Kate Kitto Hired as Principal of Simplex Ventures –

Industry veteran to drive venture capital arm of Simplex Trading and partner with leadership team to change the future of the financial industry

CHICAGO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Simplex Trading, a leading technology-driven, proprietary trading firm and one of the country’s top market makers in equity options, announced the hiring of Kate Kitto as the Principal of Venture Capital of Simplex Ventures, the firm’s venture capital arm. In her role, Kitto will source, evaluate and manage the firm’s investments in early-stage financial technology companies, with a particular focus on visionary founders who are driven to disrupt and transform the financial industry.

Kitto brings nearly a decade of experience in the startup ecosystem, working extensively in operational and consulting roles with startups and accelerators, including Flying Fish Partners, a venture capital firm based in the Pacific Northwest. Prior to joining Simplex, Kate worked as an early-stage technology investor focused on artificial intelligence startups.

“Kate is a dynamic leader with first-hand knowledge of the complexities facing founders and what they need to succeed,” said Erik Swanson, CEO of Simplex Trading. “We are thrilled to have her on the Simplex Ventures team as we work to support companies that shake the status quo and create a positive shift in the financial industry.”

Unique in the way they work, Simplex Ventures offers founders passion, flexibility and actionability; entrepreneurial thinking and proven expertise; strategic exposure; and vision. The Simplex Ventures leadership team boasts diverse experience across venture capital, business, finance, trading and technology industries, as well as the expertise and start-up mindset from founding and growing Simplex Trading into a top market maker in the U.S. Beyond a broad network of relationships with individuals and institutions to support founders as they grow their businesses, Simplex Ventures’ flat structure also allows the firm to seize opportunities by working at the fast pace at which the financial and technology industry operate and transform.

“Simplex Ventures identifies and pursues investments that truly resonate with our team and strikes our passion, and we have already proven our ability to deploy capital at a rate that creates sustained and exponential growth for partners,” said Kitto. “I’m truly excited to be a part of this team and help position us as the go-to partner when transformative fintech founders are looking for funding. We aim to engage with founders and companies that share our passion and vision for how this industry can truly transform – for the better.”

To date, Simplex Ventures has invested in the following high-growth and visionary companies and funds:

• BlockFills: A disruptive technology firm dedicated to the provision of bespoke end-to-end solutions to participants in the global digital asset market.
• Lynk: A no-code banking-as-a-service platform that enables the next wave of financial innovation and allows businesses to launch new products to market in minutes. One platform, unlimited possibilities.
• New Stack Ventures: New Stack invests broadly across sectors and categories with an emphasis on B2B Saas, Fintech, Supply Chain, Proptech, Healthcare and eCommerce.
• PICO: The leading provider of technology services for financial markets around the world.
• Zero Hash: A B2B embedded infrastructure platform that allows any platform to integrate digital assets natively into their own customer experience.
• Zulu: A mobile application allowing users to make and receive phone calls using their business phone extension, keeping business moving wherever you are.

To learn more about Simplex Ventures, visit simplextrading.com/simplex-ventures, or contact Kate Kitto, Principal of Venture Capital, at kkitto@simplextrading.com.

About Simplex Trading

Founded in Chicago in 2004, Simplex Trading is a leading, technology-driven, proprietary trading firm and one of the top market makers in U.S. equity options today. Simplex Trading works with the most advanced technology and software in the market, and focuses on innovation, automation and data-driven analysis to remain at the forefront of the market. Learn more at simplextrading.com.

About Simplex Ventures

Simplex Ventures invests in early-stage companies that are shaping the future of finance. Through its strategic investments, Simplex Ventures creates truly collaborative partnerships with visionary founders of fintech companies who are driven to disrupt and transform the financial industry. Learn more at simplextrading.com/simplex-ventures.

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