LONDON, April 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As retail trading grows across the UK and Canada, AIFO, a global prop trading and trading education platform, has launched to combine live trading challenges with structured training that helps independent traders build skills while accessing trading capital.
Recent industry data shows that more than 2.7 million UK adults now use online platforms to invest or trade financial assets, while roughly 23% of UK adults have invested in stocks outside their pension. Meanwhile, market data in Canada shows that around one in five Canadian adults (21%) have used an investing or trading app – outside their regular banking app – to trade stocks, cryptocurrency or invest money.
However, market regulators such as the FCA in the UK and Canadian provincial securities regulators have increasingly raised concerns about the lack of formal education among retail traders, many of whom rely on fragmented online sources or social media for information about markets.
Users on the platform undertake structured trading challenges designed to demonstrate their trading ability while adhering to predefined risk parameters. Those who successfully complete these challenges can then access additional trading capital.
Against this backdrop, AIFO, a global prop-trading and trading education platform, has launched in the UK and Canada with the aim of supporting independent traders through training and market insight.
Central to AIFO’s model is the integration of its AIFO Academy with live trading challenges. Traders apply risk management principles from structured learning while working to unlock additional trading capital through evaluated performance.
AIFO says the platform has been designed to address the gap between the growing accessibility of financial markets and the limited availability of structured learning resources for individual traders.
“Retail participation in financial markets has increased dramatically over the past decade, but the educational infrastructure supporting it has not developed at the same pace,” said Jun Yu, CEO & Founder at AIFO. “Many individuals approach trading as a side activity or personal interest, but the markets require discipline, knowledge and structured learning. The aim of the platform is to provide a framework that helps traders develop those skills.”
Alongside this model, the company has placed particular emphasis on its education offering, which is intended to support traders ranging from beginners exploring financial markets for the first time to more experienced participants seeking to refine their strategy.
The launch comes amid broader growth in retail market participation, particularly among younger investors. Surveys in recent years have shown that younger adults are significantly more likely than previous generations to experiment with trading stocks, cryptocurrencies and other financial instruments using digital platforms.
At the same time, regulators have repeatedly highlighted the risks associated with speculative trading activity where individuals lack an understanding of market mechanics, leverage and risk management.
AIFO says its approach aims to address these concerns by emphasizing structured learning, transparency and disciplined participation in financial markets.
Following its launch in the UK and Canada, the company plans to expand its education resources and community features as it continues to develop the platform.
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