A significant acquisition has taken place in the financial industry, as a prominent private equity firm has entered into an agreement to acquire BMLL, an independent provider specializing in harmonized historical order book data and analytics. This move comes shortly after the firm’s recent investment in a well-known UK online broker, showcasing its strategy to strengthen its presence in the financial markets.
The acquisition aims to accelerate BMLL’s growth trajectory while enhancing the company’s mission to deliver high-quality, analytics-ready historical data across various exchange-traded asset classes. This partnership will not only involve substantial investment but also collaborative efforts with BMLL’s management team and current minority shareholders. The financial specifics of the deal are not publicly disclosed.
BMLL, established in 2014 by researchers from Cambridge, has carved out a niche by providing detailed Level 1, 2, and 3 order book data and analytics for global equities, ETFs, futures, and U.S. options. Its proprietary process involves rigorous cleaning, standardization, and unification of market data from over 120 venues into a consistent global format. This level of data quality allows banks, asset managers, hedge funds, and exchanges to access comprehensive insights for research, trading, analytics, and compliance purposes.
With an emphasis on removing complexities in data handling, BMLL’s cloud-native product suite delivers analytics-ready data, enabling firms to concentrate on strategic innovation rather than data cleansing. The company has established itself as a leading provider in the capital markets, praised for its commitment to excellence and quality.
The new investment from the private equity firm is set to significantly boost BMLL’s operational capacity, focusing on expanding global data coverage and multi-asset class capabilities. This initiative intends to position BMLL as a reliable alternative to existing market data providers, emphasizing a trusted “golden copy” of high-quality market data that aids decision-making throughout the trading lifecycle.
Further, with the backing of the private equity firm, BMLL plans to enhance its market engagement strategies and strengthen collaborations with exchanges and technology platforms. The current management team is set to remain in place to ensure a smooth transition and continuity for stakeholders.
Management has expressed enthusiasm about the future, highlighting the potential impact of the partnership. The forthcoming phase is expected to see significant improvements in data quality and accessibility, empowering market participants to navigate complexities with more agility.
The private equity firm, with deep expertise in the Technology & Payments sector, brings a wealth of experience in driving growth and innovation in the financial software and data technology landscape. Its portfolio highlights numerous successful investments, showcasing a track record of cultivating market-leading companies.
Advisory roles in the transaction were undertaken by various firms for both parties, indicating a structured approach to the acquisition process.
In summary, this acquisition represents a forward-thinking strategy aimed at enhancing the capabilities of a data analytics provider, ultimately benefiting the broader financial markets through improved access to high-quality, harmonized data. Emphasis on collaborative growth, innovation, and data integrity signifies a promising future for BMLL and its role within the capital markets sector.