Architect
Founded 2023 · 107 employees on LinkedIn · 14 known investors
Architect Financial Technologies builds proprietary trading technology supporting its affiliated brokerage entities, including a futures and options introducing broker and a registered broker-dealer for securities trading. It serves traders of futures exchange products, virtual currency futures/options, and securities in the United States.
Also known as Architect Financial Technologies · Architect Financial Technologies Inc. · AX
Investors · 14
Also in the syndicate · 6
Funding
SEC filings, press & company announcements- Undisclosed amountSeries ADec 2025
Miami International Holdings (lead), Tioga Capital (lead), ARK Invest, CMT Digital, Coinbase Ventures, Galaxy Ventures, Geneva Trading, Strobe Ventures, Third Kind Venture Capital, Trumid, VanEck
Source ↗
Source: company announcements and press reports — follow each round's link for the claim.
Valuation · disclosed
Disclosed eventsSource: SEC prospectus filings, and round valuations the company or its investors disclosed — follow each entry's link for the claim.
Company profile
researched Aug 2026Architect Financial Technologies Inc. is a Chicago-based financial technology company that, through its subsidiaries, provides institutional trading technology, US electronic brokerage services and a global perpetual futures exchange. Architect Securities LLC is a FINRA-registered introducing broker-dealer for SEC-regulated securities and security derivatives; Architect Financial Derivatives LLC is an NFA-registered independent introducing broker for CFTC-regulated derivatives; and Architect Bermuda Ltd., regulated by the Bermuda Monetary Authority, operates AX, a multi-asset perpetual futures exchange for institutional customers [6].
AX, launched in November 2025, is described in company materials as the financial industry's first centralized exchange for perpetual futures on traditional asset classes, offering perpetual contracts on foreign currencies, interest rates, single stocks, stock indexes, metals and other commodities [6][7]. The company's own website markets a product suite branded "The American Innovation Exchange" centered on AI-native markets: listed futures and options on GPU rental prices for Nvidia Hopper and Blackwell accelerators (H100, H200, B200, B300) across monthly to yearly expirations, standard and perpetual futures on metals in the AI supply chain (copper, silver, gold), and derivatives on energy and power underlyings relevant to datacenter operations (WTI, Henry Hub, Midwest, PJM, ERCOT) [0].
Secondary coverage describes brokerage functionality including multi-asset access to US-regulated equities, equity options, futures and options on futures, APIs and SDKs in Rust, Python and JavaScript, paper trading, execution algorithms and customizable dashboards, with connectivity to venues including CME Group, Cboe, Nasdaq and Coinbase Derivatives, and clearing and settlement through RQD Clearing LLC [7].
Founding story
Architect Financial Technologies was founded in 2023 by Brett Harrison, previously president of FTX.US, and completed a $5 million pre-seed round upon its establishment [6][7]. Nate Clancy is listed as co-founder and Chief Business Officer [5].
Business model
Architect operates regulated brokerage and exchange entities alongside proprietary trading technology, serving institutional clients through its introducing broker-dealer, introducing broker and the AX perpetual futures exchange [6][7].
Traction
The company launched AX in November 2025 and raised a $35 million Series A in December 2025 anchored by strategic exchange, asset management and trading firms; total capital raised across pre-seed, seed and Series A is reported at $52 million [6][7]. A subsequent release notes that AX expanded access to individual investors and omnibus brokerage accounts following regulatory approval [6].
Latest developments
In December 2025 Architect announced the $35 million Series A anchored by Miami International Holdings and Tioga Capital to scale AX [6][7]. Other company announcements referenced include regulatory approval enabling AX access for individual investors and omnibus brokerage accounts, and a partnership with The Compute Index, Inc. ("Compute Desk") to launch an exchange-for-physical market for GPU compute [6].
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history, risks & controversies
Market position
AX is presented as the first centralized exchange for perpetual futures on traditional asset classes, extending a contract type popular in crypto markets into regulated fiat-based derivatives under Bermuda Monetary Authority oversight [6][7].
Architect combines regulated US brokerage entities with an offshore Bermuda-regulated exchange offering perpetual-style contracts on traditional and AI-economy underlyings, including GPU-hour futures and options on named Nvidia accelerator models, which it positions as a new asset class [0][6][7].
Technology
Architect develops proprietary trading infrastructure for capital markets covering equities, ETFs, futures, options and tokenized assets, offering full-featured APIs and SDKs in Rust, Python and JavaScript, paper trading, execution algorithms and customizable dashboards, and uses Connamara Technologies' EP3 exchange platform, with connectivity to CME Group, Cboe, Nasdaq and Coinbase Derivatives and clearing via RQD Clearing LLC (SIPC protection up to $500,000) [7].
Go-to-market
The company markets AX directly to institutional clients for onboarding via architect.exchange and runs an early-access sign-up and waitlist for individual traders [0][6]. It also works through partnerships, including with Connamara Technologies for the EP3 exchange platform and with Compute Desk on an exchange-for-physical market for GPU compute [6][7].
AX is available to institutions including hedge funds, market makers, family offices, asset managers, insurance and reinsurance companies, and lenders in eligible jurisdictions, with a waitlist for sophisticated individual traders [6]. The company's website targets compute buyers (frontier model labs, hyperscalers, enterprise AI teams, AI-native SaaS), compute sellers (neoclouds, GPU-as-a-service providers, colocation operators, hyperscaler resellers), lenders (private credit, PE infrastructure, project finance, asset-backed lenders) and speculators including market makers, macro funds, CTAs, prop traders and retail [0].
Geography
Headquartered in Chicago, with US-regulated brokerage subsidiaries and a Bermuda-based affiliate, Architect Bermuda Ltd., serving clients in eligible jurisdictions [6][7].
History
Founded in 2023 with a $5 million pre-seed round, Architect raised a $12 million seed round in 2024, launched the AX perpetual futures exchange through its Bermuda affiliate in November 2025, and announced a $35 million Series A in December 2025 [6][7].
Risks & controversies
Coverage notes that perpetual futures can amplify leverage-related risks and market volatility, and that a regulated venue invites scrutiny relative to unregulated platforms; the founder previously served as president of FTX.US [7].
Compiled by commissioned research from 8 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
Timeline · 4
launches, deals, and filingsArchitect Financial Technologies announced completion of a $35 million strategic Series A anchored by Miami International Holdings and Tioga Capital, with participation from Galaxy Ventures, ARK Invest, VanEck, Trumid, Geneva Trading and returning investors Coinbase Ventures, Strobe Ventures, CMT Digital and Third Kind Venture Capital. Broadhaven advised on the transaction.
$35M source ↗
Architect launched AX, described as the first centralized exchange for perpetual futures on traditional asset classes, operated by Bermuda-based affiliate Architect Bermuda Ltd. under Bermuda Monetary Authority regulation, offering perpetual contracts on FX, interest rates, single stocks, stock indexes, metals and other commodities.
Architect announced a partnership with The Compute Index, Inc. ("Compute Desk") to launch an exchange-for-physical market for GPU compute.
Architect announced that its Bermuda-based affiliate Architect Bermuda Ltd. expanded access to the AX exchange to individual investors and omnibus brokerage accounts following regulatory approval.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
In the news
▸Research sources · 8
primary sources listed
- Architectarchitect.co · web
8 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Architect do?
- Architect builds institutional trading technology, US brokerage services and AX, a Bermuda-regulated perpetual futures exchange.
- Who are Architect's investors?
- Architect's investors include Tioga Capital Partners, Twelve Below, Coinbase Ventures, Galaxy Ventures, Strobe Ventures, Third Kind Venture Capital, Tq Ventures Llc, VanEck.