Ascent Capital Management

What Ascent Capital Management does

Ascent Capital Management, Inc. is a CFTC-registered Independent Introducing Broker (IIB) and National Futures Association member, founded in 2011 in Chicago and family-owned and operated by Principals Andrew and Charles Aronson. The firm operates three service pillars: Managed Futures (access to a free proprietary CTA Database of 300+ Commodity Trading Advisors with ranking, correlation, and composite reporting tools), Algorithmic Systems (automated futures trading through the iSystems platform with 450+ systems plus the proprietary Striker Systems suite), and Traditional Brokerage (futures execution cleared through StoneX/Gain and Straits Financial). ACM serves individual investors from $10,000 minimums up to $10M+ accounts, Self-Directed IRA holders, institutional clients including family offices, trusts, and pensions, and RIAs and Broker-Dealers that use managed futures as a held-away asset class. Revenue is generated through commissions on CTA-managed accounts, referral/affiliate fees on algorithmic systems, and traditional brokerage commissions, with the underlying CTAs charging a standard 2% management and 20% incentive fee structure.

The firm's go-to-market is sales-led and broker-assisted, using Investment Specialists, a free CTA Database, gated PDF reports, educational content, and SEO to capture leads and onboard clients into clearing-firm accounts. Its technology backbone is platform-plus-modules: iSystems serves as the algorithmic execution engine, Striker Systems is a strategy module within that pillar, and the CTA Database functions as a discovery and due-diligence module for managed futures, with no public-facing developer API. In May 2026, Ascent Capital Management was acquired by Betr Holdings, Inc. to leverage its existing CFTC/NFA registration as the regulated vehicle for launching Polymarket-powered prediction markets inside the Betr super app later in 2026, repositioning the firm as both a traditional IIB and a regulated platform for prediction-market products.

Name

Ascent Capital Management

Legal name

Ascent Capital Management, Inc.

Website

https://acmfutures.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ascent Capital Management is a CFTC-registered Independent Introducing Broker that connects individual investors, institutions, and RIAs to managed futures, algorithmic trading systems, and traditional futures brokerage through clearing partnerships with StoneX and Straits Financial.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Futures Brokerage

NAICS

Securities and Commodity Contracts Intermediation and Brokerage (5231), Investment Banking and Securities Intermediation (523150)

SIC

Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211)

akta.pro primary industry

Institutional Capital Introduction (LP/Family Office/Endowment Matching) (FSAEALAI)

Keywords

• Futures brokerage services
• Managed futures investing
• Algorithmic trading systems
• Commodity trading advisors
• Introducing broker services

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Commission-based brokerage on CTA-managed accounts: Ascent earns compensation from certain commodity investment managers / CTAs that it introduces to clients. Client accounts are individual/segregated at clearing firms; revenue tied to trading activity and assets introduced.
2. Spread / markup on algorithmic trading systems (iSystems & Striker Systems): Referral and facilitation fees from directing clients to auto-traded futures systems; systems can be auto-traded in client accounts via Ascent brokers.
3. Traditional Brokerage / full-service futures brokerage commissions: Full-service execution and personalized broker support for individual traders and self-directed clients opening accounts at StoneX/Gain or Straits Financial.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Ascent Capital Management is a CFTC-registered Independent Introducing Broker (IIB) and NFA member that matches individual investors, RIAs, and institutions with Commodity Trading Advisors (CTAs) and algorithmic trading strategies. The firm offers three service pillars — Managed Futures, Algorithmic Systems (via the iSystems platform and Striker Systems), and Traditional Brokerage — with client accounts cleared through partner FCMs such as StoneX (Gain Capital) and Straits Financial. Revenue is generated primarily through commissions and referral fees from introducing clients to CTAs and from facilitating trading on their behalf.

