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Lattice Markets
Lattice Markets was established in New York in 2010 by David Forsythe, who recognized that the post-crisis regulatory environment was permanently altering...
Lattice Markets
Lattice Markets was established in New York in 2010 by David Forsythe, who recognized that the post-crisis regulatory environment was permanently altering how institutional investors could access volatility-based returns. While banks pulled back from structured derivative desks, the underlying demand from pension funds and sovereign wealth funds for non-correlated return streams was accelerating. Lattice positioned itself at the intersection of technology and exotic derivatives, offering execution and pricing systems designed specifically for the bespoke over-the-counter volatility market. The firm's strategy centers on volatility as an independent source of risk premia, distinct from long-only equity or fixed-income exposure. Lattice focuses on variance swaps, dispersion trades, and structured volatility products that allow institutions to harvest the persistent gap between implied and realized volatility. The firm's technology stack automates the pricing, structuring, and lifecycle management of these contracts — a workflow that remains manual at most large banks. Asset classes covered include equity index volatility, single-stock options, and cross-asset correlation instruments, with particular emphasis on S&P 500 and Euro Stoxx 50 variance markets. The firm provides direct market access through its proprietary platform rather than operating as a traditional fund. Lattice operates with a lean team of quantitative developers, structurers, and traders, though the exact headcount is not publicly disclosed. The firm serves a concentrated client base of institutional allocators including public pension plans, university endowments, and large multi-manager platforms, primarily in North America and Europe. In the evolving landscape of volatility trading, the firm has maintained a niche position by avoiding the path of many peers who converted into traditional hedge fund structures, instead remaining a technology-forward execution partner for allocators building dedicated vol books. What structurally differentiates Lattice is its identity as an execution and technology company rather than a pooled fund manager. The firm does not raise blind-pool capital; instead, it provides the pipes through which sophisticated institutions trade volatility directly, retaining the technological and structuring expertise that large banks have largely abandoned in the exotic derivatives space.
General information
Firm type
Asset Manager
Year founded
2010
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
New York
Corporate office
New York, NY, United States
Principals
David Forsythe
Founder & CEO
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
What does Lattice Markets actually do for institutional investors?
Lattice Markets provides the technology and structuring expertise to execute complex volatility trades — primarily variance swaps and dispersion strategies — that most banks no longer support at scale. It acts as an intermediary between institutional demand for vol-based risk premia and the OTC derivatives market. The firm's platform handles pricing, execution, and post-trade lifecycle management for bespoke contracts. This allows pension funds and endowments to allocate directly to volatility as an asset class without building the internal infrastructure themselves.
Is Lattice Markets a hedge fund or a technology provider?
Lattice operates as a technology and execution provider rather than a traditional pooled fund. The firm does not raise blind-pool capital or manage a commingled hedge fund vehicle. Instead, institutions use Lattice's platform and market access to execute their own volatility strategies on a direct basis. This structural distinction separates it from vol-focused hedge funds like Capula or Volatility Trading Strategies.
Why did volatility trading infrastructure become a viable business after 2008?
Post-crisis capital rules and the Volcker Rule made exotic derivatives desks unprofitable for large banks, forcing them to exit precisely the markets where institutional demand was growing. Pension funds and sovereign wealth funds increasingly viewed volatility as an uncorrelated return source but lacked the internal systems to price and manage variance swaps or dispersion trades. Lattice was built specifically to fill this vacuum, offering the infrastructure that buy-side institutions could not build and banks would no longer provide.
Which types of volatility instruments does Lattice Markets specialize in?
The firm's primary focus is on OTC variance swaps, corridor variance, and index dispersion trades, particularly referencing the S&P 500 and Euro Stoxx 50. These instruments are not exchange-traded, requiring bilateral negotiation and bespoke structuring. Lattice also handles single-stock options and cross-asset correlation products. The firm does not focus on exchange-listed VIX futures or ETFs, which is a fundamentally different and more commoditized market.
Who are Lattice Markets' typical clients?
Lattice serves large institutional allocators — primarily public pension systems, university endowments, and sovereign wealth funds — that have dedicated allocations to alternative risk premia. These institutions typically run internal vol programs comparable to what a large fund-of-funds might allocate externally. The firm's client base is concentrated in North America and Europe, reflecting the regulatory and structural sophistication required to trade OTC volatility directly.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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