MAKOR

MAKOR Group is an international financial services firm providing brokerage and investment banking services tailored for institutional investors. The company was established in March 2011 by Michael Halimi and Avi Bouhadana, both of whom were previously senior managers at Cantor Fitzgerald Europe. They were joined by co-founders Yankel Hassan and Michael Benitah, who also came from Cantor Fitzgerald, bringing extensive experience in capital markets, foreign exchange, and trading. The founders' journey reflects a deep background in the capital markets industry; Michael Halimi began his career at Société Générale in 1992, and both he and Avi Bouhadana had long tenures at Cantor Fitzgerald where they were instrumental in building the European Equity platform.

The firm's business is centered on delivering specialized execution and advisory services across a wide array of asset classes, including Equity, Fixed Income, Foreign Exchange (FX), and digital assets. MAKOR operates on an agency-only model, meaning it does not take proprietary positions, which aligns its interests exclusively with those of its clients by avoiding potential conflicts. Its revenue is generated by providing financial securities research and execution services to its client base. The clientele consists of institutional players such as pension funds, mutual funds, hedge funds, risk arbitrage specialists, and private banks. The company emphasizes providing access to liquidity across more than 90 trading venues worldwide.

MAKOR's service portfolio includes a single point of access to global equity markets, anonymous execution services, and specialized trading ideas focusing on risk arbitrage, special situations, and event-driven opportunities. In 2017, the firm launched Enigma Securities, a dedicated cryptocurrency arm, to cater to the growing digital asset market. This subsidiary offers a bridge between traditional finance and DeFi, providing liquidity and trading services for institutional clients in the crypto space. The group has expanded significantly through strategic moves, including the 2014 acquisition of Oscar Gruss & Son and the 2021 acquisition of Churchill Capital, which broadened its global footprint. A key milestone was the completion of its Series A funding round in October 2021, which valued the company at $200 million and involved strategic partnerships with Algorand and Alan Howard to enhance its fintech and digital asset capabilities.

Keywords: institutional brokerage, investment banking, financial securities, execution services, advisory services, capital markets, equity trading, fixed income, foreign exchange, FX, digital assets, cryptocurrency brokerage, Enigma Securities, risk arbitrage, special situations, event-driven opportunities, liquidity provider, agency-only broker, fintech solutions, asset management, global trading, Michael Halimi, Avi Bouhadana