<article><p class="lead">An online trading platform for metals and ferro-alloys, Metalshub, has been launched by two former senior managers at mining group Anglo American.</p><p>The platform went live in December last year. The firm offers a marketplace for the negotiation of deals between counterparties, and other services such as the organisation of logistics and credit insurance. It aims to increase efficiency and liquidity on the market and facilitate expansion of users' supplier or customer bases.</p><p>Metalshub, which is based in Germany, is aimed at all market participants and is initially focusing on the European ferro-alloy market, with domestic consumers and international suppliers. But there is scope to expand into other regions and other metals because of its online nature, the firm said.</p><p>Frank Jackel and Sebastian Kreft, formerly head of ferro-alloys sales and head of nickel sales at Anglo American, respectively, are co-founders of the platform.</p></article>
