Databento

Databento is a financial services company based in Salt Lake City, Utah, founded in 2019. The company provides market data solutions through a self-service model that allows users to access live exchange feeds and large volumes of historical data while paying only for the data they use. It serves finance and fintech institutions, from startups to large investment firms.

Databento has raised over $27.8 million in funding, including a $10 million Series A round. Its team comprises professionals with experience at leading trading firms such as Two Sigma, Flow Traders, and Virtu, as well as major technology companies like Google, Stripe, and AWS.

The company offers multiple services, including live market data through streaming APIs, historical data via APIs and a portal, and packet captures (PCAPs) for raw market data. It also provides corporate actions data, detailing company events affecting securities, and dedicated connectivity for high-speed, low-latency access. Supported asset classes include options, futures, and equities.

Databento launched its pay-as-you-go historical data service in April 2023 and introduced real-time equities and options data in August 2023. The company operates remotely, with employees across eight time zones in cities like New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and Sydney.

The team includes CEO Christina Qi, formerly of Domeyard and UBS, and key engineers from leading trading firms. Databento has received multiple recognitions, including Inc. Magazine's Best Workplace 2023, the People’s Choice Award at FIA Expo 2021, and selection as a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer in 2022.

Backed by investors such as Unusual Ventures, Indicator Ventures, and Tribe Capital, Databento continues to expand its market data offerings while maintaining a flexible, scalable pricing model for financial firms.

Databento was founded in 2019 in Salt Lake City, Utah, to simplify access to market data. The company was established by professionals with backgrounds in high-frequency trading, financial technology, and software engineering. It aimed to provide a flexible, self-service model that allowed users to access live and historical market data while paying only for what they used.

The team behind Databento included individuals who had worked at leading trading firms such as Two Sigma, Flow Traders, and Virtu, as well as technology companies like Google, Stripe, and AWS. Recognising the high cost and complexity involved in obtaining and integrating market data, they developed a platform that would provide easy access to financial data through APIs and cloud-based solutions.

Databento raised over $27.8 million in funding from various investors, including Unusual Ventures, Indicator Ventures, and Tribe Capital. In November 2021, the company announced its Series A funding round, securing $10 million to further develop its services. By this time, the company had already gained interest from financial institutions looking for a more efficient way to access market data.

In April 2023, Databento publicly launched its flagship pay-as-you-go historical data service. This service enabled users to access large volumes of historical market data without having to commit to expensive long-term contracts. In August 2023, the company expanded its offerings by introducing real-time equities and options data, allowing users to access live market data through its APIs.

Databento operates as a remote-first company, with employees spread across eight time zones in major financial and technology hubs such as New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and Sydney. The company has been recognised for its work in financial technology, receiving awards such as the People’s Choice Award at FIA Expo 2021 and being named a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer in 2022. In 2023, it was also listed as one of Inc. Magazine's Best Workplaces.

Databento continues to expand its services, offering live and historical market data for options, futures, and equities. Its focus remains on providing financial institutions with cost-effective and scalable market data solutions through its technology-driven approach.

Databento aims to make market data more accessible and cost-effective for financial institutions, fintech companies, and startups. The company provides a self-service model that allows users to access live exchange feeds and historical data while only paying for what they use. By simplifying the process of acquiring and integrating financial data, Databento helps businesses reduce costs and improve efficiency. The team, with experience from top trading firms and technology companies, focuses on building scalable solutions that serve firms of all sizes. The goal is to provide high-quality, real-time, and historical market data through easy-to-use APIs and cloud-based technology.

Databento envisions a financial industry where access to market data is simple, affordable, and flexible for all businesses, from small startups to large investment firms. The company aims to remove the barriers associated with traditional market data providers by offering scalable, on-demand solutions. By leveraging advanced technology, Databento seeks to become the preferred choice for financial institutions looking for efficient market data access. Its vision includes continuous innovation to improve data delivery and expand coverage across asset classes. Through its flexible pricing model and technology-driven approach, Databento strives to reshape how financial firms access and use market data.

Databento has received multiple awards and recognition for its contributions to financial technology. In 2022, it was selected as a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer, recognising its innovation in market data services. In 2021, the company won the People’s Choice Award at the FIA Expo, highlighting its impact in the financial industry. In 2023, Databento was named one of Inc. Magazine’s Best Workplaces, reflecting its strong work culture. These awards show the company’s commitment to improving market data accessibility. Backed by top investors and trusted by financial institutions, Databento continues to expand its services and industry presence.

Databento provides a range of market data products and services designed to help financial institutions, fintech companies, and traders access real-time and historical financial data. The company offers a self-service model that allows users to retrieve only the data they need while keeping costs manageable. The products are designed to support various market participants, including hedge funds, algorithmic traders, asset managers, and researchers.

The live data service provides real-time and intraday market data through streaming APIs. Users can access up-to-the-minute information on financial markets, enabling them to make timely trading decisions. The service delivers normalised data, meaning that data from different exchanges is formatted consistently, making it easier for firms to integrate into their existing systems. The live data service covers multiple asset classes, including equities, options, and futures, allowing users to track market movements without delays.

The historical data service provides access to large volumes of past market data. Through APIs and a web portal, users can retrieve financial data for analysis, backtesting, and research. This data is essential for quantitative trading firms, analysts, and financial institutions that need accurate historical records to develop trading strategies and understand market trends. The historical data is structured in a way that allows easy retrieval and analysis, helping firms reduce the time and effort required to process large datasets.

Databento also offers packet captures (PCAPs), which provide raw market data in its original packet format. This product is useful for firms that require a deep level of customisation in their data processing. By accessing unfiltered market data, companies can perform advanced analytics, develop proprietary trading models, and gain insights into order flow. This service is particularly valuable for high-frequency trading firms and other market participants that require precise data to optimise their trading strategies.

Another important service is corporate actions data, which provides information on events affecting publicly traded companies. This includes dividends, stock splits, mergers, acquisitions, and other corporate changes that impact securities. By offering a structured corporate actions dataset, Databento ensures that financial institutions have access to accurate and timely information that can influence trading and investment decisions.

The company also provides dedicated connectivity options for firms that require the lowest possible latency and maximum uptime. By offering private connectivity solutions, Databento allows users to access market data with minimal delays, improving the speed and reliability of their trading systems. This is particularly useful for hedge funds, proprietary trading firms, and institutional investors who rely on real-time data for fast execution of trades.

Databento’s services cover multiple asset classes, including equities, options, and futures. This allows users to access comprehensive financial data from different markets through a single platform. The company continues to expand its coverage, ensuring that clients receive high-quality data across various financial instruments.

With a focus on scalability and flexibility, Databento provides cost-effective market data solutions that suit businesses of all sizes. Its technology-driven approach ensures that users receive high-quality, real-time, and historical financial data through easy-to-use APIs, enabling them to make informed trading and investment decisions.