics data, taking them beyond the legacy technology providers with their limited ‘walled gardens’.”

“Data-driven, automated trading strategies are clearly demonstrated to improve trading efficiency and accuracy. In fixed income trading this is further strengthened by a buy-side firm’s ability to act as both price-maker and price-taker as the situation demands. Having quality, timely data embedded in the workflow is key to being able to do so.” commented Mark Watters, CCO and Co-Founder of AxeTrading.