Independent boutique consultancy · London
We help banks, asset managers, funds and fintechs make better decisions about their market data, and present their businesses with greater clarity and credibility.
Who we are
Alcateia Advisory is an independent consultancy dedicated to financial institutions. We combine deep commercial knowledge of market data vendors with a practical understanding of how institutions use data, and of how they present themselves to investors, clients and counterparties.
Every engagement is led by senior practitioners. We take no commissions or referral fees from data vendors, so our only incentive is the right outcome for you.
Our practices
Helping financial institutions make better commercial and operational decisions about their market data.
Helping financial institutions create a professional, distinctive and consistent corporate identity.
Practice one · Market Data Advisory
Market data is one of the largest and least controlled costs in financial services. Commercial models are complex, fees rise every year and licensing obligations are easy to miss. We bring vendor-side insight and analytical rigour to bring it under control.
A complete baseline of spend by vendor, product, user and business line, with a prioritised plan to reduce it.
Independent support for RFPs, renewals and contract negotiations, from shortlist to signature.
Expertise across Bloomberg, LSEG, S&P Global, ICE, FactSet and exchange agreements, and how their commercial models really work.
Accurate usage declarations, licence mapping and preparation for vendor and exchange audits, to avoid unexpected back-billing.
Strategy for market data platforms, delivery models and inventory, including in-house versus managed and cloud distribution.
Reporting and dashboards that give finance, operations and technology one trusted view of spend, usage and renewals.
Sourcing and licensing of API, tick and historical data for quantitative and systematic teams, for research and production.
A review of your rights to use vendor data in machine learning and generative AI use cases, and a strategy to use it with confidence.
A focused review of spend, contracts and licensing position, with quick wins and risks.
Renewals, RFPs, audits, inventory and infrastructure projects with a clear scope and deliverables.
Requirements, architecture, vendor selection and launch terms for new fund and asset managers.
Ongoing vendor, inventory, invoice and declaration management for firms without an in-house team.
In the race to launch, data and systems are often bought before requirements are clear. We help you define what you really need, select vendors, negotiate launch terms and oversee implementation — and, if you wish, build your corporate identity in parallel.
Plan your launchWe advise on market data licensing and commercial arrangements, and help clients document related obligations such as vendor dependencies for operational resilience. We do not provide legal or regulatory advice.
Practice two · Corporate Identity & Visual Communication
How a financial firm presents itself shapes trust before the first meeting. We help institutions build the foundations of their identity — how they look and present themselves — with the same rigour we bring to their data.
Clarity on who you are, who you serve and how you want to be seen.
A distinctive mark and visual language that signals institutional quality.
A coherent system of typefaces, colour palettes and layouts.
Clear rules so your identity is applied consistently by everyone.
Presentation templates that make your story clear and credible.
A website and digital presence that reflect your positioning.
Business cards, letterheads, email signatures and document templates.
One recognisable identity across reports, documents and digital channels.
Alcateia develops your corporate identity and visual communication framework. Creative and marketing agencies can then use it to develop campaigns, content and advertising. Where helpful, we work alongside trusted creative partners.
Why Alcateia
Alcateia is Portuguese for a wolf pack. Wolves hunt together and share what they catch with the whole pack — no wolf succeeds alone. That is how we work: as one team with our clients, bringing the right specialists to the table.
“For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack.”
No vendor commissions or referral fees. Our only incentive is your outcome.
Focused on financial institutions, not general business consultancy.
More than 15 years inside leading market data providers and quantitative funds.
Practical outcomes, efficiency and measurable value, backed by analysis of your own data.
Our approach
An initial, confidential conversation about your goals and current position.
We gather invoices, contracts, inventory and usage — or your brand materials — into one clear picture.
We benchmark, identify savings, risks and gaps, and test options.
A prioritised, practical plan agreed with your stakeholders.
We support negotiations, implementation and change, and track the results.
Our founders
Alcateia Advisory was founded by professionals with more than 15 years of experience at leading market data providers and quantitative investment funds — on both sides of the table: building, pricing and selling financial data, and using it to invest.
That combination of commercial, financial-markets and technical expertise is rare. We know how vendors package, price and negotiate; we understand the institutional workflows that depend on the data; and, as technology enthusiasts, we build our own analytics and data tools, so our advice is grounded in your numbers.
FAQ
Yes. We take no commissions or referral fees from any vendor. We are paid only by our clients, so our recommendations are never influenced by vendors.
Terminals, real-time and delayed feeds, reference and pricing data, index and benchmark licences, and exchange fees — across Bloomberg, LSEG, S&P Global, ICE, FactSet, MSCI, Moody’s, Fitch and the major exchanges.
No. Our Corporate Identity practice builds the foundations — positioning, visual identity, guidelines and core materials. Creative and marketing agencies can then use that identity for campaigns and content, and we can work alongside trusted creative partners where helpful.
As early as possible, ideally before you sign any data or technology contracts. Defining requirements first saves cost and avoids long commitments to the wrong products.
With an initial, confidential conversation. For a market data review, a recent set of invoices and a list of your main contracts is usually enough, and we are happy to sign a non-disclosure agreement before receiving any data.
Engagements are scoped and priced up front, on a fixed-fee, project or retainer basis depending on your needs. Get in touch for more details, and we will find the best way to work together.
Get in touch
Tell us a little about your firm and what you would like to achieve. We will reply within two working days to arrange an initial, confidential conversation.
info@alcateia.uk