Home / Deals / Arma Partners advises smartTrade, a global leader in multi-asset electronic trading solutions, on the investment by Hg

Arma Partners advises smartTrade, a global leader in multi-asset electronic trading solutions, on the investment by Hg
Feb 2020
(a portfolio company of Keensight Capital and Pléiade Venture)
investment by
$335 million
  • Sector: Fintech, WealthTech & InsurTech
  • Deal Type: Private Equity Deals
  • Engagement type: Sellside
  • Size: $335 million
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Arma Partners is pleased to announce that it has acted as exclusive financial advisor to smartTrade Group on the investment by Hg (subject to customary approvals). Hg will acquire stakes from existing investors Keensight Capital and Pléiade Venture. David Vincent, CEO & co-Founder, and the smartTrade management team will remain invested in the business.

smartTrade is a global leader in managed services and hosted software solutions for trading desks. Its liquidity management solutions enable financial institutions to develop and run high-performance trading platforms. Headquartered in Aix-en-Provence, France, the business has expanded rapidly in recent years and today has a global client base, with offices around the world, including in London, Geneva, Milan, New York, Tokyo and Singapore.

The transaction highlights Arma Partners’ deep sector expertise in Capital Markets and Wealth and Asset Management Technology, ability to deliver high-value outcomes, and consistent track record of successfully executing co-investment transactions.

  • smartTrade is a global leader in multi-asset electronic trading software solutions
  • Its liquidity management solutions enable financial institutions to develop and run high-performance trading platforms throughout the world
  • The business has expanded rapidly in recent years and today has a global client base and operations around the world, including in London, Geneva, Milan, New York, Tokyo and Singapore
  • Hg is a leading European technology-focused private equity firm with approximately 170 employees across three investment offices in London, Munich and New York
  • It manages approximately £10 billion in funds on behalf of more than 100 institutional investors, including private and public pension funds, endowments, insurance companies and funds of funds
  • Hg has a strong track record in Capital Markets and Wealth and Asset Management Technology, having previously invested in Ullink, a France-based multi-asset trading technology software provider; and more recently FE fundinfo, a UK/Swiss provider of global fund data and technology
  • Keensight originally invested in 2015 and focused on the organic growth strategy including transitioning the infrastructure to cloud, launching new products and modules, and winning key strategic clients in Asia and the US
  • smartTrade was seeking a partner to support the business in its next phase of growth, including capturing the significant whitespace available particularly in the US and Asia, driving further product innovation across instruments and pursuing M&A opportunities
  • Hg brings in a complementary skillset with a strong track record in the Capital Markets and Wealth and Asset Management Technology and expertise in driving value through international expansion, M&A roll ups and continuous product innovation
  • Arma assisted the company with strategic positioning, preparation of marketing materials, financial modelling, diligence support and negotiation of the key transaction terms
  • Arma carefully shortlisted and pre-qualified the most credible strategic and PE buyers before launching a process, ensuring that confidentiality was maintained ensuring a level playing field between financial sponsors and large strategic players
  • Arma successfully maximised the competitive tension and assisted the company in pursuing tailored discussions with its shortlist of potential investors and acquirers, which resulted in a hugely successful outcome for the shareholders
  • The transaction highlights Arma Partners’ deep sector expertise in Capital Markets and Wealth and Asset Management Technology, ability to deliver high-value outcomes, and consistent track record of successfully executing co-investment transactions.
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