Select Vantage
Select Vantage is a privately-held, human-driven proprietary trading firm founded in 2011 that employs over 2,500 traders across 39-50 countries and executes US$3-4 billion in daily notional trades on global stock markets, while preparing a U.S. retail platform called Real Trading.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersToronto, Canada
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Select Vantage does
Select Vantage Inc. (SVI) is a privately-held, human-driven proprietary trading firm founded in 2011 by Daniel Schlaepfer and headquartered in Toronto with a Cayman Islands parent entity. The firm employs over 2,500 staff across 39-50 countries and executes more than US$3 billion in daily notional trades on global stock markets, with some sources citing up to US$4 billion. Its core operating model is electronic market-making and proprietary trading using firm capital rather than client money; Select Vantage Canada Inc. is registered as an investment dealer with the Ontario Securities Commission and is a member of CIRO, providing regulated access to TSX, TSX-V, CSE and CBOE Canada, while Cayman, Costa Rica, Hungary and Italy entities extend the operational footprint into other jurisdictions.
The firm runs an integrated platform that combines trading, education, risk-management, compliance and surveillance capabilities delivered to its in-house traders, and monetizes activity through proprietary trading P&L rather than disclosed fees. Two adjacent revenue paths are scaling: the Day Trade The World (DTTW) partner-office program, which licenses Select Vantage infrastructure to third-party trading-floor operators, and the upcoming "Real Trading" retail platform, which targets amateur traders trading their own capital in a compliant environment with an initial U.S. rollout. CEO Schlaepfer's thought-leadership activity — including a Forbes Books title published June 23, 2026 and Financial Times op-eds — doubles as marketing for the Real Trading thesis that human judgment remains essential in markets dominated by algorithms. The firm does not solicit external investors and has no disclosed venture or private equity backing.
Select Vantage firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Select Vantage
- Legal name
- Select Vantage Inc.
- Website
- https://selectvantage.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Select Vantage is a privately-held, human-driven proprietary trading firm founded in 2011 that employs over 2,500 traders across 39-50 countries and executes US$3-4 billion in daily notional trades on global stock markets, while preparing a U.S. retail platform called Real Trading.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Select Vantage is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Toronto
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices6 records
Markets served
Select Vantage business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Proprietary Trading: Select Vantage is a proprietary trading firm that manages its own funds. The company employs human traders who trade the firm's capital across global stock markets. The firm profits from successful trading operations.
- Trader Platform Services: Provides trading infrastructure, training, risk management, compliance and surveillance platform to employed traders worldwide.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Select Vantage product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Select Vantage is a global proprietary trading firm that employs over 2,500 human traders across 39-50 countries, providing them with a common trading, education, risk-management, compliance and surveillance platform. The firm trades its own capital on global stock markets (up to US$3-4 billion daily) and supplies differentiated liquidity to support small-capitalization and emerging-growth companies. Its Day Trade The World (DTTW) sub-brand enables partners to open trading floors using Select Vantage infrastructure, and an upcoming Real Trading retail platform will offer direct market access to amateur traders.
Product overview
Select Vantage (SVI) operates as a proprietary trading firm built around human-driven trading combined with advanced technology. The core offering includes the SVI trading platform serving traders across 50 countries, complemented by the upcoming Real Trading Platform for retail traders. The Day Trade The World (DTTW) sub-brand enables individuals to launch their own trading offices using SVI's infrastructure. The company also extends its brand through the 'Real Trading' book published by Forbes Books, which promotes human-centered trading principles.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Real Trading: A retail trading platform designed for amateurs who want to trade their own money in a safer, smarter way, beginning with an initial rollout in the U.S. market. Offers direct market access within a compliant environment, giving retail traders professional-grade tools.
- Day Trade The World (DTTW™)
Products and services
- Select Vantage (SVI) Proprietary Trading Platform A global proprietary trading platform that recruits, trains, and employs human traders, providing trading infrastructure, education, risk-management, compliance and surveillance. The firm trades its own capital across global stock markets to provide differentiated liquidity for small-cap and emerging-growth companies.
- Day Trade The World (DTTW) Partner Office Program A program that provides partners with the infrastructure, technology, market access, and support to launch and operate day trading offices worldwide under the Select Vantage umbrella.
- Real Trading Retail Platform Upcoming retail trading platform for amateur traders that offers direct market access within a pre-emptively compliant professional-grade compliance framework, providing tools once reserved for professionals to retail users.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over $3-4 billion in daily trades across global markets
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Select Vantage
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Select Vantage technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Select Vantage partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Forbes BookscoreForbes Books published CEO Daniel Schlaepfer's book 'Real Trading' on June 23, 2026. The book argues that human judgment remains essential in financial markets dominated by algorithms. Forbes Books is an imprint that operates under license for publishing author expertise.
