Horizon eyes Asia-Pacific expansion

Horizon Software is focusing on strengthening its business in the Asia-Pacific region, the Paris-based electronic trading solutions provider’s chief executive has told Global Investor.

Sylvain Thieullent said half of more than a dozen new clients onboarded this year are in Asia, where the company established a presence 15 years ago.

“Our strategy is to be global,” Thieullent said on Friday. “APAC is definitely part of the long-term strategy for the company, and we quantify this growth with new clients we are onboarding in the region.”

Horizon, a provider of software-as-a-service electronic trading solutions and algorithmic technology, offers direct connectivity to more than 80 exchanges worldwide. The company has offices in Europe and North America, as well as three Asian locations: Hong Kong, Shanghai and Bangkok.

Currently, Horizon’s clients in the region are mainly investment banks, Thieullent said, and the fintech is looking to develop its client base there by offering its risk management and compliance solutions to hedge funds, prop traders and exchanges.

Last month, Horizon added the Bank of East Asia in Hong Kong to its client list, and late last year entered a new agreement with the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange in Vietnam to support covered warrants market making.

Horizon intends to maintain its footprint of three Asian offices as it develops its APAC business, and plans to strengthen its offering by expanding its sales team.

This initiative will be led by Emmanuel Faure, who has joined Horizon as head of sales APAC from Fimat, part of Société General group in Japan and Hong Kong.

“My target as CEO is to onboard the best people I can,” said Thieullent. “Especially in Asia, you need to fit in with the culture. Some countries are completely happy with remote relationships, for some others it just doesn’t work, meaning that you need to be on site for sure.”

Horizon integrated its algorithmic trading platform with Wolverine Execution Services (WEX) late last year, enabling its clients to connect to the WEX infrastructure to manage orders on US options, futures and cash equities.

Horizon was voted sell-side trading system of the year at the 2019 FOW international awards.