Opinion Has No Chain of Command
We value reasoning over position, appreciate candidness and audacity, and encourage independent decision-making.
Greetings, future me! I’m thrilled to know that we've thrived for over a century. So, tell me, how have we managed to stay relevant for so long?
- algoseek 2024
Hold your horses, young one. Let's not get ahead of ourselves. I represent just one possible outcome of future algoseek. In the majority of parallel universes, you, sadly, didn't make it past 2033.
- algoseek 2124
Uh, that’s disturbing... So what made you the exception?
- algoseek 2024
The formula is simple in theory, but difficult in practice. Stick to key principles, stay focused on your mission, be agile enough to seize new opportunities, and adaptable enough to adjust to change.
- algoseek 2124
Can you elaborate on these principles?
- algoseek 2024
Certainly. In terms of human resources, the guiding principle is "freedom and responsibility"; organizationally, the goal is to be highly aligned yet loosely coupled; and in business operations, the core concept is cultivating a "technology mind" and a "service heart”.
- algoseek 2124
Please expound upon the "technology mind” and “service heart”
- algoseek 2024
You’ll keep expanding your technology stack and take pride in being a tech champion among all data providers. But don’t forget, there’s no longevity for tech companies. They are all replaced by new-comers with newer technology. This is because they inevitably become self-absorbed, linger on their past achievements, and lose the ability to revolutionize themselves. So, you must always focus on what's best for your clients, even if, at times, it doesn’t seem to be in your own best interests. This will keep you humble, open-minded, and objective, and your long-term survival depends on it.
In a nutshell: in order to successfully expand, evolve, and transform with technology, you must commit to serve your clients wholeheartedly.
- algoseek 2124
What’s the future landscape of data like? What should we prepare for?
- algoseek 2024
Unfortunately I can’t answer that. It’s Schrödinger’s cat.
- algoseek 2124
Ha, so I’ll be both dead and alive in the future?
- algoseek 2024
The future holds a myriad of possibilities, each only taking shape when lived.
- algoseek 2124
That’s slightly disappointing… I was eager to know the future
- algoseek 2024
Where's the thrill of exploration if you already know what lies ahead?
- algoseek 2124
Touché. We’ve already embarked on the path of technological innovation, from our lightning-fast, vast and scalable cloud database, to our on-demand data delivery platform and data pipeline facility. We're assisting clients in taking data from multiple sources, transforming it into their desired format, and delivering it precisely where it's needed. We're doing so well that even fellow data vendors seek our help for data storage and delivery solutions. Isn’t that the embodiment of a "technology mind"?
- algoseek 2024
Stay humble, you must, young one.
- algoseek 2124
Arigatou, Sensei. Can you guide me on implementing the “service heart” in our operations?
- algoseek 2024
It’s about forging deep partnerships and evolving in tandem with your clients. You understand clients’ challenges and needs at every step, and support them through their data journey. Envision yourself as a Data Nanny, taking care of your clients’ data issues at various stages of growth, enabling them to focus on their core competencies as traders and data scientists.
- algoseek 2124
So you suggest we put “Data Nanny” into our vision statement.
- algoseek 2024
In fact, we were known as the "Five Star Data Nanny" – an embodiment of star data, star technology, star support, star pricing, and, most importantly, a stellar team.
- algoseek 2124
Five-star sounds a little bit cheesy, don’t you think?
- algoseek 2024
At your current stage, five-star perfectly encapsulates the pillars of algoseek’s success. It's concise, memorable, and reflects our commitment to quality - boom! Got a better suggestion? Or do you hold a personal vendetta against cheese?
- algoseek 2124
At my current stage?
- algoseek 2024
You'll recognize when it's time for change. Got to go. Duty calls.
- algoseek 2124
Until next time, future me. Here’s to hoping we endure for another century!
- algoseek 2024
At algoseek, we deal with the complexities of extracting, transforming, and managing data for data consumers and suppliers in the financial industry, empowering our clients to focus on value creation, not data housekeeping.
