Architect Financial Technologies
Category: AI in Fintech
Multinational derivatives exchange group offering AX (BMA-regulated perpetual futures on traditional assets and compute) and the American Innovation Exchange (CFTC DCM for futures/options on GPU compute costs and AI supply-chain commodities), bridging crypto-style market structure with regulated traditional and AI-economy derivatives. Architect Financial Technologies was founded in 2023. The company is led by Brett Harrison. Based in Chicago, United States. Team size: 101-500. Total funding raised: $52.0M. Latest round: Series A ($35.0M, Dec 2025). Key investors include Miami International Holdings (MIAX), Tioga Capital, BlockTower Capital, Coinbase Ventures, Galaxy Ventures, ARK Invest, VanEck.
- Founded
- 2023
- Headquarters
- Chicago, United States
- Team size
- 101-500
- Total funding
- $52.0M
Value proposition
Offers regulated venues for crypto-style perpetual futures on traditional assets (AX, BMA) and CFTC-regulated futures/options on AI compute and supply-chain inputs (American Innovation Exchange), with ComputeConnect physical GPU delivery, centralized clearing, flexible collateral, and institutional-to-eligible-individual access.
Products and solutions
American Innovation Exchange (AI Exchange) - CFTC DCM for futures/options on GPU compute costs and AI supply-chain inputs (acquired IMX Health DCM May 2026; pending regulatory review), AX Exchange - BMA-regulated perpetual futures on FX, equities, indices, rates, metals, energy, compute (expanded to eligible individuals and omnibus brokers Jul 2026), ComputeConnect - Exchange-for-physical (EFP) network linking compute futures to physical GPU delivery (with Compute Desk), Architect Securities LLC - SEC/FINRA broker-dealer, Architect Financial Derivatives LLC - CFTC/NFA introducing broker, Architect Bermuda Ltd - BMA-regulated AX operator, Web trading platform, low-latency APIs, open-source SDKs, Interest Rate Perpetual Futures (MarketVector Indexes, Mar 2026)
Unique value
First regulated exchange group combining traditional-asset perpetual futures (AX) with a U.S. CFTC DCM purpose-built for AI compute and supply-chain commodities (American Innovation Exchange), plus ComputeConnect EFP linking cash-settled compute futures to physical GPU capacity — capital-efficient 24/7 microstructure with traditional clearing and regulatory safeguards.
Target customer
Institutions and eligible individuals: hedge funds, market makers, family offices, asset managers, insurers/reinsurers, lenders; plus AI-economy participants — datacenters, neoclouds, hyperscalers, chip manufacturers, AI model labs, GPUaaS providers, and private credit/infrastructure lenders hedging compute.
Industries served
Financial Derivatives, Capital Markets, Asset Management, Hedge Funds, Market Making, Insurance and Reinsurance, Digital Assets and Crypto, AI Infrastructure and Compute Markets
Technology advantage
Built on Connamara Technologies' EP3® high-throughput matching engine with real-time margin calculations and integrated clearing. Offers dual regulatory structure (CFTC-registered derivatives broker, SEC-registered broker-dealer, BMA-regulated exchange), flexible USD/stablecoin collateral, open-source SDKs in multiple programming languages, and connectivity to major venues including CME, Cboe, Nasdaq, and Coinbase Derivatives. Targets the $85.7 trillion global derivatives market with 24/7 perpetual contracts that eliminate forced expiry and rolling costs.
How they differentiate
Only regulated exchange group pairing traditional-asset perpetual futures (AX/BMA) with a U.S. DCM for AI compute futures/options and an EFP network for physical GPU delivery — crypto-style capital efficiency with CFTC/BMA oversight, vs crypto-native perps venues and legacy futures exchanges without AI-compute product focus.
Main competitors
CME Group, Deribit, Binance
Key partnerships
Compute Desk (The Compute Index, Inc.) - ComputeConnect EFP network and GPU rental indexes for American Innovation Exchange (Jul 2026), IMX Health LLC - Acquired U.S. Designated Contract Market for American Innovation Exchange (May 2026), Connamara Technologies - EP3® matching engine, Ornn - Compute index provider for GPU/RAM futures on AX (Jan 2026), MarketVector Indexes - Interest rate perpetual futures (Mar 2026), Deltix (EPAM) - AX trading platform integration (Feb 2026), Miami International Holdings (MIAX) - Series A lead, Tioga Capital - Lead investor, Galaxy Ventures, ARK Invest, VanEck, Trumid, Geneva Trading - Strategic investors, CME Group, Cboe, Nasdaq, Coinbase Derivatives - Market connectivity
Notable customers
Hedge funds, Market makers, Family offices, Asset managers, Insurance and reinsurance companies, Institutional lenders, Datacenters and neoclouds, Hyperscalers and AI model labs, GPUaaS / colo providers, Eligible individual investors (AX, Jul 2026), Omnibus brokerage intermediaries
Major milestones
Founded January 2023 by former FTX US President Brett Harrison, Obtained CFTC-regulated derivatives broker status (Sep 2023), Raised $12M seed led by BlockTower and Tioga (Feb 2024), Obtained SEC broker-dealer status (Oct 2024), Launched AX perpetual futures exchange (Nov 2025), Raised $35M Series A at $187M valuation led by MIAX and Tioga (Dec 2025), Partnership with Ornn for GPU/RAM compute futures on AX (Jan 2026), Deltix integration with AX (Feb 2026), MarketVector Indexes interest rate perpetual futures (Mar 2026), Acquired IMX Health LLC (U.S. DCM); announced American Innovation Exchange for AI compute futures (May 28, 2026), Partnered with Compute Desk to launch ComputeConnect EFP for GPU delivery (Jul 8, 2026), BMA approved AX access for eligible individual investors and omnibus brokerage accounts; ~$3B notional since launch (Jul 21, 2026)
Growth metrics
Raised $35M Series A at $187M post-money (Dec 2025); AX ~$3B notional volume since launch (as of Jul 2026); acquired U.S. DCM for American Innovation Exchange (May 2026); ComputeConnect EFP with Compute Desk (Jul 2026); AX opened to eligible individuals/omnibus brokers (Jul 2026)
Market positioning
Bridge between crypto derivatives microstructure, traditional finance, and the AI economy — regulated perpetual futures on traditional assets plus U.S. exchange-traded compute/AI supply-chain derivatives for institutions and eligible individuals
Geographic focus
Global (Bermuda-regulated exchange serving institutional clients in eligible jurisdictions worldwide, with US broker-dealer and CFTC-registered operations)
Patents and IP
No registered patents publicly disclosed as of latest update (February 2026)
About Brett Harrison
Former President of FTX US (May 2021 - September 2022), Head of Semi-Systematic Technology at Citadel Securities (2020-2021), Senior Software Developer at Headlands Technologies LLC (2018-2020), Head of Trading Systems Technology at Jane Street Capital (2010-2018). Over 13 years of experience building high-frequency trading systems and algorithmic trading infrastructure at top global quantitative trading firms.
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Official website: https://architect.co
