History

The GETCO story begins at the infancy of electronic trading. Recognizing a paradigm shift in the financial markets, our founders saw that technology would fundamentally change the way the markets function. They saw a new era of efficiency, transparency and competition. And they created GETCO to bring these new possibilities to life, for all types of market participants.

Co-founder Stephen Schuler monitors futures trading in 1999, the year that GETCO was founded.

Today, GETCO is a leading market maker working in three continents, across four asset classes, on over 50 markets around the world. Our team is 400 strong and growing, always going after new ways to create better and more efficient markets. For a year-by-year look at our growth and accomplishments, see the timeline below.

The Getco Timeline

1999

  • Two Chicago floor traders, Stephen Schuler and Dan Tierney, open the Global Electronic Trading Company–GETCO

2000

  • Begins trading operations in equity futures

2001

  • Begins trading operations in cash equities

2002

  • Acquires Blink Trading, LLC

2003

  • Expands into Europe with the opening of the London office
  • Begins trading operations in fixed income

2004

  • Begins trading operations in commodities

2005

  • Begins trading operations in FX
  • Becomes liquidity provider in all four major asset classes

2006

  • Opens New York office

2007

  • Begins trading operations in equity options

2008

  • Expands into Asia with the opening of the Singapore office
  • Launches alternative trading system (ATS) for U.S. equities

2010

  • NYSE adds GETCO as a Designated Market Maker (DMM)
  • Acquires 350 NYSE DMM assignments from Barclays Capital
  • Launches GES Europe, a broker crossing network for European equities
  • Launches GETRouted, a smart order router for U.S. equities
  • Names former UBS executive, Daniel B. Coleman, as Managing Director

2011

  • Launches GETAlpha, a suite of execution algorithms for U.S. equities
  • Acquires Automat, a London-based trading firm focused on FX
  • Acquires Banc of America Specialist, Inc. and becomes the second-largest DMM at NYSE

2012

  • Names Daniel B. Coleman as CEO