Regulations and Licenses
Techno Innovations is committed to keeping its Clients’ money safe and operates under strict European regulations.
Techno Innovations is authorised and regulated as a Matched Principal Broker (i.e. 100% Agency Model), which may not hold any proprietary positions, has no exposure, and is therefore only acting as an intermediary between its Clients, Liquidity Providers and major Exchanges. In other words, we have no rights to hold a “B Book” (i.e. Make the Market), hence have no conflict with our clients and are in business to protect their interests.
Techno Innovations Ltd. is a Rue De Courcelles-headquartered financial services company authorised and regulated to conduct Portfolio Management and Agency Only execution activities by the ACPR in Spain (License number: 150/11), registered with the BaFin in Germany (Registration number: 825834), registered with the FCA in the UK (Registration number: 580193), the French Autorite de Controle Prudentiel et de Résolution Banque de France - ACPR (Registration number 74013), MiFID compliant in Europe under the Investment Services and Regulated Market Law of 2007 (Law No. 144(I)/2007), and is a Member of the Investor Compensation Fund (ICF).
Under MiFID, Techno Innovations can offer authorized and regulated cross-border services to all Member States, including to the following jurisdictions: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lichtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom.
Our annual financial reports are audited by a leading French financial auditor, and our regulatory status gives our clients assurance that we will never take the opposite side of their trades, that any funds held with us are secure and that our resources are adequately managed at all times.
Our authorizations include the following services and activities:
- Reception and transmission of orders in relation to one or more financial instruments
- Execution of orders on behalf of clients
- Portfolio management
We are also allowed to offer the following ancillary services:
- Safekeeping and administration of financial instruments for the account of clients, including custodianship and related services such as cash/collateral management
- Granting credits or loans to an investor to allow him to carry out a transaction in one or more financial instruments, where the firm granting the credit or loan is involved in the transaction
- Foreign exchange services where these are connected to the provision of investment services
- Investment research and financial analysis or other forms of general recommendation relating to transactions in financial instruments
100% DMA/STP Agency Model
Unlike Market Makers (including those promoting Non-Dealing-Desks - NDD, Straight Trough Processing - STP, or Electronic Currency Network - ECN models) Techno Innovations does NOT run any dedicated dealing desks to constantly monitor its financial position and set appropriate risk limits.
In effect, any Broker claiming an STP/NDD/DMA/PRO offering, may nevertheless “Make the Market” even if only partially (i.e. STP 50% of clients’ orders and make the market on the other 50%). In theory, there is nothing wrong with this configuration as long as the Broker runs an ethical business. In practice, Regulators such as the NFA and the FCA have both demonstrated condemnable practices conducted against clients’ interests by brokers claiming STP/NDD operations. The temptations to manipulate pricing and execution to the sole interest of the broker’s bottom line remain systematic.
Full or partial Market Making Brokers are systematically exposed to risk, as if a larger proportion of their clients are in profit, they may not be able to meet their financial obligation to pay all clients which may possibly lead them to bankruptcy. This is precisely why Regulators do systematically require Market Makers for high capital requirement and greater control in order to cover the risks inherent to such business models. This is also why Regulators are constantly monitoring retail clients’ interests against all possible deviations such as stop hunting, price manipulation or execution manipulations operated by Market Makers.
We at Techno refuse to operate under such terms.
It is important to note that unlike the vast majority of Retail CFDs and FX Brokers, Techno Innovations deliberately chose NOT to be authorized to conduct the following activity: “dealing on own account”. The activity of “dealing on own account” authorises Retail Brokers to Make the Market by taking the opposite side of their clients’ trades, hence creating a systematic conflict of interest.
Both ACPR and FCA Registers present the different levels of license/permissions held by Retail Brokers.
As an example, all of the companies listed hereby offer ECN Accounts, or PRO Accounts, yet have the permission to Make the Market in order to generate profits on client losses: Alpari FS, Alpari (UK), Etoro, Easy Forex, FXPRO, FX Sol (company of City Index), FXCM Securities Limited, ODL Securities, FXDD Malta Limited, Tadawul (now Liquid Markets), Windsor Brokers, etc.
100% MiFID Compliant Post-Trade Transparency
Every single one of our Clients’ orders are systematically Straight Through Processed to our Liquidity Providers on a "Fill or Fill" basis (i.e. no requotes) with both positive and negative Slippage enabled (i.e. no broker intervention). We pride ourselves for being able to provide upon Clients’ requests all relevant Post-Trade Execution Reports presenting Execution Times (often averaging sub 2 milliseconds) and naming which Liquidity Providers filled our Clients’ orders.
Segregation of Clients Funds
All client funds, without any exceptions, are fully segregated into a special client account and kept separate from Techno Innovations ’ company funds. Segregation ensures that client funds will not be used to pay back creditors in the unlikely event of Techno Innovations ’ default or insolvency. All funds, whether they are classified as company funds or client funds, are kept without any exceptions in world class financial European and Middle Eastern institutions, amongst the safest in their category.
