Aquis Exchange is to establish Aquis Real Asset Market (Aram), the third segment of the Aquis Growth Market, in partnership with real estate investment company Martley Capital Group. It’s the latest in a string of moves to diversify into new asset areas to support growth – including KCx’s recent move into art dealing and LSEG’s PISCES initiative to support private share trading.
Aram is expected to launch in H2 2024, subject to regulatory approval. It will be open to companies owning commercial real estate and other real assets, including infrastructure, land and forestry and debt products in these sectors.
Aquis’ software and technology division, Aquis Technologies, will provide connectivity, scalability and trading mechanisms to Aram. Marley Capital Aram has been established by Marley Capital and other stakeholders to act as a specialist advisor to the market.
Aquis’ software and technology division, Aquis Technologies, will provide connectivity, scalability and trading mechanisms to Aram.
Aram will be the third segment established on the Aquis Growth Market, alongside the two existing segments, Access (for smaller start-ups) and Apex (for larger, more established firms). The Growth Market was set up by Aquis to support small businesses by offering a more accessible route to raising capital, with proportionate costs and ease of admission.
“Who wouldn’t be excited about getting involved with the biggest asset class in the world?” said Aquis Exchange CEO, Alasdair Haynes. “We are looking forward to working with Richard Croft and the Martley Capital team… to enable investors to access commercial property and other real assets via the public markets.”
Aquis is the latest organisation to broaden its asset coverage range. The ARTEX Stock Exchange, a MiFID II-compliant multilateral trading venue for investing in “masterpiece paintings”, commenced trading 8 March 2024 – with Kepler Cheuvreux’s execution services platform KCx going live on the exchange from 11 March.
The UK Government also recently proposed a framework for a Private Intermittent Securities and Capital Exchange System (PICES), a pre-IPO intermittent trading venue which it states will “allow private companies to trade their securities in a controlled environment”.
