Company Performance Metrics
Philip Smolen: CTO
David Aferiat: Co-Founder, Managing Partner
They founded Trade Ideas in 2002 after an experience they now affectionately call the $50 million education. In 2000 they were part of a venture capital financed effort to bring direct access trading technology to hedge fund managers. It turned out that rather than helping us nurture and grow the business, technology, and vision, their venture
capital partners taught us exactly what not to do, to the tune of $50 million. Looking back in hindsight, it was the best thing that ever happened.
In their previous venture they had the good fortune to meet and build relationships with very knowledgeable players in the business of investing and trading. They learned that access to high-touch information makes all the difference between success and failure.
Investing and trading are difficult enough. And the amount of data out there for an investor or trader to look through makes it even harder to find any kind of an edge. Trade Ideas software was created to be that edge - the difference between success and failure. Their technology accomplishes what no human can do. And that is to watch each and every trade of every stock in the markets and notify their customers about unusual activity so they can be the first to act.
That was how they got their start in 2002 by catering mainly to professional traders, active traders, and hedge funds.
