Martin Franchi is CEO of NinjaTrader.
What were the key theme(s) for your business in 2024?
2024 was a transformative year for NinjaTrader, centered on innovation and expansion driven by our customers. The surge in active traders advancing to futures trading provided invaluable insights, allowing us to launch the Pulse indicator, a first-of-its-kind feature showcasing the sentiment of the NinjaTrader community. We also completely overhauled our mobile app to deliver an intuitive experience that matches the expectations set by popular investing apps. We scaled our team with over 100 new hires, including key leadership roles, bringing unparalleled expertise in FinTech to ensure we stay ahead in shaping the future of active trading. All the new leaders we have welcomed to the team recently have extensive experience delivering industry-leading technology and services across a diverse set of industries. Combined with the incredible talent already at the firm, we are well-positioned to continue growing. We are very purposeful during our recruiting process to ensure all new hires fit with our NinjaTrader culture, where we put customers first and stay focused on building the most powerful tools for today’s trader.
What are your expectations for 2025?
In 2025, we expect to see continued momentum in active retail trading, driven by enhanced engagement and education on the NinjaTrader platform. We are reimagining the trader journey by offering unlimited access to live market data for free, complemented by our award-winning support to guide traders at every step. By collaborating with the CME and other leading exchanges, we’re ensuring retail investor’s voices shape innovative products like nano-sized futures and contracts that lower the barriers to entry. Our focus is on delivering transformative tools and experiences that help traders build confidence, strategies, and long-term success in futures markets. We are hyper-focused on creating the premier futures trading experience for the ever-expanding group of investors entering the space.
What trends are getting underway that people may not know about but will be important?
One of the most exciting trends is the growing focus on retail traders by major exchanges, a shift that was unimaginable a decade ago. This focus is driving a wave of innovation, from nano-sized futures and perpetual contracts to single-stock futures, creating more accessible and flexible trading opportunities. We’re excited to be at the forefront of this transformation, collaborating with leading exchanges and start-ups to bring these cutting-edge products to market.
What industry trends have been prominent but are now fading (or will soon fade)?
Some trends, like event contracts, have shown early promise but struggled to gain consistent adoption due to their time-sensitive nature. While they generate excitement around specific moments, they lack the daily trading momentum of benchmarks like the S&P. Something that I’ll think we’ll see a shift towards will be the web and mobile platforms reshaping the industry. We anticipate a resurgence in desktop solutions as traders advance and demand more sophisticated capabilities. We’re committed to meeting traders wherever they are on their journey, with seamless web, mobile, and desktop solutions that grow alongside them.
