FNG Exclusive Interview… We recently covered the news about Newsquawk, a leading real-time news platform for professional investors and traders, entering into a strategic partnership with high-growth retail trading platform, Capital.com. The collaboration marks Newsquawk’s first partnership within the retail brokerage space, enabling it to expand its reach beyond institutional traders for the first time. Through an API integration, Capital.com’s 500,000+ retail clients will now have access to Newsquawk’s real-time, breaking market news usually reserved for professional traders.
FNG caught up with Mehul Patel, CEO and Founder of Newsquawk to talk about the collaboration, what it means for Capital.com’s traders and the role of news and technology in shaping the future of the retail brokerage space.
FNG: Hi Mehul. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about Newsquawk’s journey and how it all started.
Mehul: As a former hedge fund trader, I’ve always understood the critical need for timely, accurate information without the distraction of irrelevant filler content or misleading headlines. In 2019, the opportunity arose to start Newsquawk, bringing together a team of seasoned market analysts who shared the same vision. Our goal was simple: to create the fastest and most reliable news service of its kind. Today, our team of analysts work around the clock, covering global markets 24/5 from our London offices.
FNG: Newsquawk recently announced a partnership with Capital.com, marking it out as the first time Newsquawk has partnered with a retail broker. Why did you choose to work with Capital.com?
Mehul: Our collaboration with Capital.com began some 18 months ago, when we began offering their premium clients direct access to the Newsquawk service through our portal. I’ve always admired Capital.com’s commitment to making markets more accessible through its innovative and user-friendly web and mobile platforms. Together, we decided to extend our services to their broader client base by integrating Newsquawk directly into the Capital.com platform. Our aim is to equip their clients with real-time news and analysis, empowering them to make more informed trading decisions.
FNG: Newsquawk typically serves the professional and institutional trader community. What kind of impact do you think this partnership will have on retail traders, specifically Capital.com traders?
Mehul: Historically, institutional traders have had an information advantage due to their access to multiple data vendors, which obviously comes with its associated costs. Our partnership with Capital.com aims to bridge this information gap by providing their retail traders with the same high-quality news and insights that we deliver to institutional clients. This will help level the playing field and allow retail traders to make decisions with the same depth of information as their institutional counterparts.
FNG: How exactly will the API integration work? What can users expect in terms of functionality?
Mehul: The integration will be rolled out in phases. Initially, Capital.com traders will gain access to Newsquawk’s breaking news headlines, which are aggregated and filtered from over 500 sources, including traditional and social media. Subsequent phases will introduce additional features such as daily bite-sized market updates, push notifications, and access to our premium audio feed, all designed to enhance the trading experience.
FNG: Newsquawk is known for its up-to-the-minute breaking news feeds. How do you ensure that your coverage is fast and reliable enough to meet the demands of traders?
Mehul: We combine cutting-edge technology with the expertise of top-tier analysts to process vast amounts of information. Our team filters out the noise, ensuring that only the most relevant and actionable information—those likely to move asset prices or inform longer-term decision-making—gets through. We continually review and update our sources based on current market conditions and geopolitical events, ensuring that we provide traders with the critical information they need when they need it.
FNG: On a related note, you’ve recently been awarded the 2024 UK Innovate Grant for a groundbreaking LLM project. Can you tell us more about that project and what it means for the future of Newsquawk?
Mehul: We’re excited to have received the 2024 UK Innovate Grant for our LLM project. Using a combination of organic growth and acquisition strategies, Newsquawk has amassed a vast proprietary dataset, including both text and audio formats. Our project leverages machine learning and artificial intelligence to enhance the tagging, sentiment analysis, and indexing of this data. This will allow us to query and retrieve information more effectively, providing additional context to current breaking news and enriching the insights we deliver to our users.
FNG: How do you see this LLM project impacting the trading landscape?
Mehul: Information is a crucial factor in making informed trading decisions, and our LLM project is designed to provide enhanced context around our breaking news feeds. For example, if a Saudi oil refinery announces an unplanned shutdown, our system will not only report the headline but also offer historical context—such as when the last shutdown occurred, whether it was scheduled or unscheduled, its impact on oil prices, and relevant details about production and shipment routes. This deeper level of insight will help traders understand the broader implications of current events, enabling them to react more effectively.
FNG: Its clear that technology is at the heart of what you do. What’s next for Newsquawk as you continue to expand?
Mehul: As we continue to grow, our focus remains on innovation and expanding the capabilities of our platform. We’re exploring new ways to integrate advanced technologies like AI and machine learning to further enhance the speed, accuracy, and depth of the news and insights we provide. We’re also looking to expand our reach into new markets and segments, ensuring that more traders, both institutional and retail, can benefit from the real-time information that Newsquawk delivers. The future for us is about continuing to push the boundaries of what’s possible in financial news delivery.
