Prop Firm FTMO Plans 300 Hires, Half of Them at Its Broker OANDA

FTMO, a proprietary trading firm, announced plans to hire approximately 300 employees over the next 14 months, with roughly half joining its broker OANDA, which it acquired in December 2025 for about $422 million. The expansion comes as other trading firms are reducing their workforce, citing efficiency gains from artificial intelligence.

Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer Marek Vašíček revealed the hiring strategy to Czech outlet CzechCrunch on Friday. About two-thirds of the new positions will be technical roles, and candidates for OANDA's teams will be recruited in Prague. The group currently employs about 400 staff at FTMO and 600 at OANDA, making the new hires a 30% workforce expansion.

Industry Contrasts

FTMO's expansion stands in stark contrast to industry trends. Retail brokers have also reduced staff this year, with layoffs typically not exceeding 10% of their workforce.

eToro cut about 7% of its global staff in January, citing process automation and AI for greater efficiency. IronFX reduced its workforce by approximately 150 positions (about 10%) in March, with sources pointing to efficiency amid the AI wave. FP Markets also trimmed its global workforce by less than 7% in April.

OANDA Focus

Half of the new hires will join OANDA, where FTMO co-founders Vašíček and Otakar Šuffner have served as co-CEOs since former CEO Gavin Bambury stepped down in March. The founders have already replaced several people after the takeover and are now strengthening existing teams.

Vašíček noted that OANDA does not offer everything it could in many of its markets, suggesting room for growth with the new hires.

AI Investment

FTMO is investing significantly in AI, spending millions of dollars annually and holding direct contracts with Anthropic and Google. The firm has already automated content creation, translations, and invoicing processes. It's seeking experienced hires, including AI specialists and product engineers who can use AI to develop features from concept to launch.

The company has streamlined its hiring process, replacing traditional three-interview rounds with a two-day sprint at its Prague office, with decisions made within 24 hours. FTMO plans four product launches next year and is expanding its futures trading capabilities, which it opened to traders in beta in August.

Despite reporting 2025 revenue of about $420 million (up 31%) and net income of roughly $37.5 million (down 59%), Šuffner hasn't ruled out a potential stock market listing for the group. "An FTMO ticker sounds really cool," he said. Vašíček noted that while the idea has been discussed, no concrete plans exist yet.