Both the Financial Times and Israel business news source Calcalist are reporting this morning that transatlantic exchange and clearing house operator ICE (or IntercontinentalExchange, NYSE:ICE) has agreed in principle to acquire SuperDerivatives, an Israeli-based financial data and analytics provider.
SuperDerivatives provides data and analytics on OTC derivatives, but also has a chat platform similar to the one used on Bloomberg terminals. The company employs about 250 people, and is still managed by founder Dudi Gershon. The company’s investors include VCs Pitango and Accel. Israel Venture Capital Association data pegs SuperDerivatives revenues at about $150 million annually.
The move would be seen as part of ICE’s strategy to penetrate the lucrative financial information market.
Both FT and Calcalist peg the expected deal size at $350 million, with the deal announcement coming as early as today.
Apparently other suitors looking at SuperDerivatives included the CME Group (NASDAQ:CME), NASDAQ OMX, and newly public Markit (NASDAQ:MRKT).