On April 10th, members of the Quantbot team had the pleasure of attending the Joy of Sake annual tasting event at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York City. This much-anticipated event is a celebration of sake culture, featuring an incredible selection of premium sakes—over 500 labels from across Japan and the U.S.—alongside mouthwatering small plates from some of NYC’s top restaurants.
Our team enjoyed the opportunity to explore the wide range of flavors, styles, and brewing techniques that make sake such a unique and versatile beverage. It was a great night out for the Quantbot crew, and we’re already looking forward to next year’s Joy of Sake!
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On April 3rd and 4th, Schonfeld held their PhD Datathon with Codewilling in New York City. Powered by Code Willing's CWIQ Suite, the Datathon was part of the second annual Schonfeld Early Engagement Summit, and allowed PhD candidates to demonstrate their skills in a competitive and exciting environment alongside industry professionals. Alongside Schonfeld portfolio managers and researchers, students helped to analyze institutional-grade datasets and develop quantitative models, made easier with the CWIQ Suite platform that enabled participants to efficiently build and test their models.
While the competition served to test the skills of the attendees, the post-competition discussions allowed students to engage in networking opportunities with members of the team, gaining insight into the fascinating culture and operations of Schonfeld. We are already looking forward to participating next time!
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On March 27th, Paul joined Ian Webster, Neudata’s CRO, on stage for a keynote talk titled “Future-proofing: Competing in an AI-driven, Constantly Changing Quant Landscape.” Ian kicked things off by asking Paul to compare managing Quantbot to parenting a seventeen-year-old—a question that prompted a rather entertaining and anecdotal response (if you were there to hear it).
The bulk of the discussion focused on the importance of data in the quantitative investment process, and how essential it is to have strong partners to support the non-IP side of the technical workload. Paul emphasized that AI and machine learning are now critical to taking ideas from the whiteboard to live trading. As such, maximizing the percentage of the team’s time spent on these core activities is of paramount importance.
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On March 26th, Paul had the opportunity to deliver a keynote presentation at the 3Forge Expo, held in the iconic Gherkin building in the heart of the City. After some reminiscing about the ‘old days,' Paul spoke about the importance of strong and reliable partnerships in the hyper-competitive world of quantitative investing—and how 3Forge exemplifies just such a partner. The event was also a perfect opportunity to connect with colleagues, partners, and friends whilst taking in the incredible views of the London skyline.
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On April 2nd, Quantbot wrapped up their financial year with a bang! The company decided to host dinner and drinks in the office to celebrate the success of the firm over the last year. Everyone gathered together to toast to the hard-working employees before enjoying a delicious catered meal. The group had a wonderful time together, acknowledging the achievements made within the company. Here’s to another great year at Quantbot!
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On March 29th, Quantbot employees had the exciting opportunity to participate in the annual Carnegie Mellon Master of Science in Computational Finance (MSCF) Datathon, an event that brings together some of the brightest minds in finance and technology. This year, the same datathon took place simultaneously in two locations - New York and Pittsburgh - offering students a dynamic and competitive environment to showcase their quantitative and programming skills.
Quantbot mentors, including Zihao, Richard, Shrinath, Zexiang, Aditya, and Aneesh, joined a mix of undergraduate and master's students in Pittsburgh, while Ian represented teams in New York. Their role was to guide participants through the rigorous competition, providing valuable insights and expertise in quantitative finance and algorithmic trading.
The challenge for the students was to develop a model to predict daily stock returns using provided datasets. Their strategies were evaluated based on five key metrics: Sharpe ratio, maximum drawdown, total traded amount, up/down ratio, and overall return. The team with the best performance across these criteria emerged as the winner.
Beyond the competition, the datathon was a fantastic opportunity for students to interact with industry professionals, gain hands-on experience with real-world financial data, and refine their problem-solving skills. Our mentors had an incredible time engaging with the students, sharing their knowledge, and being part of such an inspiring event.
