Clarkson PLC announced the acquisition of 100% of the issued share capital of Zuma Labs Limited (“Zuma”), a leading technology provider serving stakeholders in the Forward Freight Agreement (“FFA”) and commodities markets.

Zuma, founded in 2020, was created to meet the rising demand for data and the growing appetite among FFA participants to leverage technology for a more efficient approach to trading. Zuma’s flagship product, Venetian, is a hybrid voice and electronic application that provides market participants with the ability to collect, record and distribute live pricing within a single interface. Venetian delivers advanced liquidity management and critical data insights for demanding markets. Venetian is powered by Prism, Zuma’s AI product, which gathers real-time intelligence from multiple sources enabling users to act on data quickly. Today, Zuma is trusted by leading broking houses worldwide, who leverage its capabilities to deliver enhanced insight and efficiency to their customer base.

This acquisition will expedite Zuma’s strategy to expand Venetian’s market reach, be at the forefront of technology for FFA, commodity and maritime markets and support AI enabled technology adoption.

Chase Bennett, CEO of Zuma Labs, commented:

“Venetian was built from the ground up to meet the real-world needs of brokers and traders. It is the modern way to broker, analyse and assist in trading FFA markets. Today, we have a significant presence in the Dry FFA market but with Clarksons as a strategic partner – bringing unmatched market coverage, expertise, and a shared vision of technology as an enabler – we’re well-positioned to accelerate adoption across multiple markets. 

“Furthermore, the potential of Prism, our AI product, combined with Clarksons’ depth of market knowledge, can create a powerful platform for progress, not just for clients, but for the markets as a whole.”

Andi Case, CEO of Clarksons, commented:

“Chase and the Zuma team showcase tools for trade with AI capabilities that unlock significant opportunities across our markets. Innovation has always been at the heart of our strategy, and this acquisition reinforces our commitment to technology enhanced engagement, growth, and delivering on the evolving needs of all market brokers and their clients in an increasingly complex global trading environment.” 

Zuma will continue to trade under its own name and brand, operating as a wholly owned subsidiary of Clarkson PLC.