FNG Exclusive Interview… As we recently reported, Acuity Trading has announced a growth investment in MarketReader, a move aimed at strengthening how brokers, prop firms, and institutional clients access and understand market intelligence. We sat down with Acuity founder Andrew Lane to talk about the thinking behind the investment, what MarketReader actually does, and how this fits into Acuity’s broader intelligence offering.

FNG: Hi Andrew, let’s start with the big picture. What led Acuity to invest in MarketReader?

Andrew: At Acuity, we’ve spent years building tools that help traders understand what is happening in the market and what they can do about it. What we saw missing was clarity around why markets move. There’s no shortage of data or headlines. But when a trader sees a move, the real question is always the same, what is actually driving this?

MarketReader solves that problem. It gives a clear, structured explanation of the drivers behind price action. When you combine that with Acuity’s trade intelligence and market intelligence, you get a much more complete picture. This investment reflects our confidence in MarketReader and in the future of market move attribution as an important part of market intelligence.

FNG: For those who haven’t come across it yet, what exactly is MarketReader?

Andrew: At its core, it’s built to answer one question, why did this asset move? It identifies abnormal price movements and connects them to the most relevant underlying narratives. That could be macro events, company developments, or broader themes across the market.

The key difference is how it does this. It’s structured and rules-based, supported by controlled AI workflows. That means consistent outputs, which is important in financial markets, especially for institutional and regulated use cases. So instead of just seeing that something moved, you understand what the market is reacting to.

FNG: There are plenty of news and data providers out there. How is this different in practice?

Andrew: Most providers compete on speed. They try to get headlines out as fast as possible. The issue is that by the time a headline hits, the market has already moved. MarketReader focuses on context. It looks at what the market is responding to, not just what’s being published.

From an Acuity perspective, this fits naturally with what we already do. We provide sentiment, trade ideas, economic data, and automated insights. MarketReader adds a powerful explanation layer to that ecosystem. That combination is far more useful than raw data on its own.

FNG: How does this strengthen Acuity’s overall offering?

Andrew: We’ve always focused on delivering intelligence across the full trading journey. Acuity provides:

• Trade intelligence
• Market intelligence
• Event intelligence

That helps clients understand what is happening and what actions they can take. MarketReader adds the missing piece. It explains why it’s happening. So now you have: What is happening, why it’s happening, and what you can do next. The investment marks a significant step in our long-term strategy to build a broader, more complete intelligence offering for financial institutions and their end users.

FNG: What does this mean for brokers and prop firms on a day-to-day level?

Andrew: It comes down to engagement and decision confidence. When traders understand the reason behind a move, they are more likely to act and more likely to stay engaged.

For example, instead of just seeing a price spike, a trader can see the narrative driving the move, the broader theme behind it, and supporting sentiment and trade ideas. That creates a more informed experience. For prop firms, it also supports trader development. You’re giving structured insight, not just noise.

FNG: There’s a lot of talk about AI in trading right now. Where does this fit?

Andrew: There’s a lot of noise around AI. In financial markets, what matters is reliability. MarketReader uses AI, but within a structured framework. That keeps outputs consistent and reduces the risk of incorrect or misleading information.

That’s critical for institutional clients, especially when you’re dealing with compliance, reporting, or client-facing tools. At Acuity, our focus has always been practical. We build tools that help people make decisions, not just generate content.

FNG: Where are you seeing the strongest demand for this?

Andrew: There are a few key areas. Broker platforms are an obvious one. This type of content fits directly into trading interfaces and client portals. We’re also seeing interest from institutional teams, including trade surveillance and compliance, portfolio analysis, and internal research workflows.

Another big area is chatbots. Firms want to give users clear answers to market questions. MarketReader works well in that environment because of its consistency.

FNG: Looking ahead, how do you see this investment evolving?

Andrew: In the short term, it’s about integration. Making MarketReader part of the Acuity ecosystem and getting it into the hands of clients. Longer term, this is about where market intelligence is going. The industry is shifting away from siloed raw data and toward integrated ecosystems where AI handles the heavy lifting to provide structured insight. Traders don’t need more information. They need better understanding. This is a step in that direction.

FNG: Final thoughts?

Andrew: The goal is simple. Help brokers and institutions deliver better trading experiences. That means clearer insight, more context, and better tools for decision-making. This investment moves us closer to that.

For more information about Acuity Trading and its full suite of intelligence solutions, visit https://acuitytrading.com.