{{Short description|Computer company founded by Arthur Whitney}} {{COI|date=October 2022}} {{Infobox company | name = KX Systems Inc. | logo = Kx logo.svg | logo_size = 100px | trading_name = KX Systems | type = Private | industry = Software & Tech Services | fate = | predecessor = | successor = <!-- or: | successors = --> | founded = {{Start date and age|1993}} in Palo Alto, California | founders = {{Unbulleted list |Janet Lustgarten |Arthur Whitney}} | hq_location_city = New York, New York | hq_location_country = United States | num_locations = 14 offices<ref name="locates">{{cite web |url=https://kx.com/about-kx/#contact-us |title=KX: Contact Us |work=Kx |access-date=March 6, 2018}}</ref> | num_locations_year = 2018 | area_served = {{Unbulleted list |Asia |Europe |North America}} | key_people = {{Unbulleted list |Ashok Reddy<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youinvest.co.uk/articles/latestnews/248261/fd-technologies-appoints-ashok-reddy-ceo-kx-division |title=FD Technologies appoints Ashok Reddy as CEO of KX division |website=youinvest.co.uk |date=August 5, 2022}}</ref> |(CEO) |Eric Raab<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Kc Systems|url=https://craft.co/https://kx.com/news/appointment-of-eric-raab-as-kx-cto/|access-date=|website=Craft}}</ref>|(CTO) |David Humphries<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Kc Systems|url=https://kx.com/news/fd-appoints-david-humphries-as-global-coo/|access-date=|website=Craft}}</ref> |(COO)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fow.com/3516843/Exchange-capacity-key-issue---Kx-COO.html |title=Exchange Capacity 'Key Issue'—Kx COO |publisher=Futures and Options World |date=December 23, 2015 |first=Alice |last=Atwood |access-date=January 26, 2016 |archive-date=February 4, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160204214243/http://www.fow.com/3516843/Exchange-capacity-key-issue---Kx-COO.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> }} | products = {{Unbulleted list |k |kdb+ |q}} | brands = | services = | revenue = | revenue_year = <!-- Year of revenue data (when known) --> | operating_income = | income_year = <!-- Year of operating_income data (when known) --> | net_income = <!-- or: | profit = --> | net_income_year = <!-- or: | profit_year = --><!-- Year of net_income/profit data (when known) --> | assets = | assets_year = <!-- Year of assets data (when known) --> | equity = | equity_year = <!-- Year of equity data (when known) --> | parent = TA Associates | website = {{URL |https://kx.com}} }}
'''KX''' is a privately owned software company that sells a time series database kdb+, used for financial modeling and data analysis, and its associated proprietary programming language q.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Search | STAC - Insight for the Algorithmic Enterprise | STAC |url=https://stacresearch.com/search?search_api_views_fulltext=kdb%2B |website=stacresearch.com|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20230407115058/https://stacresearch.com/search?search_api_views_fulltext=kdb%2B|archive-date=2023-04-07}}</ref><ref name="que">{{cite journal |date=February 2009 |title=A Conversation with Arthur Whitney |url=http://queue.acm.org/detail.cfm?id=1531242 |journal=ACM Queue |volume=7 |issue=2 |pages=12–13 |doi=10.1145/1515964.1531242 |access-date=October 29, 2015}}</ref>
It was founded in 1993 by Janet Lustgarten and Arthur Whitney,<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=7490110 |title=Company Overview of Kx Systems, Inc. |magazine=Bloomberg Business |access-date=October 29, 2015}}</ref> the developer of the K programming language. In 2014, First Derivatives increased their ownership interest to 65 percent; in 2018, the company (now FD Technologies plc) announced plans to buy out the remaining shares of KX.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-44685608 | title=First Derivatives in £41m share buyout | work=BBC News | date=2 July 2018 }}</ref> KX has offices in New York City, London, England, Ireland, Germany, Australia, Singapore, Tokyo, and Hong Kong.<ref name="locates" /><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cnbc.com/id/100886612 |title=Kx Systems |date=15 July 2013 |publisher=CNBC |access-date=October 29, 2015|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20130824121400/https://www.cnbc.com/id/100886612|archive-date=2013-08-24}}</ref>
