TMX Investor Solutions to bring Optio’s equity platform to Canada

TMX Investor Solutions, a subsidiary of TMX Group, has entered a strategic technology collaboration with Optio Incentives to introduce Optio’s cloud-based equity compensation platform in Canada. The partners plan to make the platform available by the end of 2026.

Under the agreement, TMX Investor Solutions will integrate Optio’s platform with its existing equity plan services and Canadian regulatory expertise. The integration work will include adapting the software to Canadian tax, securities and reporting rules and onboarding clients before the planned launch.

Optio, headquartered in Oslo, supports more than 500 companies and administers plans for over 1 million participants across more than 100 countries. The company manages over 10,000 plans globally. The collaboration will bring Optio’s technology to the Canadian market for the first time.

Lara Donaldson, president of TMX Investor Solutions, described the partnership as reinforcing the firm’s commitment to client service and said combining Optio’s technology with TMX’s market knowledge will build a “premier equity compensation program backed by trusted local support.”

Christoffer Herheim, chief executive of Optio Incentives, noted the project will be developed to meet Canadian requirements and to improve administration for plan sponsors and participants. He highlighted TMX’s market knowledge and regulatory experience as part of the collaboration.

Equity compensation platforms handle stock options, restricted share units and other incentive arrangements. Typical functions include grant administration, vesting schedules, tax withholding, regulatory reporting and participant communication. Companies and plan administrators commonly use software that can scale across jurisdictions and meet local compliance requirements.

TMX Investor Solutions and Optio say the timeline to the end of 2026 will allow time for regulatory alignment and client onboarding before the platform is offered to Canadian issuers.