Investment banking giant Equiteq streamlines operations with tailored trading platform

Equiteq, a leading global M&A specialist, faced a complex challenge as it rapidly expanded. Operating across eight domestic exchanges and with a UK subsidiary trading on electronic exchanges throughout Europe, the company’s numerous pricing systems across various equity derivatives meant traders lost valuable time switching between platforms to secure the best data. Equiteq needed a way to streamline this process and boost efficiency to ensure its team could make rapid, informed decisions in its fast-paced market. 

Juggling platforms was not only inefficient for Equiteq’s traders but could negatively impact trading outcomes and client results. Equiteq envisioned a unified solution: a single interface that provides comprehensive trade and market data to transform the firm’s operations.  

Equiteq turned to Version 1 for help. We have vast experience delivering customised technology solutions and worked tirelessly to understand the nuances of Equiteq’s operations. Based in Belfast, our team maintained daily check-ins with Equiteq’s Chicago-based stakeholders. We whiteboarded requirements and translated them into user stories in the form of Jira tickets, developing them in a series of two-week sprints. In just seven months, the project went from inception to initial design to the first live trade.  

We designed a comprehensive, future-proof trading platform, collaborating closely with Equiteq’s team to spec a solution that would suit its business needs and deliver the 100% pricing accuracy the firm craved. The solution would need to include features like low-latency data access for lightning-fast reactions, advanced trading algorithms to automate and optimise trades, and integrated order management for seamless execution. 

Equiteq’s new platform delivers real-time insights, giving traders an edge in a competitive market. Its intuitive interface saves valuable time, and the system is designed to handle future expansion. Traders can now act decisively with the most up-to-date information, a benefit that resonates directly with the bottom line.  

Outcomes

• Developed a unified data API for centralised real-time market information 
• Migrated 70+ pricing models to ensure accuracy 
• Implemented a high-performance trading system for optimal speed 
• Built-in flexibility for future expansion to other asset classes 
• Provided ongoing support and knowledge transfer for long-term benefits