Invast Financial Services Pty Ltd. (IFS), which is operating under the tradename Invast Global, is planning to enter the United Kingdom with the potential acquisition of GMO Financial Holdings-owned GMO-Z.com Trade UK Limited.
The press release shared with Finance Magnates detailed that if the acquisition is complete, GMO-Z.com Trade UK will become the UK subsidiary of the Australia-headquartered brokerage group.
Invast Global’s subsidiary INV Inc. will acquire GMO-Z.com Trade UK Limited. The deal is now awaiting the approval of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA ) and the execution date is yet to be determined.
The move came after Invast entered continental Europe by establishing an office in Cyprus. In addition, it has strengthened its presence in the EMEA with several key appointments: Riana Chaili as the CEO of EMEA, Lochlan White as the CCO, and Liam Smith as the COO.
With the new London office, Invast is expecting to strengthen relationships with existing and potential clients and vendors and partners. The Aussie broker is further expecting to gain access to a talent pool, especially in the areas of quantitative trading and market making.
“As we continue to expand globally, we look for opportunities that match our business strategy with product offerings that align with our expertise,” Takeshi Kawaji, the President and CEO of INV Inc.
“Upon examination, it became clear that GMO-Z.com Trade UK complemented our existing businesses in Tokyo, Sydney and Cyprus. We see great opportunities for continued growth and are excited about the future possibilities this acquisition creates.”
London Expansion
Based in London, GMO-Z.com Trade UK was incorporated in October 2012 and has a registered capital of 1.5 million pounds. Its Tokyo-headquartered parent, GMO Financial Holdings has a registered capital of 705 million yen.
The Board of Directors of INV Inc. already agreed to purchase all the stakes of GMO-Z.com Trade UK. The proposed financial terms are unknown. However, Invast highlighted that the price is “considered fair and reasonable.”
“As a multi-asset Prime Brokerage that has merged many decades of experience in Japanese online broking with some of the sharpest institutional brokerage executives in the industry to build a bespoke liquidity offering, this acquisition will speed up our global expansion plans that began with the office in Cyprus,” Invast Global’s CEO, Gavin White said.
“This gives us access to the UK market that will further enhance our value proposition to our existing clients and enable us to continue to grow and service more clients.”
