Tora's product portfolio includes the Tora Compass trading platform; Tora Equity Trading, an agency trading desk available for clients who would like to avoid the logistical, regulatory and financial hurdles necessary to establish internal trading operations; and Tora Clearpool, which offers transparent off-exchange liquidity for Asia.

Tora achieved double digit trading volume growth in 2008 with over a 50 per cent increase.

It grew market share to represent approximately four per cent of the Tokyo Stock Exchange, over one per cent of the Singapore Stock Exchange and one per cent of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

It also opened new sales and support offices in Singapore and New York and expanded global coverage for Tora Compass by adding 22 global and regional brokers, 17 new exchanges in ten different countries, over 400 FIX connections in Asia as well as the US, Europe and Latin America, and significantly expanded liquidity venues and algorithmic trading capabilities.

'In the current market environment, traders require technology more than ever to help them navigate the current market conditions,' says Robert Dykes, chief executive of Tora (pictured). 'Clients are demanding a technology partner - one that provides extensive Asia expertise, local support and broad access to improve the trading experience in a material way. We will continue to invest in R&D to continually improve our existing products and add new products to address the issues traders face each day in the market.'

Tora's chief operating officer Ian Lombard adds: 'In 2008 we saw a trend where our clients were consolidating their trading technology platforms. This was in an effort to gain efficiencies, but more importantly, to generate alpha by accessing a broader array of liquidity choices, expanding electronic trading capabilities and reducing overall transaction costs. Tora Compass is designed to simplify trading in order to improve execution and lower administrative costs.'