Two former Citadel Securities executives have raised an exceptional ten million dollars in pre-seed funding to launch Epic Markets, a new contract-for-difference broker targeting retail traders. Bryan Seegers, formerly director of FX business development, and Kevin Kimmel, ex-global head of eFX at Citadel Securities, left the market-making giant in mid-2025 and secured the unusually large funding round from London-based venture capital firm Karatage.
The startup plans to deliver institutional-grade execution infrastructure to retail clients across multiple asset classes. While Epic Markets appears based in the United Arab Emirates according to social media profiles, no regulatory licenses have been publicly disclosed yet. The company’s landing page confirms CFD offerings are planned.
The ten million dollar pre-seed round stands well above typical early-stage funding in both CFD brokerage and broader venture capital markets. Karatage’s willingness to commit such capital as sole investor underscores confidence in the founders’ Wall Street pedigree and suggests serious institutional backing for bridging the retail-institutional execution gap.
FXnCO Insight
Watch for Epic Markets’ regulatory filings and launch timeline as institutional execution technology increasingly penetrates retail CFD markets, potentially pressuring incumbent brokers on pricing and fill quality.
Source: Finance Magnates