FIA today announced the 10 startups chosen to exhibit in the 2024 Innovators Pavilion, FIA's annual showcase for fintech startups relevant to derivatives trading and clearing. The Pavilion happens during FIA’s Futures and Options Expo, which brings together traders, brokers and other market professionals from a wide range of firms in the derivatives industry. The conference takes place 18-20 November in Chicago.
"Innovation is key to the continued success of cleared derivatives markets. And it’s incumbent upon us – in the industry – to identify the challenges we face and encourage entrepreneurs to help us tackle them," said Walt Lukken, FIA president and chief executive officer. "This year, we have 10 outstanding startups in our Innovators Pavilion. I look forward to their pitches and helping them connect with potential partners and customers at the FIA Expo."
The 10 startups were selected by an independent committee of industry experts drawn from FIA member firms. The startups were chosen based on the innovativeness of their products and services and their relevance to firms active in the global futures, options and swaps markets.
This year's class of Innovators are:
- Abaxx - Commodity futures exchange
- AnthologyAI - Consumer data analytics
- ClearToken - Independent clearinghouse for digital assets
- Grão Direto - Trading platform and market data for grains
- IMX Health - Futures based on healthcare claims data
- Membrane Labs - Software for crypto lending, derivatives, collateral
- Percent - Access to the private credit market
- Theia Analytics - Quantitative governance and regulatory risk analytics
- Tradewell Technologies - Trading technology to simplify and automate electronic trading of corporate bonds
- Vorticity - Value at Risk calculation engine
“These 10 startups offer a variety of new approaches to technology, trading, data and analytics. Their solutions can help firms in our industry access new markets, manage risk more efficiently, and further automate their trading processes," said Will Acworth, FIA’s senior vice president of data, publications and research. “On behalf of FIA, I want to thank the selection committee for taking the time to sift through the applications and choose the 10 companies that offer the most exciting potential for Expo attendees."
This year's selection committee included experts from Barclays, Chicago Trading Company, CME Ventures, DRW Venture Capital, GH Financials, IMC Financial Markets, Optiver, and Two Sigma.
As the leading trade association for the listed and cleared derivatives markets, FIA has worked for decades to promote innovation in the trading and clearing of derivatives. The annual Innovators Pavilion has become a core element of FIA's commitment to accelerate the adoption of fintech solutions in these markets.
Each year FIA invites a select group of fintech startups to showcase their solutions for the derivatives industry at the FIA Expo, the industry's largest trade show. Since the first Innovators Pavilion in 2015, more than 150 startups from around the world have participated in the event.
The companies in this year's Innovators Pavilion will receive a free booth on the trade show floor and the opportunity to demonstrate their innovations to conference attendees. Each company also will pitch its solutions directly to attendees at Expo, including senior executives from exchanges, clearinghouses, banks, brokers and trading firms.
At the conclusion of the Expo conference, FIA will announce the winner of the Innovator of the Year award. A group of judges drawn from representative segments of the derivatives industry will determine the winner. FIA also will announce the winner of the People's Choice award, determined by votes cast by Expo attendees.
Last year the winners were ClearDox as the FIA Innovator of the Year, CodeComplete AI as runner-up, and Cumulus9 as the People's Choice award winner.
