US stock exchange Nasdaq is launching a venture fund to explore potential FinTech investment and strategic partnership opportunities.
Investing under the title Nasdaq Ventures, the programme will make minority stake investments from below $1m to $10m in seed through to late-stage round.
The firm aims to make investments and collaborate with companies aligning with Nasdaq’s clients’ needs and its own long-term objectives in capital markets.
It says each potential deal will undergo scrutiny form from an internal committee to ensure they are aligned with Nasdaq’s overall financial and strategic goals.
The stock exchange and financial technology provider has not disclosed how much money is being set aside for its investment efforts but said it will not have any material implications on Nasdaq’s capital allocation strategy.
Nasdaq president and CEO Adena Friedman commented: “With the launch of our new venture investment program, we are reinforcing our focus on driving growth and innovation by evaluating, distributing, licensing and integrating disruptive technologies for the long-term benefit of our global clients.
“Investing in pioneering FinTech firms, who are developing unique technologies, continues our history of being a platform and partner of choice for the most innovative companies in the world.
“In addition, through this program we plan to accelerate the pace of innovation to ensure our clients continue to benefit from the technologies that are reshaping the capital markets.”
The firm highlighted digital transfers and blockchain, machine learning and artificial intelligence, emerging and frontier marketplaces, and next generation data, analytics and content aggregation as areas of interest.
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