Date:April 9, 2013
 Chicago, April 9, 2013 – OptionsCity Software, a leading provider of electronic trading solutions, today announced a Series A investment in its business by growth equity firm Edison Ventures. This marks the first institutional capital investment in OptionsCity and will give Edison a minority ownership stake in the company. Edison’s investment will accelerate OptionsCity’s sales and marketing efforts, product innovation, and international expansion.

OptionsCity is the developer of award-winning electronic trading and market-marking platform, Metro, that has powered derivative trading since its launch in early 2008. The company has continued to innovate with the development of its latest product Freeway, a multi-asset automated trading platform designed to offer developers and traders a comprehensive environment to create, test, and deploy algorithmic trading strategies with micro-second execution.

Mike Cichowski, Principal, and Chris Sugden, Managing Partner of Edison Ventures, led the investment. Sugden commented that “OptionsCity is a proven innovator. We believe Freeway represents the next major development for options and futures trading. Traders demand a multi-asset capability where they can quickly test and deploy new strategies. OptionsCity’s customers repeatedly confirmed this capability.” Mike Cichowski noted “OptionsCity is a profitable, fast growing company bringing innovative technology to the derivatives market and we are excited to partner with the management team to assist with the company’s global expansion”. Along with this investment, the OptionsCity Board of Directors will expand to include Mike Cichowski, along with Joe Wald, former CEO of EdgeTrade and Executive Vice President at Gain Capital.

“We selected Edison as a partner – after thorough due diligence – based on their impressive track record of growing businesses as well as their commitment and knowledge of the financial technology sector,” remarked OptionsCity CEO Hazem Dawani. “We’re excited to begin a new chapter in the growth of our firm.”

OptionsCity is Edison’s first investment in Chicago and its 38th overall in financial technology. Edison’s investments in this industry segment include trading technology, wealth management, specialty finance, financial tech-enabled services, and consumer finance.

About OptionsCity Software Inc.
As developers of the award-winning Metro electronic trading and market-making platform, Chicago-based OptionsCity Software has helped traders make markets and trade on the world’s leading derivative markets since 2006.  OptionsCity continues to innovate with the development of Freeway, a multi-asset trading platform designed to build, test, and deploy algorithms with micro-second execution. OptionsCity products are built on power, speed and reliability that traders require to have full control over trading, safety, and risk management. OptionsCity is a certified Independent Software Vendor on leading global derivative exchanges and markets. For more information, please visit www.optionscity.com.

About Edison Ventures
Established in 1986 Edison partners with entrepreneurs, service providers and other financing sources to build successful companies.  Edison provides capital and value-added services to later stage ($5 to 20 million revenue), information technology businesses.  Initial investments range from $5 to 10 million.  Edison typically serves as sole or lead investor.  In addition to providing expansion capital, Edison funds management buyouts, recapitalizations, spinouts and secondary stock purchases.

Edison’s investment professionals are based in Lawrenceville, NJ, New York, NY, McLean, VA, Needham, MA, and Cleveland, OH.  Industry specialties include Financial Technology, Healthcare IT, Interactive Marketing and eCommerce and Enterprise 2.0.  Other Edison successes include Best Software, Cambridgesoft, Dendrite, M5 Networks, Marcam, Mathsoft, Octagon, Tangoe, Virtual Edge, Visual Networks, Vocus and many other information technology leaders, which have a combined market value exceeding $5 billion.  Edison Ventures currently manages over $700 million and actively making new investments.  For more information on Edison Ventures, please visit www.edisonventures.com and follow us on Twitter @edisonventure.
Contact:        Kim Pike
Phone:     +1 (312) 605-4517
Email:    kpike@optionscity.com

Disclaimer: This press release contains forward-looking statements with the exception of historical information. The matters discussed in this press release involve risk and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statement. All trademarks are properties of their respective owners.