Financial Engineer

MerQube launches sector-balanced South Africa Top 30 Index for new ETF. Staff writer July 27, 2026, 4:32 p.m. Word count: 532 MerQube, a US-based provider of rules-based investment technology and index solutions, has partnered with Oribi Capital Partners and Prescient Management Company (Prescient) to launch a new exchange-traded fund (ETF) offering investors a more balanced exposure to South African equities. The Oribi South Africa Top 30 Prescient ETF is powered by the MerQube South Africa Top 30 Price Return Index (ZAR) (MQZA30P), a sector-balanced benchmark designed to provide diversified exposure to the largest companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE). Launched on May 6, 2026, the index selects the 10 largest companies from each of South Africa's three key equity segments: Resources, Financials and Diversified sectors. Each sector receives an equal 33.3% weighting, creating a 30-stock benchmark designed to reduce concentration risk often associated with traditional South African equity indices. MerQube said the index was developed as an alternative to existing benchmarks that have historically been dominated by a small number of mega-cap companies. By combining the largest and most liquid companies across three major sectors, the index aims to provide investors with broader exposure to the South African economy while maintaining scale and liquidity. The index is available in Price Return (MQZA30P), Total Return (MQZA30T) and Net Total Return (MQZA30N) versions to support different investment mandates. Unlike traditional market-capitalisation-weighted indices, which can become heavily influenced by the performance of a few large companies, the MerQube South Africa Top 30 Index applies equal weighting at both the sector and constituent levels. Eligible companies must be common equities primarily listed on the JSE and domiciled in South Africa, with a minimum free float factor of 10%. Within each sector, companies are ranked by free-float market capitalisation, with the top 10 companies selected from each category. The Resources sector includes Energy and Materials companies, Financials covers Financials and Real Estate, while Diversified includes companies from all remaining sectors. The index is reviewed annually, with reconstitution based on February-end data and implemented on the third Friday of March. Zack Bezuidenhoudt, Head of Sales EMEA and APAC at MerQube, said the index was created to address concentration challenges in South African equity markets. "South Africa's flagship indices have long been dominated by a handful of companies creating concentration risk for investors," he said. "This index was designed to create an alternative, providing a transparent, rules-based benchmark that spreads exposure across sectors without sacrificing scale or investability. We are proud to partner with Oribi and Prescient to make balanced exposure to this dynamic economy available through an ETF structure," he added. The Oribi South Africa Top 30 Prescient ETF provides investors with access to the index through a listed investment vehicle managed by Oribi and Prescient. MerQube serves as the index sponsor, administrator and calculation agent, overseeing methodology design, sector classification, rebalancing and daily index calculations. The launch represents MerQube's expansion into emerging market index solutions, as the company develops a broader suite of sector-aware benchmarks. The South Africa Top 30 Index will form part of its emerging markets offering alongside planned indices covering markets including South Korea and Taiwan.

MerQube raises $30M in europe VC deal backed by 7RIDGE and Deutsche Börse. 13 Apr 2026, 19:32 Elvira Veksler merqube index merqube fintech infrastructure growth equity europe deutsche börse 7ridge 7ridge investments growth equity According to Tech Funding News, MerQube has raised $30 million in a Europe-focused growth equity deal led by 7RIDGE and Deutsche Börse, as investor demand builds for fintech infrastructure and index technology platforms. The funding underscores continued appetite for data-driven market infrastructure companies, even as broader private capital markets remain selective. MerQube raises $30M in growth funding. MerQube secured $30 million in a new funding round aimed at expanding its index infrastructure platform and scaling its product offering for institutional investors. The company focuses on next-generation index technology designed to support customized financial benchmarks, structured products, and ETF innovation. Its platform enables asset managers and financial institutions to build and deploy more flexible and data-driven index strategies. The latest round signals continued investor confidence in the company's role within modern financial infrastructure, particularly as demand grows for more dynamic and customizable investment products. Backed by major institutional investors. The round was led by investment firm 7RIDGE alongside strategic participation from Deutsche Börse, one of Europe's most important market infrastructure providers. The involvement of a major exchange operator highlights the strategic relevance of index technology in the broader capital markets ecosystem. Exchanges and infrastructure players have increasingly sought exposure to fintech platforms that enhance data-driven trading and product structuring capabilities. This backing also reinforces MerQube's positioning within the institutional-grade segment of the fintech market, where partnerships with established financial institutions are often critical to scaling adoption. European fintech infrastructure momentum continues. The deal reflects ongoing strength in European fintech infrastructure investment, particularly in companies focused on market data, indexing, and capital markets technology. While venture funding has become more selective in recent quarters, investors continue to deploy capital into platforms that: * Improve efficiency in financial markets * Enable customization of investment products * Support ETF and structured product innovation * Provide scalable infrastructure for institutional use cases Index technology has emerged as a key niche within this category, benefiting from the rapid expansion of passive investing, thematic ETFs, and rule-based investment strategies. Growing demand for custom index solutions. MerQube operates in a segment of the financial ecosystem that has gained increasing relevance as asset managers seek more flexible alternatives to traditional benchmark indices. The company's technology allows clients to design and deploy bespoke indices that can reflect specific investment themes, risk profiles, or factor exposures. This capability is particularly important in today's environment, where investors are increasingly demanding customization and transparency in portfolio construction. As a result, index technology providers like MerQube are becoming essential infrastructure players in the evolution of modern asset management. Investor outlook: infrastructure-style fintech remains attractive. For investors, the transaction reinforces a broader theme: capital continues to flow into financial infrastructure companies even as other parts of the venture market remain constrained. Key drivers of continued interest include: * Recurring, infrastructure-like revenue models * Deep integration into institutional workflows * High switching costs once embedded * Exposure to long-term ETF and structured product growth MerQube's latest growth equity funding round positions it to continue scaling its platform and expanding its presence across global institutional markets. Conclusion: europe fintech VC activity remains selective but strong in infrastructure. MerQube's $30 million growth equity funding round highlights continued strength in European fintech infrastructure investment, particularly in index technology and institutional capital markets platforms. With backing from 7RIDGE and Deutsche Börse, the company is well-positioned to expand its footprint in the evolving global index and ETF ecosystem. About UCapital.com UCapital is a global financial intelligence and news platform. It combines timely market coverage and in-depth analysis with access to curated deal opportunities, connecting investors and financial professionals to private market activity. #Venture Funding #Growth Equity #Fintech Infrastructure #Capital Markets #European VC #Market Infrastructure play_circle_filled