ICE Subsidiary IBA Partners with Space Intelligence to Launch Commodity Traceability Platform

ICE Benchmark Administration Limited (IBA), a subsidiary of Intercontinental Exchange, Inc., is collaborating with Space Intelligence, a nature mapping data provider, to introduce the ICE Commodity Traceability Service (ICE CoT). This is a new technology platform designed to streamline the trade of physical cocoa and coffee by automating the submission, storage, validation, and sharing of due diligence information required under the European Union’s Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). The EUDR aims to minimise the EU’s contribution to global deforestation by ensuring that specified goods entering or sold in the EU are “deforestation-free” and lawfully produced. Given that Europe is the largest market for cocoa and coffee globally, the regulation has significant implications for supply chains.

The partnership will see Space Intelligence’s geospatial mapping integrated into ICE CoT, identifying areas in cocoa and coffee-producing countries that have been deforested since December 31, 2020, and are ineligible for EUDR-compliant production. This data will be combined with ICE CoT’s farm and physical flow validation methods, leveraging geolocation and traceability information to support compliance across the supply chain.

The platform’s pilot phase began in June 2024, focusing on the validation of cocoa and coffee farm geolocation data to allow companies to upload farm plot coordinates and conduct a series of validation checks on the data. IBA also plans to pilot the validation of physical flow data, including the movement, merging, or splitting of cocoa and coffee parcels along the supply chain, alongside lawful production data.

IBA aims to launch ICE CoT by the end of 2024, subject to further testing, system and data availability, and any regulatory requirements.

CJC Achieves ISO 27001:2022 Certification Upgrade

Crown Jewels Consultant Ltd (CJC), the market data professional services and commercial management provider, has upgraded its ISO 27001 certification to the latest 2022 standard, underscoring the company’s ongoing commitment to upholding the highest information security standards and compliance with international protocols. The updated ISO 27001:2022 certification reflects a more rigorous approach to managing sensitive information, as confirmed through a comprehensive external audit of CJC’s security practices, policies, and procedures.

The certification upgrade aligns with the forthcoming EU Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) and supports CJC’s cybersecurity initiatives, including achieving Cyber Essentials Certification in March. Key improvements in the 2022 standard include enhanced cybersecurity practices, strengthened data privacy, increased resilience to cyberattacks, and greater consumer confidence through robust protection of confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

Pinnacle IM Taps TRAction for Streamlined Transaction Reporting

Pinnacle Investment Management, multi-affiliate investment firm, has turned to  TRAction for help to enhance its transaction reporting for both European Market Infrastructure Regulation (EMIR) and Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) rules. Pinnacle will use TRAction’s trade reporting solution to simplify reporting processes and reduce the burden on internal resources. TRAction’s platform automates the submission of reports, while also helping Pinnacle to navigate complex reporting requirements to ensure compliance. The initiative comes as firms address recent and upcoming regulatory changes, such as the EMIR Refit (effective from April this year) and the ASIC Rewrite (coming into effect in October). 

Preqin Alternatives Data Integrates With Bipsync Tech

Asset management technology platform Bipsync has integrated alternative markets information and technology specialist Prequin’s data into its tools and services.

Clients of each company will be able to access Preqin’s data and insights within New York-based Bipsync’s workflow automation tech. The tie-up enables users to integrate Preqin data with their own to give the broadest view of their portfolios.

Johannesburg Stock Exchange Expands Colo 2.0 Service with Beeks and IPC Support

The Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) is advancing its Colo 2.0 service through an extended collaboration with Beeks Group and IPC. In response to rising demand for dual-location disaster recovery solutions, Beeks’ Exchange Cloud service has now been deployed at Teraco’s secondary data centre, aiming to strengthen the JSE’s resilience, ensuring robust infrastructure for the future.

The Colo 2.0 service, launched in September 2023, has quickly become a vital component of the JSE’s operations, offering private cloud computing and low-latency analytics. The strong adoption of this service led to the need for a secondary solution to support growth and disaster recovery. The expansion at Teraco reflects the successful partnership between the JSE, Beeks, and IPC, highlighting a shared commitment to future-proofing financial market infrastructure. The collaboration aims to extend these cloud-based solutions to other exchanges globally.