Product overview

Ascent Capital Management is a single-firm platform offering a unified futures brokerage product line organized into three service pillars: Algorithmic Systems (built on the iSystems platform and including named systems such as Striker Systems), Managed Futures (supported by a CTA Database of featured programs including Davis Commodities LLC, Opus Futures LLC, and Demeter Capital Management), and Traditional Brokerage (with trade execution cleared through StoneX/Gain Futures and Straits Financial). The architecture is platform-plus-modules, with iSystems serving as the algorithmic execution backbone, Striker Systems as a specific strategy module within that pillar, and the CTA Database functioning as a discovery module for the Managed Futures pillar.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Managed Futures Broker-assisted managed futures service that introduces clients to Commodity Trading Advisor (CTA) programs, including featured programs such as Davis Commodities LLC, Opus Futures LLC, and Demeter Capital Management. Individual accounts are held at clearing firms and tailored to investor risk and objectives.
• Algorithmic Systems (iSystems) Algorithmic/automated futures trading service providing clients access to 450+ trading systems on the iSystems platform with real-time data, filters, performance ranking, and direct sync to client accounts at the clearing firm.
• Striker Systems Broker-assisted algorithmic trading systems suite with objective entry/exit criteria, daily results, and performance tracking, available for auto-trading in client accounts.
• Traditional Brokerage Full-service futures brokerage execution with trades cleared through StoneX (Gain Futures) and Straits Financial, supporting self-directed futures trading for retail and professional clients.
• CTA Database Complimentary online directory and composite reporting tool covering 300+ Commodity Trading Advisors with performance ranking, correlation statistics, and the ability to build hypothetical composite track records across multiple managers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 300+ professional CTAs in the firm's free database (vs. the broader CTA universe)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• StoneX (GAIN Capital)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStoneX/Gain Capital is one of ACM's primary futures clearing firm partners. Clients open their trading accounts through StoneX (brokerid=641) with ACM acting as the introducing broker; ACM provides anti-money-laundering/CIP verification and StoneX provides the clearing, execution, and account-funding infrastructure.
• Straits FinancialcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSecond futures clearing firm partner. Clients register directly with Straits Financial (brokerId=895) using ACM as their introducing broker, providing clients an alternative clearing relationship and a way to diversify FCM exposure.
• Davis Commodities, LLCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured CTA program on the Ascent platform - Ag Program available to QEPs only. ACM introduces clients and facilitates managed account access to Davis Commodities' agricultural trading program.
• Opus Futures, LLCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured CTA program - Advanced Ag. ACM lists and promotes Opus Futures on its featured-programs page, routing clients into the program.
• Demeter Capital ManagementminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured CTA program - Livestock & Grain Trading Program available to QEPs only. ACM surfaces Demeter's strategy on its featured-programs page and brokers the introduction.
• iSystemscoreTechnology or IntegrationAlgorithmic trading platform integrated into ACM's offering. iSystems provides 450+ automated futures trading systems, real-time data, filters, and direct sync of algorithms to client accounts; ACM brokers the relationship and assists client onboarding.
• PolymarketflagshipTechnology or IntegrationPost-acquisition prediction-markets technology partner. Betr (now parent of ACM) uses Polymarket to power prediction markets inside its super app, with ACM's CFTC/NFA registration enabling the regulated rollout in 2026.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Optimus Futures: Futures introducing broker providing execution, platform access (MultiCharts, Sierra Chart, etc.) and managed-futures introductions to active retail traders — same IIB / multi-FCM model as ACM.
• AMP Futures: Chicago-based retail futures introducing broker offering low-cost execution across multiple platforms and CTAs. Directly comparable to ACM as a small, tech-enabled IIB serving self-directed and algorithmic traders.
• NinjaTrader Brokerage: Futures brokerage tightly integrated with the NinjaTrader trading platform, offering self-directed execution, automated strategies and clearing through partner FCMs — a direct competitor to ACM's iSystems-powered algorithmic offering.
• Kottke Associates: Long-established commodity trading advisor and managed-futures firm, similar in size and family-led character to ACM, operating in the same Chicago managed-futures ecosystem.

Emerging players

• Polymarket: Event-contract / prediction-market platform whose technology Betr is integrating into ACM for the 2026 launch — comparable as the technology partner shaping ACM's post-acquisition product roadmap rather than as a head-to-head brokerage competitor.
• Tradovate: Cloud-native futures trading platform and brokerage targeting active retail and prop traders; competes with ACM's iSystems algorithmic offering on technology and UX while serving a similar niche.

Broad incumbents

• R.J. O'Brien & Associates: Largest independent futures broker / FCM in the U.S., providing clearing, execution and managed-futures introduction at institutional scale — competes with ACM on the same product set with a much larger footprint.
• tastytrade (IG Group): Retail futures/options-focused broker owned by IG Group, emphasizing education and self-directed strategies — overlapping target customer with ACM's traditional brokerage and algorithmic trading segments.
• StoneX (GAIN Capital): ACM's own primary clearing partner and a global FCM offering retail and institutional futures execution directly — represents the vertically integrated competitor that can bypass introducing brokers like ACM.
• Interactive Brokers: Discount multi-asset broker with deep futures offering, low commissions and an API-first platform; competes for the same active retail and RIA futures clients that ACM targets.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ascent Capital Management