Splash247: Clarksons buys Zuma Labs in FFA tech push

Clarksons has moved to deepen its technology push, agreeing to acquire Zuma Labs, a specialist provider of trading and data tools for the forward freight agreement (FFA) market.

The UK-based shipbroking group said it is buying 100% of the issued share capital of Zuma Labs, which was founded in 2020 to meet growing demand for real-time data and more efficient trading workflows in freight derivatives and related commodities markets.

Zuma’s core product, Venetian, combines voice broking with electronic trading in a single interface, allowing brokers and traders to capture, share and analyse live pricing more efficiently. The platform is powered by Prism, Zuma’s AI engine, which pulls in real-time information from multiple sources to support faster decision-making.

Zuma has built a strong following among leading broking houses, particularly in the dry FFA space, where its tools are already in regular use. Under Clarksons’ ownership, the focus will be on widening Venetian’s reach across FFA, commodities and maritime markets and accelerating the roll-out of AI-driven functionality.

Zuma will continue to operate under its own name as a wholly owned subsidiary of Clarksons. Zuma chief executive Chase Bennett said the deal pairs technology built for day-to-day broking with Clarksons’ global reach and market depth, creating scope to scale the platform into new segments.

Clarksons chief executive Andi Case said the acquisition underlines the group’s strategy of using technology to enhance client engagement and trading efficiency as freight and commodities markets grow more complex.