We sat down with e-Trading expert Kem Husain, Head of Asia Pacific Sales of fintech firm AxeTrading, after winning the Fixed Income Trading System of the Year at the FOW and Global Investor Asia Capital Market Awards 2018.
Today, the startup has scaled to attract an international client base in over 20 countries across 4 continents, with its headquarters in London. In the last 12 months, AxeTrading has more than doubled its staff to 50. The company also has its own unique Innovation Lab just outside of Berlin.
AxeTrading was founded in 2009 by trading technologist Ralph Henke (CEO), Dinos Daborn (COO) and Mark Watters (CCO) who came up with the powerful proposal for providing solutions for business through an innovative fixed income eTrading system.
Kem shares how AxeTrading forged a new path for fixed income eTrading technology and its plans of expansion over the next year across Asia Pacific, North America and Latin America.
A one-stop window into the fixed income market
In a nutshell, AxeTrading is an innovative B2B one-stop desktop solution to trade fixed income across multiple electronic markets with locations in the UK, Germany, Australia and Singapore. Featuring on FN’s 10 fintech firms to watch list, AxeTrading provides banks, broker-dealers and buyside firms with comprehensive software to help capitalise on the dynamic fixed income markets.
Kem breaks down what a fixed income instrument is: “Fixed interest securities include ‘cash’ securities, which could be anything from corporate bonds or government bonds, and derivatives, which include interest rate swaps and financing, such as repurchase agreements known as repo.”
AxeTrading was originally self-funded from 2009–2017 until receiving a minority investment from VC fund Illuminate Financial Management which enabled them to scale up globally.
The company has now stepped out as fintech leaders by equipping traders with smarter tools to overcome challenges in today’s evolving markets. A major benefit being that AxeTrading enables the trader to own all of their transaction data, so that they are in control.
Kem notes that since the global financial crisis (GFC), the fixed income markets have become more fragmented, meaning that it’s a lot more difficult for a fixed income trader to get all the necessary information and trade.
Mark Watters, CCO of AxeTrading, reflects on the eTrading landscape, “The current fixed income trading environment is creating a ‘perfect storm’ for fixed income trading technology. The combined impact of regulation, record low interest rates, continued strong issuance, and fragmented liquidity is posing new challenges for fixed income traders. Technology is now being sought to provide many of the answers.”
AxeTrading goes to the heart of these pain points to empower fixed income traders to go out and trade after reviewing aggregated data at their fingertips.
Kem says, “We bring together the market data, pricing, trading venues and provide the trader toolkit.”
Plans for expansion
Moving forward, AxeTrading is focusing on getting their name out there and expanding in global markets including Asia Pacific.
Reflecting on AxeTrading winning the Fixed Income Trading System of the Year, Kem says, “We are thrilled to be recognised as the best in class next-generation trading system. The market structural changes present the perfect opportunity to work hand in hand with Asian regional banks to help them optimise their business especially as local bonds go through a maturing stage.”
In the last 12 months, AxeTrading has opened up two offices in Asia Pacific in Sydney and Singapore. There are plans to open a New York office by the end of 2018.
We asked him to share a piece of advice from his 18+ years in trading and sales, “Maintain your credibility and add value to every conversation you have. If you can add value people will come back,” he says.
He continues, “Know who your stakeholders and decisions makers are. Politics play a huge role in larger firms and knowing who the decisions makers are is key to understanding these dynamics. We can often waste too much time on non-decisions makers.”
Talking about working out of fintech hub Stone & Chalk, “I like the platform Stone & Chalk provides. The ability for collaboration and opportunity to learn is unique. It’s a bit like being at university. You can learn from experts in their field if you choose to. Knowing that knowledge base is there is a huge benefit.”
“I’ve been here nearly a year and I’ve felt very welcomed by the Stone & Chalk team. I feel part of a larger team as soon as I enter the office.”
If you see Kem in the community lounge, ask him about his stint as a Texas Hold’em Poker Player. You may be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of his professional poker face.
Want to find out more about AxeTrading? Click here for more information or check out AxeTrading’s product demo video.
9 October 2018
