The $1.7T syndicated loan market and the multi-hundred-billion-dollar CLO market have long operated through manual, time-consuming processes that create inefficiencies and limit liquidity for institutional traders. Despite these markets’ massive size and importance to the financial system, electronic trading has been virtually non-existent, with most transactions still conducted through phone calls and spreadsheets. Octaura addresses this challenge by providing the first comprehensive electronic trading platform for syndicated loans and collateralized loan obligations (CLOs), combining real-time trading capabilities with advanced data analytics and connectivity solutions. The platform has demonstrated remarkable growth, capturing 4.6% of total secondary loan trading volume within just two years of launch while expanding from 3 to 25 dealers and from 34 to 146 buy-side firms. With the upcoming launch of their CLO trading platform and continued innovation in data analytics, Octaura modernizes these critical credit markets completely.
AlleyWatch sat down with Octaura CEO and Co-Founder Brian Bejile to learn more about the business, its future plans, and recent $46.5M funding round.
Who were your investors and how much did you raise?
Octaura began as an initiative between Bank of America and Citi to address the challenges and limitations within the syndicated loan and CLO markets. The company launched in 2022 with the backing of Moody’s Analytics, Citi, Bank of America, Credit Suisse, Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, Morgan Stanley and Wells Fargo.
We also recently announced $46.5M in a significant funding round, backed by continued support from founding investors plus six new investors – Barclays, Deutsche Bank, BNP Paribas, Apollo and Motive Partners, MassMutual Ventures, and OMERS Ventures.
Tell us about the product or service that Octaura offers.
Octaura is a platform for electronically trading leveraged loans and collateralized loan obligations (CLOs). Our technology brings together trading, real-time data and deep analytics, enabling traders to effectively access liquidity and achieve best execution.
What inspired the start of Octaura?
I started my career at Citi as a CLO trader doing a lot of manual work. I was constantly looking for ways to automate and make my life easier, and as the leveraged loans and CLO markets became much larger, I realized the entire industry needed a different way to do things.
My team at Citi built an e-trading platform on Citi Velocity to automate customer bid collections on CLO Bids Wanted in Competition (BWIC). Up until this point, most market participants believed that we could never trade electronically. We dispelled that and then it wasn’t a stretch that an agnostic, multi-dealer platform could exist.
From there, Citi said, “That’s great – if you can create a platform, we will support you”. Then I was able to get Bank of America excited about the idea, which led to conversations with the rest of the founding investors, and Project Octopus was born.
Octaura ultimately launched in April 2022 intending to create the first electronic trading platform for syndicated loans and CLOs.
How is Octaura different?
Octaura has reimagined the way the syndicated loan and the CLO markets trade because it launched with support and platform users from both the buy and sell sides since day 1.
It was built to solve an industry-wide challenge and address inefficiencies in these markets which have historically been manual and time-consuming. Via Octaura, traders can buy and sell loans and CLOs in the secondary market more easily – something that has never been available before. As a result, participants have better accessibility, fewer errors and a more streamlined trading process.
In addition, Octaura improves the availability and use of data and analytics solutions for the loan and structured credit markets – creating a more transparent marketplace broadly.
What market does Octaura target and how big is it?
We work with institutional traders on both the buyside and sellside and currently operate in the U.S.
Our syndicated loan platform has gained significant traction since its launch. Between April 2023 to April 2025, we grew our dealer network from 3 to 25 and expanded our buy-side participation from 34 to 146 firms.
We are continuing to grow fast – in the first quarter of 2024, Octaura reached 1% of secondary loan trading volume, and just one year later, captured 4.6% of total market volume, underscoring the platform’s broader impact on the loan market. Capturing this percentage of trading activity in the loan market on our platform so quickly reflects our commitment to clients and the appetite for technology in the space.
What’s your business model?
Octaura’s loan and CLO trading platform is a transaction-based fee model. Octaura’s data and analytics product offerings are subscription-based.
How are you preparing for a potential economic slowdown?
During periods of economic uncertainty, Octaura is a great place for institutional traders to source liquidity. We saw this firsthand during April’s period of heightened volatility due to the tariffs. Octaura was a resource for traders looking to manage risk during economic uncertainty and source liquidity from the market, resulting in increased trading volumes on the platform.
What was the funding process like?
We were thrilled to receive continued backing from our founding investors and welcome a group of new strategic investors who believe in Octaura’s vision. This marks an exciting new chapter for Octaura.
What are the biggest challenges that you faced while raising capital?
There is simply a lot to do when you’re raising capital with over a dozen investors. Getting everyone aligned, while also meeting the needs of our clients and building a great product can certainly be challenging, but we have the team in place to do it.
What factors about your business led your investors to write the check?
We are extremely strategic with our goals and focused on addressing client challenges. Plus, the platform’s proven use case encouraged investors to support our growth.
We are extremely strategic with our goals and focused on addressing client challenges. Plus, the platform’s proven use case encouraged investors to support our growth.
What are the milestones you plan to achieve in the next six months?
This funding will allow Octaura to digitize the credit market through continued innovation over the next several months, including:
Continue to penetrate market share in the leveraged loan market
Launch its CLO trading platform
Build innovative and critical data and analytic solutions for the market
What advice can you offer companies in New York that do not have a fresh injection of capital in the bank?
Be nimble with your team and don’t scale too quickly. Since inception, we have focused on hiring strategically based on business needs and we feel lucky that New York has a deep pool of incredible talent.
New York also affords an incredible community of like-minded founders, creative entrepreneurs, and tech-forward thinkers. When I’m feeling stuck, I like to tap into my broader network for some fresh perspective and inspiration.
Where do you see the company going now over the near term?
We’re focused on launching the platform for our second asset class – CLOs. There are similar challenges in the CLO market, so we have developed a solution that combines electronic execution, advanced data, deep analytics and a suite of connectivity for sellside and buyside participants. Having a view of both the loan and CLO markets on the platform is very complementary.
What’s your favorite spring destination in and around the city?
We like to regularly support our local Penn District establishments for business dinners – especially if there’s an outdoor patio involved!
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