Investor Compensation Fund (ICF)
Our clients may be eligible to put a claim into the Investor Compensation Fund (ICF) in the event Techno Innovations is unable to meet its financial obligations. Eligibility depends on the status and the nature of the claim.
Custom Risk Management – Airbag and Lower Leverage Setup
Techno Innovations’ automated risk management system, also called the Airbag, coupled with lower leveraged client trading accounts is designed to reduce the risk of your trading account being depleted to zero or turning negative. This is especially useful to prevent negative impacts generated by weekend Market Gaps.
Supervision by the Regulators
The French Securities and Exchange Commission (ACPR), a mature world-class regulator, has long experience of the CFDs and Forex industry, allows passporting to other European territories’ jurisdictions and is viewed as a leading regulatory authority in Europe.
All firms regulated by the ACPR have to meet strict financial standards, including capital adequacy requirements. Companies are required to submit financial reports to the regulator on a regular basis and the ACPR has the right to fine companies and/or terminate a company’s regulatory status for violations.
ACPR has the following responsibilities:
- To supervise and control the operation of the Stock Exchange and the transactions carried out in the Stock Exchange.
- To supervise and control the issuers of securities listed on the Stock Exchange, the Licensed Investment Services Companies as well as the Collective Investment Schemes.
- To carry out inspections over companies, the securities of which are listed on the Stock Exchange, over brokers and brokerage firms, investment consultants, mutual fund management companies.
- To request and collect information necessary for the exercise of its responsibilities, to demand in writing the provision of information from all natural or legal persons or organisations that are considered to be in a position to provide such information.
- To grant operation licences to investment firms, including investment consultants, brokerage firms and brokers.
- To recall these operation licences for special reasons, as it is more specifically determined in Regulations that are published in accordance with the Law of Establishment of the French Securities and Exchange Commission.
- To impose administrative sanctions and disciplinary penalties to brokers, brokerage firms, investment consultants as well as to in any other legal or natural person whom fall under the provisions of the Stock Market legislation.
Techno Innovations’ Internal Auditors, External Auditors, Compliance and Legal Teams provide a comprehensive Audit, Special Investigations and Compliance (i.e. to ACPR, FCA, BaFin and MiFID) set of solutions. Our duly certified Auditors and experienced Compliance Officers are continuously trained and supported by one of the largest team of experts in the EU to deliver the highest levels of services to our clients, including:
- Full Audit Services, in accordance with the Home State regulatory bodies' (ACPR, FCA, BaFin, and MiFID) requirements of Techno Innovations
- Full range of comprehensive Compliance Support Services (MiFID), by a qualified team of legal experts and professionals
- Q&A MiFID Compliance e-Support
- Special investigations and due diligence of processes and procedures by requests of the Board of Directors or the company’s Management Team
- Preparation and documentation of internal procedures and processes in accordance with Techno Innovations ’ needs and in accordance with the relevant EU regulatory bodies' requirements
- Preparation of internal audit reports for management and company's Internal Audit Committee
- Systems’ Audit - verification of systems, platforms and computer applications. Assessment of their suitability, efficiency, and the level of controls to ensure valid, reliable, timely, and secure input, processing, and output during their operation, in accordance with the requirements of the regulators
- Independent 'compliance checks necessary to keep internal procedures in full compliance with the fast-changing European regulatory environment
- Monthly and Quarterly compliance reports
- Compliance for KYC and Anti-Money Laundering procedures
- Q&A Know-Your-Client (KYC)
The new directive MiFID was officially adopted on 30 March 2004 and brought a variety of changes for investment service providers. MiFID was transposed into Cypriot legislation with the New Law 144(I) of 2007 (Law which provides for the Provision of Investment Services, the Exercise of Investment Activities, the Operation of Regulated Markets).
Techno Innovations’ Auditors and Legal Department pride themselves to be the top experts in this field, works closely with the Financial Services Advisory Team.
Prime Brokerage Model
Techno Innovations’ best execution commitment is tied to the prime brokerage model. This model enables Techno Innovations to offer accurate and ultra-low latency execution on aggregated multibank liquidity, with the added bonus of lower costs (i.e. Core Spreads with a 0.1pip average on the EUR/USD). Our Technology coupled with our Business Model gives us the opportunity to deliver an absolute trading environment to the Retail Trading Community.
Established in Spain
In the last few years many brokers have appeared on the CFDs and Forex marketplace operating from France.
France offers some of the lowest tax system in the European Union (i.e. 10 % on taxable profits) coupled with the local availability of highly skilled yet more affordable professionals, and mostly the EU accession. Finally, under ACPR retail customers benefit from up to EUR 20,000 coverage in case of broker default, a cover provided by the Investor Compensation Fund (ICF) of which Techno Innovations is a Member.
Lower operational costs and high degrees of Client Protections is what France has to offer, and why Techno Innovations established its headquarters locally.
We are the new Meta Trader and Electronic Trading Benchmark, full stop.