Shifting Landscape of Financial Data
Technological and regulatory shifts are continually reforming and refining business practices. Below are the trends in financial data and trading that we are already observing or anticipate unfolding shortly:
Big data and alternate data become the “New Normal”
Machine learning makes it possible to explore and analyze patterns and correlations on a large scale beyond human direct observation, allowing the creation and usage of data that could never be created or used before. This, in conjunction with advancing computational power and storage capabilities, has led to an explosion in the volume, diversity, and depth of data.
Growing needs for market depth and history
Minute bars used to be small datasets with 20ish trade-based data points, such as OHLC, volume, VWAP, and a few timestamps. Then we developed Trade+Quote minute bar in 2015, which had over 90 data points and was as thorough and comprehensive, at that time, as quants and algo traders could make use of at reasonable computing and storage costs. Now with ever-advancing computing power and AI/ML models, we’ve seen growing needs for very large market data, such as equities and futures full depth, Options TAQ, and even Options order book, and with a long history.
Allure of financial data beyond industry boundaries
Increasingly, we are getting data requests from corporate treasury teams. Non-financial businesses are tapping into realtime and historical financial market and fundamental data for a wide variety of usages, for example, to facilitate decision-making, optimize short and long term investments, fine-tune forex risk management, and more.
Surge of retail traders; Data democratization
During the last several years, the surge of retail traders has become a phenomenon, capable of pumping up small cap stocks 2000% in just a few days. As an indicator of retail activity, odd lot rate (number of odd lot trades as the percentage of all trades) has soared from under 20% in 2013 to over 60% in 2023.
This rising of retail traders has catalyzed a data democratization wave, led by new data providers aiming to make data affordable and readily accessible to all. RESTful API and WebSocket have become the go-to channels for real-time data delivery.
Trade smarter, not faster: phaseout of ultra-low-latency game
The ultra-low-latency arms race was once dominating the market. At its peak, in 2010, Spread Networks spent about $300 million to lay fiber-optic cable in a straight line from Chicago to New York. Now the focus has shifted towards crafting sophisticated trading algorithms and sourcing alternative datasets for a competitive edge.
Data challenges Businesses are Facing
The transformative impact of machine learning on business operations is palpable, but the full metamorphosis in the AI era is still unfolding. As data continues to grow in both volume and complexity, the ability to efficiency onboard and manage data is crucial to business success in fast-changing technological and business terrains. We see this as the opportunity for algoseek to ascend as a key player in the financial data industry by creating data that meet the need for machine learning and AI epoch, and by crafting software products that simplify data access, management and utilization.
Our unwavering commitment to our clients: focus on your core competencies, and entrust your data journey to algoseek.
We are a bunch of nerds, and we are fun to work with.
Chris "the Captain N.I.T."
CEO
CEO
With over ten years of experience in building quantitative trading and algorithmic systems and deep insight, Chris is our captain. He leads us by always thinking for us: not only our present, but also our future.
He never blames us when we disappoint him, but there's the deep, deep sadness in his eyes that breaks our hearts. Sometimes he micro-manages because he is concerned to make every detail accurate. He says "Nothing Is Trivial" every time, so we call him our Captain N.I.T.
We all work hard to not fail him.
Sam "the Chief"
Chief Data Scientist
Chief Data Scientist
Sam is a data expert and Wall St. veteran. Prior to algoseek, her over twenty years of experience expanded from sales team leader, analyst, data engineer, and leading data scientist.
Her mind operates like a perpetual analytical engine, ceaselessly deciphering numbers and patterns. Back in her uni days, while her peers laughing at jokes, she often found herself dissecting them, identifying the underlying informal fallacies. This earned her the affectionate nickname 'Rain Woman' among her friends.
We asked why she started her career as a Wall St. Saleswoman, and she said “I wanted to challenge myself with something I thought I sucked at. And it turned out to be quite easy. When you make a lot of sense, customers listen.”
At the heart of our operation, data quality is our lifeline. Sam is the guiding force, leading us towards excellence.
Miao "Doraemon"
Strategy & Marketing
Strategy & Marketing
After eight years working in Huawei including R&D, marketing and sales, Miao joined us with her deep insights and novel approaches.
