Who we are
SteelHedge is a sales and operations planning platform for the whole range of steel products and steelmaking raw materials.
Through technology and partnerships with leading providers of market data and post-trade services, we help ensure costs, revenues, and margins without financial derivatives. The platform is exempted from financial regulation by FINMA, the Swiss financial regulator, because it doesn’t engage in financial market activities.
We are neutral, independent, and committed to industrial stakeholders worldwide.
Our role
SteelHedge develops the technology, legal environment, and decentralized ecosystem for an efficient and sustainable market, without acting as a market maker or a counterparty in any trade.
In addition to price risk management, we facilitate sales and operations planning (S&OP) across global and regional supply chains.
The platform represents the interests of miners, producers, recyclers, end-users, and everyone in between.
Where we come from
As industry insiders, we believe that ferrous risk management should NOT depend on financial intermediation for several reasons:
Standardization
Commodity derivatives require a high degree of standardization for trading—but steel is not a commodity.
The complexity of our supply chain and regional idiosyncrasies hinder the development of financial futures with customization and liquidity required for risk management.
Way forward
A decentralized market and flexible contracts reflecting a complex supply chain.
Commodity derivatives require a high degree of standardization for trading—but steel is not a commodity.
The complexity of our supply chain and regional idiosyncrasies hinder the development of financial futures with customization and liquidity required for risk management.
Way forward
A decentralized market and flexible contracts reflecting a complex supply chain.
Inconvenience
Understanding and managing financial derivatives is not an easy task, especially for SMEs and companies that never dealt with them before.
As derivatives clearing becomes mandatory, it doesn’t take into account very different motives and risk profiles exhibited by suppliers, end-users and speculators.
Way forward
Simple paper contracts that easily integrate with supply agreements.
Flexible post-trade processing based on user preferences and risk profiles.
Understanding and managing financial derivatives is not an easy task, especially for SMEs and companies that never dealt with them before.
As derivatives clearing becomes mandatory, it doesn’t take into account very different motives and risk profiles exhibited by suppliers, end-users and speculators.
Way forward
Simple paper contracts that easily integrate with supply agreements.
Flexible post-trade processing based on user preferences and risk profiles.
Financialization
Over the years, commodity exchanges and derivatives traded on them came a long way from their original purpose—risk management.
As the leading exchanges turned from non-profit utilities into financial groups, the financial sector became their prime source of revenue, fueling speculation and distorting commodity markets.
Way forward
A digital utility for productive economy, insulated from undue influence of financial markets.
Over the years, both commodity exchanges and derivatives traded on them came a long way from their original purpose—risk management.
As exchanges turned from non-profit utilities into corporations, the financial sector became their prime source of revenue, spurring financial speculation and distorting commodity markets.
Way forward
A digital utility for the real economy, insulated from undue influence of financial markets.
Where we go
Digital economy tackles these issues at their roots:
- SteelHedge Contracts may use hundreds of commercial market prices licensed by leading price reporting agencies, and may be converted into supply agreements;
- When required, settlements between users are secured by first-tier financial institutions (escrow, insurance, clearing);
- Trading is facilitated by customized algorithms and corporate insights from established risk and compliance data providers.
Powered by network effects, this ecosystem enables forward pricing and risk management in decentralized commercial markets—the way steel and steelmaking raw materials are traded today.