- Day Trade The World (DTTW)™coreDTTW™ is a global initiative enabling partners to open trading floors and operate day trading offices using Select Vantage's capital, technology, and support infrastructure. The program provides everything needed to open a profitable trading floor.
- Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO)coreSelect Vantage Canada Inc. is a member of CIRO and registered as an investment dealer with the Ontario Securities Commission. CIRO oversees all of the corporate group's trading on Canada's stock markets.
- Ontario Securities Commission (OSC)coreSelect Vantage Canada's trading in Canada is regulated by the OSC. The firm's CEO served on the OSC's Market Structure Advisory Committee (MSAC) from 2019-2023.
- YouTube (TraderTV.Live)minorLive Trading with DTTW™ on YouTube provides market insights, trading education, and visibility for the trading community. The channel features content related to day trading operations and market analysis.
- Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX)coreSelect Vantage Canada oversees trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange as part of its regulated operations in Canadian markets.
- TSX Venture ExchangecoreSelect Vantage Canada oversees trading on the TSX Venture Exchange, providing liquidity for small capitalization and emerging-growth companies.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Select Vantage competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Jane Street: Global proprietary trading firm and market maker active across equities, ETFs, and other asset classes. Comparable to Select Vantage as a large, technology-enabled prop trading firm providing liquidity to capital markets globally.
- Optiver: Global market maker in equities, derivatives, and fixed income. Comparable to Select Vantage as a privately held, technology-enabled liquidity provider with global trading operations.
- Susquehanna International Group (SIG): Privately held global quantitative and discretionary trading firm with significant equity market-making operations. Comparable to Select Vantage in combining human traders with technology to provide liquidity across global markets.
- Hudson River Trading: Quantitative proprietary trading firm providing liquidity across global equities and other markets. Comparable to Select Vantage in deploying significant capital to provide market-making services, though HRT is more algorithmically focused.
- Jump Trading: Global high-frequency trading and market-making firm with significant equity and derivatives operations. Comparable to Select Vantage in providing liquidity to global capital markets, though Jump is more HFT-focused.
- Two Sigma Securities: Technology-driven trading firm with substantial market-making operations across global equities. Comparable to Select Vantage as a large-scale liquidity provider combining technology with discretionary and quantitative strategies.
- Flow Traders: Global liquidity provider specializing in exchange-traded products across equities, fixed income, and commodities. Comparable to Select Vantage as a publicly listed global market-making firm providing differentiated liquidity for capital markets.
- Citadel Securities: One of the world's largest market makers and proprietary trading firms, providing liquidity across global equities. Highly comparable to Select Vantage in scale, multi-asset liquidity provision, and emphasis on sophisticated technology, though Citadel Securities is substantially larger and more algorithmically driven.
- DRW Trading: Chicago-based principal trading firm active across multiple asset classes with significant equity liquidity provision. Comparable to Select Vantage in privately held structure, global footprint, and proprietary capital deployment.
- IMC Financial Markets: Global proprietary trading firm and market maker providing liquidity across multiple asset classes. Comparable to Select Vantage in deploying proprietary capital and technology to provide liquidity in global equities.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Select Vantage social profiles
Digital presenceSelect Vantage compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Select Vantage financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Select Vantage leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Select Vantage subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
Select Vantage funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Select Vantage M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Select Vantage
What does Select Vantage do?
Select Vantage is a global proprietary trading firm that employs over 2,500 human traders across 39-50 countries, providing them with a common trading, education, risk-management, compliance and surveillance platform. The firm trades its own capital on global stock markets (up to US$3-4 billion daily) and supplies differentiated liquidity to support small-capitalization and emerging-growth companies. Its Day Trade The World (DTTW) sub-brand enables partners to open trading floors using Select Vantage infrastructure, and an upcoming Real Trading retail platform will offer direct market access to amateur traders.
Is Select Vantage a public or private company?
Select Vantage is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Select Vantage founded?
Select Vantage was founded in 2011. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Select Vantage based?
Select Vantage is headquartered in Toronto, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Select Vantage make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Proprietary Trading is the primary driver. The others are trader Platform Services.
Who are Select Vantage's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Jane Street, Optiver, Susquehanna International Group (SIG), Hudson River Trading, Jump Trading, Two Sigma Securities, Flow Traders, Citadel Securities, DRW Trading and IMC Financial Markets.
Does Select Vantage have an API?
No public API is recorded for Select Vantage.