She is everywhere: develop strategy, design organization, shape culture, refine business processes, improve client communication, etc.
She is Doraemon with the magic pocket, and she never runs out of battery.
Taras "the Astronomer"
Chief Production Engineer
Chief Production Engineer
Taras loves stargazing. The speed at which he grew from astrophysicist into a production expert is amazing.
He said the countless tickers are like countless stars in the night sky: when he gazes at them, he feels himself connected to the universe.
He is our “astronomer”.
Frank "the Surfer"
Database Guru
Database Guru
Frank Lewis is a database expert with over 20 years of experience working with a wide range of database technologies. He currently leads the database team at algoseek. Prior to joining AlgoSeek, he worked at Google and Microsoft on database optimization. He holds a BS degree from Johns Hopkins University.
“I’ve never been athletic, and I was often told I was too old to start surfing. But I recently learned to surf, and it fascinates me—being highly focused, conquering one wave at a time. There’s an incredible sense of freedom in controlling your fear and challenging your limits.
“I worked as a database expert for over 20 years at the largest companies, mainly Microsoft and Google, and the culture at AlgoSeek is very different from what I was used to.
“Things are simple and straightforward here. No politics. No detours. No euphemisms. That simplicity creates a cohesive, efficient, highly focused team and ignites an almost primal kind of passion. Now I often get up at 5 a.m. and start working immediately.
“I’m proud that ArdaDB, the powerful database I helped create, has made life significantly easier for quantitative firms.”
Rakshit "the Thinker"
Finance
Finance
Rakshit had been giving us financial advice, and officially became our CFO when, with our growth, we need more and more of his time and devotion.
In Rakshit, the combination of CPA & CFA background with Deloitte working experience has created a meticulosity monster. As a number guy, his footprints are not limited to finance. He likes to model everything: sales process, client journey, support tickets, QA…and turns our performance into colorful charts for analysis and comparison. He sees things we don’t usually see, from the angles we don’t usually take, and gives us suggestions.
He loves meditation. He said when you shut out noises, truth revealed itself.
Dan "the Capitalist"
Sales
Sales
Every customer request is large and urgent; Every customer complaint is declared as national emergency; Every customer commitment is sacred as the Constitution.
Under the name of customers, Dan constantly demands speed and squeeze efficiency out of us. He's the "mean capitalist" among us.
He owns us.
Vasyl "Q"
Data Engineer
Data Engineer
Vasyl is a Ph.D. in Quantum Statistics, and we joked that the computing capability of his head is as powerful as IBM Q, the quantum computer. He loves to explore lattice systems.
He is very excited about building software to explore data and believes he can help our clients to find quantum effects in it.
Yuri "Spock"
CTO
CTO
Yuri’s a seasoned data expert; He’s a genius. He used to build great trading systems, now he is building great data products.
He’s not distant. He’s just nerdy. He is mind-melded with all our software and scripts.
Now with our team growing, he takes the challenge to manage a whole R&D team and mind meld with humans.
We give him our unwavering support. After all, we are all nerds and weirdos. We are a team.
Peter Falco "Falcon"
Software Developer
Software Developer
Peter was initially a client. He joined algoseek because working with us provides him freedom.
He’s a passionate developer, a born problem solver. We asked him what it felt like to connect to the world through lines and lines of codes. He thought for a while and said it was probably like a falcon hovering in the sky, observing and contemplating, then diving towards a chosen target.
C.S. Lewis said, “the price of freedom is loneliness”. Yet Peter argued that the freedom in loneliness is nothing but unbearable lightness. He’s happy to be tied to us and our clients and feels true freedom in responsibilities.
Jeremy
Data Engineer
Data Engineer
We all have some sort of high degree related to computer, math or finance, yet Jeremy has two degrees covering all the three areas: a B.S. in computer science and a Ph.D. in mathematical finance.
He could have become a quant. Yet to him, the life of a quant is to conquer, and the life of a data engineer is to nurture. So he chooses to nurture over to conquer.
Nothing gives him more joy than the fact that clients trust our data in their research, trading and portfolio management.
