Gulf Partners Group closes $100mln private credit facility for Payward-owned NinjaTrader

Gulf Partners Group closes $100 million private credit facility for NinjaTrader

Gulf Partners Group (GPG) has arranged and closed a $100 million senior secured private credit facility for NinjaTrader Group Holding, LLC, the Chicago-headquartered retail futures trading platform that is wholly owned by Payward. The facility, announced by the parties in Manama, Bahrain, will support NinjaTrader’s growth and operational expansion as it strengthens its leadership in the U.S. retail futures market.

“This transaction is a testament to what GPG was built to do, connect the Gulf to the world's most compelling investment opportunities, and do it at both a pace and to a standard that institutional investors expect,” said Mohammed Alqahtany, Co-CEO at GPG.

Key transaction facts

• Facility size: $100 million (senior secured private credit)
• Borrower: NinjaTrader Group Holding, LLC (a wholly owned subsidiary of Payward)
• Lender/arranger: Gulf Partners Group (management-led GCC private markets firm)
• Headquarters: NinjaTrader — Chicago; Payward — global product family including Kraken and NinjaTrader
• Strategic positioning: Supports NinjaTrader’s U.S. retail futures growth and Payward’s regional expansion

The deal is notable as one of the first instances in which an independent Gulf private-markets firm has structured a private credit transaction with a major U.S. fintech-linked company. GPG described the transaction as its second since launch and its first major transaction, signalling the firm’s ambition to originate cross-border private credit and private equity investments sized to its $50 million to $100 million target ticket range.

“Investors across the GCC are increasingly seeking access to institutional-grade private market opportunities – in the region and beyond. Our intention is to bridge that gap by providing access to carefully selected opportunities globally,” added Waleed Abdulaziz, Chief Investment Officer at GPG. Co-CEO Yousif Al Abdulla highlighted the importance of relationships and execution capability: “This transaction reflects the quality of our relationships and execution capabilities we have built over many years. We see significant potential to continue connecting regional capital with high-quality investment opportunities internationally.”

For NinjaTrader, the facility comes as it seeks to capitalise on its established retail futures footprint. The company says it has empowered a community of over 3.5 million traders since its founding in 2003 with cloud-based desktop, web and mobile platforms, an ultra-low commission structure and associated institutional-grade technology via NT Technologies and NinjaTrader Connect. “This facility reflects the confidence our partners have in NinjaTrader's business and trajectory,” said Martin Franchi, CEO at NinjaTrader. “We have spent two decades building the leading futures platform in the United States, and with the right capital partners behind us, the next chapter is an exciting one.”

Outlook and strategic ties

The transaction is framed as the start of a broader strategic relationship between Payward and GPG intended to connect Gulf investors with Payward’s ecosystem, including Kraken and NinjaTrader. Arjun Sethi, Co-CEO of Payward and Kraken, noted regional momentum: “The Gulf moved early on digital assets and treated them as core infrastructure while much of the world watched. That is why we are building here, with partners who see it the same way. Securing VARA authorisation in Dubai was one step. This facility is another. NinjaTrader already leads US retail futures, and futures are the backbone of any serious market. This facility puts Gulf capital behind the platform and gives it room to scale in the market it leads. We are here for the long term, and there is a lot more Payward want to do in the region, through both Kraken and NinjaTrader.”

GPG, backed by Arzan Capital and founded by three GCC partners with more than 70 years of combined regional experience, intends to offer GCC investors access to international private market opportunities while maintaining a portfolio mix of roughly 75% GCC and 25% international investments.