Trading firm Virtu Financial (NASDAQ: VIRT) has teamed up with Swedish investment management technology provider Limina to offer clients a combined platform that handles everything from order management to post-trade settlement.

Virtu Financial Partners with Limina to Streamline Trading Operations

The partnership centers around Virtu's TradeOPS platform, which automates the back-office work that happens after trades are executed. Limina brings its cloud-based order and portfolio management system to the table. Together, they're promising buy-side firms a smoother path from placing orders to settling trades.

Swedish fund manager Cliens has already signed on as the first client to use the integrated service. The firm is now processing its trades through Virtu's system while managing orders through Limina's platform.

"By providing streamlined and effective solutions tailored to clients' needs, we can significantly reduce the operational burden and allow firms to refocus on what truly matters: managing investments and driving performance," said Prem Balasubramanian, who heads Virtu's TradeOPS platform.

The timing isn't coincidental. Recent changes in how trades settle have created new problems for investment firms. The industry's move to T+1 settlement , where trades must be completed one business day after execution instead of two, has compressed timelines. Meanwhile, the shift from older SWIFT messaging formats to newer standards has added technical complexity.

Related: Virtu Financial Q4 Trading Income Soars 104% on Strong Volumes

Nordic Expansion

The partnership appears designed to help Virtu expand its reach in Nordic markets, where Limina has established relationships. Kristoffer Fürst, Limina's CEO, called the partnership "an obvious choice to further strengthen the integration capabilities of Limina's Order Management System, not only to DTCC CTM but to all venues that tie into Virtu TradeOPS including SWIFT and more".

For Cliens, the appeal is operational efficiency. CEO Martin Öqvist said "The integrated solution that Virtu and Limina offer Cliens helps us extend our straight-through process, giving time to more productive tasks which adds value to our customer".

Virtu, which trades on hundreds of venues across more than 50 countries, has been building out its post-trade services as firms look to outsource complex operational tasks. The company's TradeOPS platform handles matching, settlements and payments — areas where mistakes can be costly.

In the meantime, the company has introduced Virtu Technology Solutions (VTS), a product suite designed to offer its execution services technology to sell-side broker-dealers globally.