Adaptive, the custom trading technology solutions provider, has partnered with Rapid Addition, the financial messaging solutions vendor. The collaboration is designed to strengthen Adaptive’s capabilities in delivering advanced FIX solutions to capital markets clients with demanding requirements for high-performance counterparty connectivity and order management workflows.
The partnership is facilitated by Rapid Addition’s use of Aeron, the open-source messaging and clustering technology developed by Adaptive, ensuring seamless integration between both companies’ platforms.
“There is a clear need for sophisticated FIX functionality in the market,” Matt Barrett, CEO of Adaptive, tells TradingTech Insight. “We see a significant opportunity here because our two companies share a common vision—both for our clients and the wider industry. As firms look to build custom internal electronic workflows for execution, which Aeron supports effectively, world-class FIX infrastructure inevitably becomes a key requirement. By joining forces and presenting ourselves as partners, we are better positioned to meet this demand.”
Rapid Addition’s FIX platform supports all versions of the FIX protocol and is designed to manage thousands of connections, offering customisable engagement rules. By integrating Rapid Addition’s technology, Adaptive will be able to develop bespoke front-office trading systems with global, high-volume connectivity requirements that go beyond the capabilities of standard FIX engines.
“The RA platform already incorporates the open-source Aeron component, which is now part of Adaptive’s technology,” notes Mike Powell, CEO of Rapid Addition. “This shared underlying transport layer and message bus provides a common foundation for both platforms. It’s an excellent starting point that simplifies integration, performance tuning, and overall efficiency.”
He continues: “Additionally, both technologies follow an open philosophy and API-driven approach, allowing them to layer together seamlessly. They are designed to integrate easily with clients’ in-house systems and third-party solutions, making them highly complementary. We firmly believe the industry must move away from monolithic, one-size-fits-all solutions, which lack the agility needed to meet modern demands.”
With firms increasingly seeking flexible and cost-effective alternatives to legacy solutions, the partnership supports a growing industry shift towards assembling ‘best of breed’ trading infrastructures. By adopting a buy and build approach, working with open technology and agile vendors, firms can improve their responsiveness to regulatory changes and operational pressures.
“What this really means is making it easier for firms to move quickly and rapidly integrate,” states Powell. “They can choose the best third-party components and seamlessly plug them in without the fear of facing a complex integration process. The core underlying technology supports this flexibility, enabling firms to focus on building value-added applications on top. The shared philosophy between the two companies is certainly important, but the shared technology is equally critical. It provides a solid foundation that strengthens the partnership and ensures seamless collaboration.”
“We’re not aiming to replicate legacy monolithic solutions,” adds Barrett. “Instead, we believe we offer two great technologies that clients will want to use. Clients can approach us with confidence, knowing that these two platforms are designed to work seamlessly together if they choose to adopt both. Integration is not a concern—we’ve already taken care of that.”
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