==Overview== In 1993, Whitney and Lustgarten joined to commercialize the k programming platform Whitney had created after building the A+ language and other trading systems at Morgan Stanley.<ref name="que"/><ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.computerweekly.com/blogs/witsend/2011/06/janet-lustgarten-ceo-at-kx-systems.html |title=Janet Lustgarten, CEO at KX Systems, On Shampoo Apps, Databases and Founding Her Own Company |publisher=Computer Weekly |first=Jenny |last=Williams |date=June 1, 2014 |access-date=October 29, 2015|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20130119114821/http://www.computerweekly.com/blogs/witsend/2011/06/janet-lustgarten-ceo-at-kx-systems.html|archive-date=2013-01-19}}</ref> The purpose of the software was to access and explore large data volumes in financial services computer systems.<ref name ="rac">{{cite web |url=http://raconteur.net/technology/what-data-can-tell-you-about-customers |title=What Data Can Tell You About Customers |publisher=Raconteur |first=Michael |last=Dempsey |date=February 8, 2015 |access-date=October 29, 2015}}</ref> Initially, Kx Systems had an exclusive contract with Swiss global financial services firm UBS to provide them with the K language. In 1998, the contract with UBS expired and the firm launched the kdb+ database. As part of kdb+, Whitney developed a new language named q that operated with k and uses English keywords.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.timestored.com/kdb-guides/history-of-kdb-arthur-whitney |title=History of Kdb+/q Database by kx.com |publisher=Time Stored |first=John |last=Dempster |access-date=October 29, 2015}}</ref>
In 1999, the company reached a marketing agreement with a Northern Ireland based firm, First Derivatives.;<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=In Brief: Kx Systems Signs European Marketing Deal |url=https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-54162497.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160409133333/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-54162497.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 9, 2016 |work=American Banker |date=March 19, 1999 |access-date=March 6, 2018}}</ref> it opened an office in Manhattan in 2002,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.finextra.com/news/fullstory.aspx?newsitemid=7017 |title=Kx Systems Opens New York Office |publisher= Finextra |date= October 18, 2002 |access-date= October 29, 2015}}</ref> Germany and Japan in 2003,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-100746531.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160409050044/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-100746531.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 9, 2016 |title=Kx Systems Expands to Germany and Japan |first=Melanie |last=Wold |publisher=Financial News |date=February 24, 2003 |access-date= October 29, 2015}}</ref> and Hong Kong in 2009.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://intelligenttradingtechnology.com/article/kx-systems-opens-asian-office-hong-kong-appoints-burke-head |title=Kx Systems Opens Asian Office in Hong Kong, Appoints Burke to Head |publisher=Intelligent Trading Technology |date=February 11, 2009 |access-date=October 29, 2015 }}{{Dead link|date=February 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> In 2014, First Derivatives purchased a 65 percent share of Kx Systems.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://marketsmedia.com/iex-launches-real-time-market-surveillance/ |title=IEX Launches Real-Time Market Surveillance |publisher=Markets Media |date=January 2, 2015 |access-date=October 29, 2015}}</ref> Kx became a technology supplier to NASA's Frontier Development Lab.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/business/technology/final-frontier-first-derivatives-selected-for-nasa-project-1.3560108|title = Final frontier: First Derivatives selected for NASA project| newspaper=The Irish Times }}</ref> In July 2018, FD Technologies bought all remaining shares in KX Systems that it did not already hold;<ref>{{Cite web|title=FD to buy out minority Kx Systems shareholders|url=https://fdtechnologies.com/news/fd-to-buy-out-minority-kx-systems-shareholders/|access-date=2021-10-22|website=FD Technologies plc|language=en-US}}</ref> Whitney and Lustgarten then went on to found Shakti.<ref>{{Cite web|title=shakti|url=https://shakti.com/|access-date=2021-10-22|website=shakti.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Butcher |first=Sarah |date=27 November 2019 |title=The new data platform from the reclusive genius of banking IT |url=https://www.efinancialcareers.co.uk/news/2019/11/shakti-arthur-whitney |access-date=2021-10-22 |website=eFinancialCareers |language=en}}</ref>
In 2025, FD Technologies sold KX to TA Associates as part of their downsizing of spinning-off divisions such as the company and other subsidiary First Derivative which was sold to EPAM Systems.<ref>{{Cite web |title=AI Ready Vector Database and Data Analytics Platform {{!}} KX |url=https://kx.com/ |access-date=2025-11-12 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-12-19 |title=First Derivative's new owners invest in Newry |url=https://www.newryreporter.com/business/first-derivatives-new-owners-invest-in-newry-4916357 |access-date=2025-11-12 |website=Newry Reporter |language=en}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{APL programming language}}
==External links== * {{Official website|https://kx.com/}}
Category:1993 establishments in the United States Category:Companies based in California Category:Technology companies of the United States Category:Technology companies established in 1993 Category:Companies based in Palo Alto, California