We look forward to participating in future datathons and continuing to support the next generation of innovators in quantitative finance!
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On March 11th, our CEO, Paul White, participated in a fireside chat at the Quant Strats conference with Budga Bhattacharya, Head of Systematic Research at Lombard Odier Investment Managers. They reflected on their shared experiences at Merrill and discussed their approaches to leading quant investment teams, each focusing on different strategies. The conversation also explored how cloud computing has significantly expanded the use of machine learning and AI, as well as the emerging frontiers for quant teams in the industry. It was an insightful discussion that highlighted the evolving role of technology in quantitative investing and the exciting opportunities that lie ahead.
BLOG INSIGHTS AND ANALYSISQuantbot InsightsExploring the Intersection of Technology and Finance
On February 7th, our CIO, Ashar Mahboob, participated in the CMU MSCF Finance Advisory Board Meeting, contributing to the program’s growth and expanding resources for prospective students.
His dedication to the board was recognized, particularly for the integration of Quantbot mentors and the Code Willing Platform, both of which have significantly enhanced classroom experiences and Datathon competitions.
A key discussion point was the impact of the CodeWilling platform and Data Store on student learning. The platform is seamlessly integrated into coursework, offering an engaging experience, while the Data Store provides invaluable real-world data, equipping students with essential tools for success.
Additionally, the conversation highlighted the need for expanding data availability. Professor Chad Schaffer, a strong advocate for the CodeWilling platform, emphasized the importance of increasing datasets within the CMU Data Store to further enrich student learning.
Ashar’s participation underscores our commitment to fostering innovation in finance education, ensuring students have access to cutting-edge tools and industry-relevant resources.
We’re excited to see how this program continues to evolve, bringing even more opportunities for students to engage with real-world data, industry mentors, and innovative technology.
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On January 22nd, Paul White, our CEO and Co-founder, took the stage in an unusually chilly Miami to discuss emerging trends in alternative data for 2025. The panel engaged in a lively debate on using data for macroeconomic analysis and the growing role of LLMs and AI within buy-side investment firms.
The key takeaway? That’s easy: we all need more data. However, a crucial undertone emerged- the trading community requires easier access to trial data and a more streamlined process for acquiring proven datasets. This is both an industry and cultural challenge that delays time to market, negatively impacting both buy-side firms and data vendors.
Quantbot refers to this challenge as “R.O.D” Return on Data. If it takes six months or more to obtain trial data, we often see a negative impact on its value, reducing the likelihood of purchasing it for long-term use.
Despite these industry hurdles, Quantbot values events like this as great opportunities to connect with peers, discover new providers, and engage with existing ones. Alternative data means different things to different firms, but our stance remains firm: everyone will need to consume significantly more datasets to stay competitive, whether they are alternative or traditional.
This growing demand will require firms to ingest, process, cleanse, and map far larger volumes of data. The big question is which companies will handle this challenge without massively increasing bottom-line costs.
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Last Saturday, Quantbot was a proud sponsor of MSCF’s 2024 Trading Competition, which was hosted by CMU’s MSCF Women in Quant Finance and Smart Women Securities. The one-day competition at Carnegie Mellon University brought together over 150 talented students from their MSCF program as well as CMU’s undergraduate programs to showcase their quantitative and trading skills. Inspired by the Rotman Trading Competition in Toronto, the event expanded access to market simulation games and offered exclusive networking opportunities with the sponsors, including Quantbot.
As sponsors, Quantbot researchers and representatives were able to network throughout the day-long competition. We had a chance to meet with students across both Masters and Undergrad programs and observe firsthand the dedication and hard work the MSCF Program Office puts into their students. As always we are very appreciative of the chance to participate in MSCF events, and we look forward to sponsoring again in future!
Quantbot table of merch is ready for networking
Zihao, Quantbot researcher, introduces Quantbot to the competition participants
