Alpaca acquires Wealthkernel to launch API-Driven equities trading in Europe

Alpaca has completed its acquisition of WealthKernel, rebranded as Alpaca Europe, and rolled out API-first equities trading services across the region, leveraging UK and EU brokerage licenses to enable cross-border investment functionality.

Alpaca, a provider of brokerage infrastructure APIs, has finalized the acquisition of European fintech WealthKernel, now operating as Alpaca Europe, according to official disclosures. Concurrently, the company has initiated the rollout of its API-first equities trading services in Europe, allowing cross-border investing through a single integration.

The acquisition brings licensed brokerage and custody infrastructure in the UK and EU, supporting products including Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) and Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs). This development matters because Alpaca Europe combines WealthKernel’s regional regulatory permissions with Alpaca’s US-headquartered, licensed full-stack brokerage infrastructure. The unified layer enables fintechs and financial institutions to build investment products across both jurisdictions without maintaining separate license stacks, reducing time-to-market and compliance costs. Industries impacted include embedded finance, wealthtech, and cross-border investment platforms.

Stakeholders include European digital banks, robo-advisors, and neobrokers seeking pan-European expansion.

For investors, the acquisition signals consolidation in the B2B fintech infrastructure space, where regulatory moats and multi-jurisdictional licenses create barriers to entry. Alpaca’s ability to offer a single API for US and European markets may attract enterprise clients previously forced to integrate multiple providers.

Alpaca is a US-based brokerage infrastructure platform offering API-first trading, real-time market data, and custody services.

WealthKernel was a London-headquartered digital wealth infrastructure provider regulated in the UK and EU.