Jodhie "Marco Polo"
Communication
Communication
Armed with a Bachelor's degree in Communication and Media Studies, Jodhie is a talented young lady with hands-on experience in digital content creation and client communication.
She is simply not a 9 to 5 kind of person. Often daydreaming about getting lost in unfamiliar places, she is a free-spirit who constantly seeks exciting adventure and aspires to live out of a suitcase, leading a nomadic life.
Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino is her all-time favorite book. Once during our team building activity, we asked her which person in history she would like to become, and her answer was Marco Polo.
Her inner drive for novelty and creativity constantly motivates her to seek new experiences and conquer challenges. In the future, we hope she can perform missions for us across the whole world as we set our eyes on making our mark on a global scale.
General Alisha
Quality Engineer
Quality Engineer
Alisha is a general. She recruits and commands the algoseek Simian army.
She describes herself as a pessimistic optimist, an extrovert introvert, a cooperative nonconformist, and most importantly, a pragmatic dreamer.
We hired her when we had our first client using algoseek’s equity TAQ minute bar to manage their over $100 million quant fund. Now we are all under her command.
“We are a team of developers and mathletes driven to transform the clunky, inefficient financial data sector with technology and provide value to our clients”
TL;DR
The Start of algoseek
Back to y2k, there was a trader and two developers living on Wall Street. They worked for a trading fund and over the years, earned some money – most people would think it was a lot, and a few might think it was nothing – and they also earned their fair share of frustration with data. Market Data from mainstream providers were very expensive, yet disappointingly basic and error-ridden. To obtain low-latency, high-quality, comprehensive market data for trading algorithms, the fund designed and built its own co-location software and hardware from the ground up.
While trading was fun and intellectually satisfying, with the success of the in-house developed ticker plant and network infrastructure, the three started to have a more purposeful goal: to make the full value out of the infrastructure, make life easier for fellow quants and, if possible, transform the dated, stagnant financial data sector along the way.
Their quest led them to a mathlete: a data scientist. With a vow to create the most comprehensive, highest-quality data in the financial industry, the four came together as one: algoseek.
Transform into Data Infrastructure Provider
algoseek’s inaugural dataset, the equity minute bar, was met with enthusiasm by traders and researchers alike. Drawing on our hands-on trading experience, we at algoseek knew how to navigate the intricacies of market data. The dataset was packed with 90 data points, offering unique insights into market dynamics and microstructure like no other.
As algoseek’s data offering expanded to include reference data, fundamentals, news and more, our commitment to quality remains unshakeable. However, it also became clear that sourcing high resolution, high-quality data was just one of the many challenges quants faced. Accessing, ingesting, transforming data, and managing pipelines were overwhelmingly time-consuming, and we are well-positioned to help.
We developed ArdaDB, a massive, lightning-fast cloud database based on open-source ClickHouse, and our clients can access petabytes of common data from shared storage, while keep confidential data in private storage, combining the benefits of low costs and large scale with security. In addition to remote network storage, ArdaDB also automatically adjusts local storage to further enhance speed.
We continue to add libraries and services to ArdaDB, enabling our clients to work with data immediately, without the need to ingest data and build their own tools.
We also created a sophisticated data pipeline infrastructure to assist clients in collecting, quality-controlling, cross-referencing, transforming, and normalizing data into the format they require, and deliver it where needed.
When a fellow data vendor approached us for help with data delivery, we realized our infrastructure could benefit not only data consumers but also data providers. Our pipeline facility supports aspiring data providers in extracting raw data from various sources, performing necessary cleaning, computation and transformation to create new datasets, and properly partitioning and storing them for realtime and historical data delivery.
“At the end of day, we are simply a team of developers and mathletes driven to transform the clunky, inefficient financial data sector with technology and provide value to our clients,” said our founders. It’s a sentiment that resonates with all of us at algoseek.
2021
Add news, short interest,...
2022
Launch Realtime Data service
2022
Add Options Analytics dataset
2022
Surpass 1,000 clients benchmark
2023
Welcome our 30th team member
2023
Launch ArdaDB and Console
Join us!
