About a-team Marketing Services
The knowledge platform for the financial technology industry
The knowledge platform for the financial technology industry

A-Team Insight Blogs

McKay Brothers Secures Growth Funding via IMC Investment

Subscribe to our newsletter

By Zoe Schiff

Microwave connectivity specialist McKay Brothers has secured funding for future growth through a capital injection from Dutch trading technology provider IMC. The investment agreement – announced September 1 – also reaffirms McKay’s continued independence under co-founders Stéphane Tyc and Bob Meade.

Terms of the investment weren’t disclosed, but the companies said funds would be used for the further improvement of McKay Brothers’ high-speed networks, designed to serve the latency sensitive trading community. Specifically, McKay will commit further investment to reduce latency to the physical limit in its key long haul routes, include to data centres in Newark and Secaucus, NJ, home to several key US execution venues.

Also of interest, is McKay’s microwave connection between London’s key trading venues and Frankfurt, home to Deutsche Boerse and its Eurex derivatives marketplace. The connection will be key to firms’ hosting considerations as MiFID II takes effect in early 2018, and as the proposed merger of the London Stock Exchange and Deutsche Boerse is consummated, assuming it goes ahead as planned.

In return for its capital investment, IMC will acquire an equity stake in McKay but will take a “very arm’s-length” approach, according to Tyc. IMC will be granted access to financial information resulting from its investment, but will not have access to client information. IMC also will not receive latency and pricing privileges over McKay clients.

McKay Brothers is expecting to see an increase in financial position, an increase in network speed and data coverage, and the relative insurance of its own autonomy, while IMC wants to give fair access to a fast network to liquidity providers.

“Our ability to attract financial backing from a firm with the industry standing and vision of IMC underscores our value to market participants. The agreement will facilitate further innovation and improvements to our networks,” remarked Meade.

“This agreement not only further strengthens our financial position, which will keep us ahead in terms of network speed and reach, and data coverage and quality, but, as importantly, maintains our autonomy,” added Tyc.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Related content

WEBINAR

Upcoming Webinar: The Role of Data Fabric and Data Mesh in Modern Trading Infrastructures

23 September 2025 10:00am ET | 3:00pm London | 4:00pm CET Duration: 50 Minutes The demands on trading infrastructure are intensifying. Increasing data volumes, the necessity for real-time processing, and stringent regulatory requirements are exposing the limitations of legacy data architectures. In response, firms are re-evaluating their data strategies to improve agility, scalability, and governance....

BLOG

Lloyds Partners with BNP Paribas to Launch FX Algorithmic Execution Service

Lloyds has established a partnership with BNP Paribas to provide its corporate and financial institution clients access to advanced FX Execution Algorithms (EAs). The collaboration will see Lloyds deliver a new FX Algorithmic Execution Service underpinned by BNP Paribas’ technology, aiming to enhance the efficiency and transparency of large foreign exchange transactions. Sarika Jajoo, Head...

EVENT

TradingTech Briefing New York

Our TradingTech Briefing in New York is aimed at senior-level decision makers in trading technology, electronic execution, trading architecture and offers a day packed with insight from practitioners and from innovative suppliers happy to share their experiences in dealing with the enterprise challenges facing our marketplace.

GUIDE

AI in Capital Markets: Practical Insight for a Transforming Industry – Free Handbook

AI is no longer on the horizon – it’s embedded in the infrastructure of modern capital markets. But separating real impact from inflated promises requires a grounded, practical understanding. The AI in Capital Markets Handbook 2025 provides exactly that. Designed for data-driven professionals across the trade life-cycle, compliance, infrastructure, and strategy, this handbook goes beyond...