KX Systems
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Software |
| Founded | 1993 |
| Founder | Janet Lustgarten, Arthur Whitney |
| Headquarters | Palo Alto, California , United States |
Area served | Worldwide (New York City, London, Ireland, Germany, Australia, Singapore, Tokyo, Hong Kong) |
| Products | kdb+ database, q programming language |
| Owner | FD Technologies plc |
KX is a privately held software enterprise that focuses on the time series database known as kdb+ along with its unique programming language q, both extensively utilized in financial modeling and data analytics.
Established in 1993 by Janet Lustgarten and Arthur Whitney, the inventor of the K programming language, KX expanded under the ownership of FD Technologies plc (previously First Derivatives). In 2014, FD Technologies increased its ownership to 65%, completing a full acquisition by 2018.
With a global presence, KX maintains offices across New York City, London, Ireland, Germany, Australia, Singapore, Tokyo, and Hong Kong.
Overview
In 1993, Whitney collaborated with Lustgarten to commercialize the k programming platform he developed following his work on the A+ language and various trading systems at Morgan Stanley. This software was engineered to handle and analyze substantial datasets within financial service environments. Initially, Kx Systems secured an exclusive agreement with Swiss bank UBS to supply the K language. After this contract ended in 1998, the company introduced the kdb+ database alongside a new language called q, which complements k and incorporates English-language keywords.
By 1999, Kx Systems entered into a marketing partnership with First Derivatives based in Northern Ireland. The firm then expanded internationally by establishing offices in Manhattan in 2002, followed by locations in Germany and Japan in 2003, and later in Hong Kong in 2009. First Derivatives acquired a 65% share of Kx Systems in 2014. Additionally, the company became a technology partner for NASA's Frontier Development Lab. FD Technologies completed the acquisition of all remaining shares of Kx Systems in July 2018. Afterward, Whitney and Lustgarten went on to create Shakti.