Aquis Acquires Minority Stake in OptimX Markets Inc

LONDON – August 7, 2023

Aquis Exchange PLC (AQX.L), announces that on 7 August 2023 it acquired a minority stake in OptimX Markets Inc. (OptimX) a, US-based financial services start-up focused on the block trading market (the “Investment”).

Created by a team of experienced equity capital markets professionals led by David Barnett, OptimX’s advanced technology suite will offer investment banks, brokers and institutions the opportunity to find additional matches for order flow. Aquis will work closely with OptimX in the UK and EU combining its market-leading technology platform with the OptimX technology suite. This initiative will further expand the product suite available to Aquis members reinforcing the innovative approach Aquis brings to capital markets.

The Investment was made as part of a consortium which includes DB1 Ventures, the venture capital arm of Deutsche Boerse Group.

Aquis CEO Alasdair Haynes said: “The investment in OptimX is a significant opportunity for Aquis, adding additional connectivity to our successful dark pool (the Aquis Matching Pool) and providing clients with the ability to cross large blocks. This alongside Aquis’s growing functionality will further enhance the range of execution options available to our members.”