STAC is the trusted voice for technology performance in capital markets.
For over 15 years, we’ve helped the world’s leading financial institutions and technology firms make smarter decisions, faster - through rigorous benchmarking, independent research, and high-impact events.
We don’t trade in assumptions or beliefs
We work with data, extract meaningful information, and apply rigorous analysis to uncover what’s real. Free from vendor influence, we coordinate the STAC Benchmark Council—over 500 financial institutions and 70+ technology vendors—to provide objective, audited benchmarks and clear answers to the most complex technology questions facing the industry.
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STAC isn’t just a source of insight
We're a trusted partner to firms worldwide. From global banks to cutting-edge startups, organizations rely on us to validate new technologies, navigate emerging trends, and make infrastructure decisions with confidence.
Whether you're evaluating systems, seeking clarity on performance, or looking to connect with industry peers, STAC delivers substance over noise. We cut through the hype to bring you the independent validation that drives competitive advantage.
Independent.
Unbiased.
Trusted.
This is STAC.
STAC delivers three core offerings that accelerate technology decisions in capital markets
Whether you're a CTO evaluating infrastructure, a developer optimising performance, or a strategist navigating emerging technologies, STAC provides the evidence-based insight you need to move faster and decide smarter.
Research & Benchmarks
Industry-standard testing methodologies and independent reports that cut through marketing hype to deliver objective, evidence-led performance insight.
Testing
software
Proven benchmark suites that enable firms to evaluate and compare technology solutions using repeatable, real-world scenarios.
Expert
forums
From intimate working group discussions to large-scale Summits across the US, Europe, and Asia, connecting technical leaders to share insights and solve complex challenges together.
STAC focuses on technology challenges where innovation meets critical business impact—particularly where high performance isn't just nice to have, it's essential for competitive advantage.
Our research spans the complete spectrum of capital markets technology:
Fast Data & Real-Time Analytics
Tick-by-tick market data processing, streaming analytics, and ultra-low latency networking that powers algorithmic trading and risk management.
Big Compute & AI Workloads
Risk computation, strategy backtesting, machine learning inference, and artificial intelligence applications that demand massive computational power.
Infrastructure & Performance
Network I/O optimisation, time synchronisation, FPGA acceleration, cloud architectures, and storage solutions that underpin modern trading systems.
We tackle problems where fraction of seconds matter, where scale tests limits, and where the intersection of finance and technology creates the most demanding performance requirements in enterprise computing.
From tick-to-trade latency to regulatory compliance, from GPU-accelerated analytics to hybrid cloud deployments—if it's strategically important to capital markets and technically challenging to implement, it's in STAC's scope.
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Real value from day one—tailored to your role in the industry
Value from STAC starts immediately, with multiple ways to engage based on your needs and interests.
Start Free
Join our mailing list for research updates and event announcements. Create an account to access public STAC Reports and benchmark results—no charge, no commitment.
Attend Events
If you’re part of a financial institution, register your firm for free Observer Membership to attend our renowned STAC Summits. Connect with technical leaders, hear unbiased presentations, and join the conversations shaping the future of finance.
Expert
forums
From intimate working group discussions to large-scale Summits across the US, Europe, and Asia, connecting technical leaders to share insights and solve complex challenges together.
Access Premium Research
Research Subscribers gain access to non-public benchmark results, detailed system configurations, and STAC’s powerful Test Harness—enabling firms to “mark their tech to market” in their own labs and make confident, evidence-led decisions.
Shape the Future
Help define the next generation of benchmarks. Join working groups, drive testing programme requirements, and collaborate with peers on solving the industry’s most pressing engineering challenges.
Other Organisations
We welcome engagement from consulting firms, universities, analyst groups, and media.
If you're contributing to the performance technology conversation, let’s talk.
Where industry leaders define the performance standards that matter
The STAC Benchmark™ Council is a global community of over 500 financial institutions and 70+ technology vendors who collaborate to advance high-performance technologies
in capital markets.
Council members set the direction for stac benchmarks™
Rigorous, vendor-neutral tests designed to reflect real-world workloads, not artificial lab conditions. These benchmarks focus on the technologies that matter most to financial firms: low-latency infrastructure, big compute, and big data systems across the entire technology stack.
Since 2007, this community has been shaping the way capital markets evaluate technology. Members contribute to benchmark design, participate in testing, and gain early access to independent STAC Reports™ that accelerate procurement and validate innovation.
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1. Benchmarking
To develop and promote standard performance benchmarks based on workloads that are strategically important to financial institutions—benchmarking full solution stacks in a way that reflects real industry needs. Only end-user firms vote on benchmark specifications, ensuring true objectivity and relevance.
2. Dialogue
To facilitate deep, engineering-led conversations between users and vendors about critical technical challenges—and the most promising solutions. These conversations happen through special interest groups and at STAC Summits held twice a year in New York, London, Chicago, and Asia.
The result?
A trusted forum where competitors become collaborators, new standards are forged, and better decisions happen faster.
Contact us here to discuss
membership options or register for our next Summit.
