AQ Metrics Raises $3.25m from International Investors to Build Team & Expand to US

DUBLIN, February 16, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

AQ Metrics, an integrated risk management, regulatory compliance and surveillance software provider, today announced that it has closed its first external funding round. The $3.25million round consists of investors Frontline Ventures, Bluff Point Associates, and Enterprise Ireland.

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AQ Metrics was founded by Geraldine Gibson in 2012 when she noted that Investment Managers were finding themselves in an era of great change, making risk management and compliance exceptionally complicated. AQ Metrics offers a simple, innovative and effective way to address regulatory risk and compliance. The firm delivers an ultra-fast, high quality cloud based platform that saves its clients time and money.

AQ Metrics' current team of 12 has been dedicated to building AQ Metrics' platform for the past three years. As a result, AQ Metrics software as a service has been used by both EU and Non-EU Investment Firms to submit regulatory filings to regulators in Denmark, Sweden, Norway, the UK, Germany and Ireland. With a fast-growing client demand, the team is capitalising on the momentum: AQ Metrics will be hiring 30 roles in Ireland within the next 12 months and establishing a New York office in the next six months.

"At AQ Metrics we saw that a very clear gap existed for a technologically advanced cloud based platform to simplify regulatory complexity in real time. We believe that AQ Metrics will play a transformative role in the way Investment Managers meet their global regulatory obligations. The addition of Frontline Ventures and Bluff Point Associates as investors will help drive AQ Metrics' ambition to build on its existing success as a leader in the European RegTech space by establishing a US presence," said Geraldine Gibson, CEO of AQ Metrics.

Tom McInerney, CEO of Bluff Point Associates said, "We are very excited to partner with Geraldine and the team at AQ Metrics to expand its growth opportunities here in the US. We see tremendous upside for Fintech firms in the ever increasing world of regulation, risk management and compliance reporting. This will be Bluff Point's first investment in Ireland, where we have strong personal links and are delighted to have them join our growing portfolio of financial and healthcare technology companies."

Frontline Ventures partner Shay Garvey said, "We are really excited to back such an ambitious founder - Geraldine had her eye set on international markets from the start. Her dedicated team is testament to the innovative RegTech product that AQ Metrics has built."

About AQ Metrics 
The AQ Metrics platform integrates pricing, risk and regulatory solutions into a single offering. AQ Metrics helps its clients stay compliant while eliminating errors, reducing downtime, avoiding risks and minimizing regulatory breaches. AQ Metrics provides clients with end to end data management solutions, from data preparation through to reporting to comply with existing and future financial services regulations. AQ Metrics delivers turnkey Pre and Post Trade Monitoring, UCITS Rules Monitoring, AIFMD Risk Management and Annex IV Reporting, AML/KYC and UBO monitoring, EMIR Reporting and OPERA Reports. Using AQ Metrics firms can: track investor activity, orders, executions and holdings from pre to post trade; receive risk alerts and notification of compliance breaches; and gain access to a dedicated team of industry specialists who assist in the simplification of regulatory risk and compliance.

About Bluff Point Associates 
Bluff Point Associates is a private equity firm based in Westport, Connecticut. Bluff Point actively invests in the healthcare information services sector as well as information services companies supporting the banking, trust, securities, retirement and wealth management sectors of the financial services industry. Bluff Point's team collectively has decades of experience in recognizing a company's growth potential and working with its management to reach that potential. For more information regarding Bluff Point, visit http://www.bluffpt.com.

About Frontline Ventures 
Frontline Ventures is an early-stage venture capital fund based in London and Dublin, with a focus on European enterprise SaaS startups. Frontline is focused on the needs of the new wave of technology entrepreneurs - investing in the best teams that build capital-efficient businesses in high-growth markets. For more information, visit http://www.frontline.vc 

SOURCE AQ Metrics