Baton Systems Launches Advanced Treasury Management Tools for Real-Time Intraday Liquidity Optimisation

Baton Systems, the global capital markets technology provider, has introduced new treasury management tools designed to enhance intraday liquidity management, reduce buffers, and mitigate real-time risk. The tools are designed to help firms to lower financing costs, address increasing regulatory scrutiny, and better navigate volatile market conditions.

Baton’s latest offering provides treasury managers with a real-time dashboard that offers comprehensive insights into liquidity sources across all business lines, enabling improved decision-making and strategy adjustments. By integrating real-time data with historical models, the solution helps predict liquidity demands, optimise payment sequencing, and detect market or counterparty risks. Additionally, stress testing capabilities allow firms to assess liquidity resilience under various scenarios. The new tools are seamlessly integrated with Baton’s Core-Payments platform.

QUODD Partners with Infosel to Enhance Market Data Solutions in Latin America

On-demand market data provider QUODD has partnered with Latin American investment intelligence fintech Infosel, to integrate QUODD’s QX Marketplace content into Infosel’s market data platform, enhancing the analytics and insights available to financial institutions across Mexico and Latin America.

Infosel now leverages QUODD’s comprehensive market data to support banks, investment advisors, and traders through both its platform and customisable white-label solutions. QUODD’s extensive market data includes global equities, fixed income, indices, and mutual fund pricing, while Infosel delivers financial analytics and insights. The collaboration aims to strengthen both companies’ positions in the region’s financial technology landscape.

ESG Book Clients Offered Access to Vyzrd Climate Technology

Sustainability data provider ESG Book is to use Australian firm Vyzrd’s climate risk technology to help clients assess their portfolios’ exposure to threats posed by global warming.

Clients of ESG Book’s SaaS-based platform will be able to use Vyzrd’s Climate Forward analytics to put a value on the risks that assets face from climate change and net-zero transition policies.

Eventus Partners with ANCORD to Offer Validus Trade Surveillance Platform to Brazilian Brokers

Eventus, the trade surveillance and financial risk solutions vendor, has entered a partnership with ANCORD, Brazil’s National Association of Securities, Foreign Exchange and Commodities Brokers and Dealers. Through the collaboration, Eventus’ Validus platform will be accessible to ANCORD members, enabling them to implement a comprehensive trade surveillance solution tailored to their specific needs.

The partnership follows BSM’s recent mandate requiring Brazilian brokerages to independently monitor trading activities to detect regulatory infractions such as insider trading and spoofing. Validus offers extensive automation and adaptability to meet these new guidelines and cope with regulatory changes and data surges.

Eventus CEO Travis Schwab commented: “Brazil has long been focused on protecting investors and ensuring that firms prevent, detect and root out bad behaviour. Our Validus platform is proven in many of the most demanding trading environments globally, and brokers in Brazil can now tap into our expertise and high-performance technology to not only meet regulatory requirements but bring significant efficiencies to their compliance programs.”

Eventus boasts a client retention rate close to 100% and serves a diverse range of clients globally, including Tier 1 banks, brokers, and regulatory bodies.

S&P Global and Accenture Collaborate to Advance GenAI in Financial Services

S&P Global and Accenture have announced a strategic collaboration to drive generative AI (GenAI) innovation within the financial services sector. Central to this partnership is a comprehensive gen AI learning program, set to launch in August, aimed at equipping S&P Global’s 35,000 employees with essential AI skills. The program will utilise Accenture LearnVantage services, offering tailored content to enhance AI fluency across the workforce and meet the industry’s evolving talent needs.

In addition to the learning initiative, the collaboration will enhance AI development and benchmarking within the financial services industry. By integrating Accenture’s Foundation Model Services with S&P AI Benchmarks by Kensho, the partnership will provide financial firms with advanced tools to manage, scale, and evaluate large language models (LLMs). This initiative will allow banks, insurers, and capital markets firms to improve their AI solutions’ performance and efficacy, while maintaining responsible AI practices.