Octaura is an electronic trading and data analytics platform focused on fixed-income asset classes, particularly leveraged loans and collateralized loan obligations. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Octaura Chief Financial Officer Cristina Kim to learn more.
Cristina Kim’s Background
When asked about her background and the experience she brings to Octaura, Kim shared:
With over two decades of experience in financial services, primarily at J.P. Morgan, I have collaborated extensively with management teams, founders, and CFOs from diverse industries. My role has involved providing strategic guidance, advising on capital allocation, and supporting long-term growth initiatives.
Throughout my career, I’ve sat at the intersection of finance, technology, and execution, often serving as a bridge between investors and operators. That perspective has shaped how I think about building businesses, evaluating risk, and translating strategy into action. At the end of 2025, I stepped into the CFO role at Octaura, where I’m applying these learnings in a much more hands-on capacity.
Moving From Investing To Operations
When asked what prompted her move after more than 20 years at one firm, Kim explained:
After years of evaluating companies through an investor lens, I reached a point where I wanted to be directly involved in building and scaling a business. I had spent a lot of time partnering with management teams and CFOs, but I wanted to be inside the company, helping to shape decisions in real time rather than advising from the outside.
It also took the right company to come along for me to know I wanted to make the move. I was already an investor in Octaura when this opportunity presented itself, and Octaura was especially compelling because it’s solving problems I’ve seen persist in credit markets for years.
The opportunity to join at this stage, with strong traction and a clear mandate to help guide the next phase of growth, felt like the right next step.
Kim’s Responsibilities
When asked about her primary responsibilities at Octaura, Kim detailed:
My role is broad and very strategic. A big part of my mandate is helping define and support Octaura’s three- to five-year strategic plan, including capital planning and the evolution of the capitalization table. I’m also focused on formalizing investor relations and leveraging my background to strengthen how we engage with both current and future investors.
More broadly, I see myself as a liaison between the business, investors, and our management team, particularly around strategy. Given my background, I know how to communicate effectively and efficiently with the investor base.
I’m also building frameworks to guide decisions such as build versus partner, product expansion, and geographic growth. At the same time, I’m focused on leveling up the finance function through technology and automation.
Electronic Trading And Analytics
When describing Octaura’s core products and features, Kim noted:
Octaura is an electronic trading and data and analytics platform focused on fixed-income asset classes, particularly leveraged loans and CLOs. These markets are still highly manual today, relying on spreadsheets, phone calls, and emails.
Our platform digitizes those workflows through electronic trading protocols, real-time data, and deep analytics. The goal is to improve speed, transparency, and execution for traders and investors while reducing friction across the entire process.
Major Company Milestones
When asked about Octaura’s most significant milestones, Kim said:
One of the most important milestones has been achieving strong early adoption in a market that’s traditionally slow to change. Octaura exited last month (June 2026) with 7.51% of secondary loans traded, Based on LSTA-reported secondary loan volumes.
This was after starting the previous year with a 3% market share in January 2025.We’ve seen meaningful traction on the loan trading side, with 32 dealers and 178 buy-side institutions onboarded to the platform.
We also recently launched CLO trading and already have around 12 dealers and 79 buy-side firms participating as of March 2026.
Strategy As A First-Time CFO
When asked how her experience shapes her strategy as a first-time CFO, Kim explained:
With decades of experience in strategic investment, I place a strong emphasis on clarity, discipline, and long-term value. My decision-making process involves carefully considering risk, return, and flexibility, supported by my background in effectively communicating information to both management and investors.
As a first-time CFO, my goal is to build solid foundations through robust metrics, governance, and decision-making frameworks so the company can scale efficiently. I view finance as a strategic partner and prioritize asking thoughtful questions that drive business growth.
Next Steps After The Funding Round
When asked what is next for Octaura following its recent multimillion-dollar funding round, Kim concluded:
In June 2025, Octaura secured another $46.5 million in an oversubscribed funding round, expanding our investor network across the bank and buy side. The funding allows us to continue investing in product innovation and expansion while scaling thoughtfully.
We’re focused on deepening adoption across both loans and CLOs, enhancing our data and analytics capabilities, and continuing to improve the user experience for both sell-side and buy-side participants.
We are also very focused on prioritization, making sure we’re investing in initiatives that align with our long-term strategy and deliver the most value to clients.
