Mantara

About Mantara

Mantara, Inc. was a financial technology firm established in 2003 by co-founders Shawn Sloves, David Arnold, and Bill Segall. The New York-based company positioned itself as a specialized vendor of high-performance trading systems, catering to the burgeoning high-frequency trading (HFT) community. Its business model revolved around providing sophisticated, low-latency technology solutions as a service to a client base that included black-box hedge funds, proprietary trading shops, agency brokers, and major brokerage firms.

The company's core offering was the expressWay™ platform, an infrastructure designed for ultra-low latency market data delivery and direct market access. To address the critical need for risk management in high-speed environments, Mantara developed the Comprehensive High-Frequency Patrol System (CHiPS™), which provided broker-controlled, pre-trade risk checks with minimal impact on latency. This system was aimed at firms using unfiltered or "naked" market access, a segment facing increasing regulatory scrutiny.

A key strategic move in Mantara's history was the acquisition of UNX LLC in May 2012. This transaction brought the Catalyst execution management system (EMS) into Mantara's product suite, allowing the firm to offer a more integrated platform combining a front-end EMS with its back-end, low-latency connectivity and risk controls. The acquisition was driven by client demand for a unified, next-generation trading solution from a single, broker-neutral provider. The company also secured a strategic alliance and investment from financial giant UBS. Despite these developments and a growing client roster, Mantara filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in December 2012, effectively ceasing operations. Following the bankruptcy, its technology assets were transferred to one of its key customers, Deutsche Bank.