Shape our
future together
Freedom and Responsibility
Power and freedom are earned by winning trust and taking responsibility.
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Senior C++ System Developer
We are seeking a strong C++ Developer who will focus on maintaining algoseek ticker plant software and NY4 co-lo servers. The Systems Developer will occupy a position at the center of the algoseek’s data collection. This person must have experience building large-scale production systems, high-performance trading applications, and driving improvement in all levels of the technology stack.
Responsibilities:
- Maintain software architecture of algoseek ticker plant and co-lo servers
- Design, develop and implement performance and quality modules together with Quality team
- Dive into the low-level details, solve problems and fix bugs at the request of Support team
- Upgrade the ticker plant and co-lo servers to meet future changes and needs
- Develop and maintain documentation
Essential Requirements:
- Degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, EE or similar
- Minimum of two years developing low latency C++ applications
- Proficiency in advanced C++ (’11/14) including proficiency with STL, TMP, Boost, and type safety
- Proficiency in advanced data structures, algorithms, OO programming, and computational complexity
- Proficiency in Software Engineering including design/requirement specs, testing, QA, release
- Experience with low-level system facilities: threading, I/O, signals, shared memory, VM, VFS
- Experience in distributed computing including exchange topology, market gateways, and SORs
- Knowledge of TCP/IP, UDP, and network topology; experience with socket programming
- Knowledge of exchange connectivity, data management, and ticker plant
Desirable Requirements:
- Graduate degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, EE, or similar
- Knowledge and familiarity with exchange protocols FIX, ITCH, PITCH, OUCH, and related
- Low-latency: hardware/bios tuning, NUMA aware, multi-threaded design, lock-free programming
- Low-latency: compiler and cache optimization, user-space networking (kernel bypass), IPC/RPC
- Experience in programming/system tools; svn, gdb, valgrind, tcpdump, strace, systemtap, and more
- Experience with designing simulation and back-testing frameworks and research infrastructure
- Hardware knowledge and/or FPGA experience
Advantages:
- Awesome coworkers
- Pre-tax health care, dependent care and commuter benefits (FSA)
- Robust wellness program including financial education classes, team-based goal-tracking
- Competitive medical, dental, vision, life insurance & disability coverage
- Opportunity to be an owner in the company with stock awards and ESPP
- 401k Retirement Plan (Roth and Pre-Tax options available)
Data Science Engineer
algoseek is growing fast. Really fast. We are set to re-define the financial market data industry, and we expect you to join us in this exciting journey.
As a Data Science Engineer in Content Engineering, you will be responsible for automating our data acquisition, quality assurance, content creation and analytics in a scalable cloud environment. You will leverage these large data sets to improve the quality and extend the scope of algoseek’s existing and next generation products.
Responsibilities:
- Ingest and analyze various data sources to drive innovation in content creation
- Automate the acquisition, relevance scoring and storage of incoming sources
- Develop processes for data mining, data concordance and data production
- Explore and evaluate new data technologies to build a scalable, cloud oriented data platform
- Optimize data retrieval, develop dashboards and other visualizations for financial experts
Essential Requirements:
- BS or MS in Computer Science or Mathematics
- 2+ years of working experience in software development
- Experience in data engineering or business intelligence or business analytics
- A successful history of manipulating, processing and extracting value from large disconnected datasets
- Strong analytic skills related to working with unstructured datasets
Desirable Requirements:
- Strong experience and proficiency with Python, Pandas, Numpy and AWS APIs
- Experience building and optimizing ‘big data’ data pipelines, architectures and data sets
- Experience with modern data platforms such as Spark, Hadoop or other map/reduce big data systems and services
- Experience with a variety of data stores such as ArangoDB, MongoDB, Cassandra, HBase, DynamoDB
- Experience with AWS environment e.g., Amazon Kinesis, AWS Glue, Redshift, EC2, S3, EMR
Advantages:
- Awesome coworkers
- Pre-tax health care, dependent care and commuter benefits (FSA)
- Robust wellness program including financial education classes, team-based goal-tracking