FIA today announced that 20 companies have been chosen to exhibit in the FIA Innovators Pavilion at the 35th Annual Futures and Options Expo, which will take place in Chicago on Oct. 29-31.
The FIA Innovators Pavilion gives fintech startups the chance to connect with more than 4,000 people at the largest gathering of derivatives industry professionals in the world. Participants are selected by a panel of industry experts from FIA member firms as well as venture capital companies and other market participants. To date, 72 startups from five countries have participated in this annual showcase.
This year’s pavilion includes companies that are applying artificial intelligence, cloud-based data analytics and other emerging technologies to meet the demand for more efficient processing of information at all stages of the trading and clearing process. The group also includes several trading venues with innovative approaches to product design and market structure as well as several companies offering institutional-grade solutions for cryptocurrencies and other digital assets.
“It’s inspiring to see these young companies push the envelope on innovation and try to solve real world problems that affect the FIA community and the industry as a whole,” said Kyle Zasky, the selection committee chairman and a founding partner at SenaHill Partners. “We had a terrific crop of applicants this year, which led to lively debates within the selection committee and some tough decisions on who to include. I’m excited to see who’s ultimately crowned Innovator of the Year!”
The companies chosen are:
- 24 Exchange – offshore liquidity pool for FX and equities
- American Financial Exchange – transactions-based interest rate benchmark
- Arcus Partners – digital document management
- BlockFI – wealth management solutions for crypto investors
- BlueFire AI – AI-powered risk signals for capital markets
- BMLL Technologies – analytics platform for limit order book data
- Cappitech – data aggregation platform for regulatory reporting
- DataDock Solutions – data analytics for institutional sales and trading
- DrumG Technologies – DLT-based data aggregation network
- EZOPS – AI-powered data control and automation
- Hivemind – platform for building datasets from unstructured sources
- Inca Digital Securities – data aggregation and analysis for cryptocurrency markets
- Levyx – ultra-low latency data processing
- Mosaique – cloud-based platform for post-trade processes
- OTCXN – digital asset trading network
- Raft Technologies – ultra-low latency wireless connectivity
- Seven Solutions – ultra-accurate network timing
- Solidus Labs – digital asset compliance
- The Small Exchange – retail-oriented futures exchange
- Vigilant – political contribution monitoring
“Innovation means growth in this industry, and I’m proud to welcome the next generation of innovators to our annual conference,” said FIA president and CEO Walt Lukken. “I want to thank all the members of the selection committee for their work in finding the startups that are offering exciting and, innovative solutions for the listed and cleared derivatives industry.”
Each company selected for this year’s event will receive a TechPod on the Expo show floor to display their products and services. FIA will also host a “Meet the Innovators” competition on Oct. 30 to spotlight five companies within the Pavilion that are particularly innovative and relevant to the derivatives industry. The winner of this competition will be named the FIA Innovator of the Year 2019, and will receive more than $20,000 in marketing support, cash and other resources.
This year’s Innovators Pavilion is supported by four community partners: Credit Suisse NEXT Investors, Fintech Sandbox, FinTEx Chicago, and Tribeca Early Stage Investors. All attendees of the FIA Expo will have access to the Innovators Pavilion. The FIA Expo will be held at the Hilton Chicago Oct. 29-31. To register for the FIA Expo, please visit https://fia.org/events/expo-2019.
