The finance industry has always been a numbers game, but today, STEM geniuses are bringing their expertise to the world of finance.
The likes of Ewan Kirk, founder of Cantab Capital, and Alex Gerko, mathematician and founder of XTX Markets, are perfect examples of this. The unique set of skills that science, technology, engineering, and mathematics instil in you are ideal for navigating the finance industry.
The financial market is a number game
The financial markets are dominated by numbers, and nobody lives and breathes them like experts in STEM.
Take Cantab Capital Partners, for example – a $5bn quantitative and systematic hedge fund that uses computer models to drive its investment decisions. The success of Cantab is a testament to using a mathematician’s ability to utilise numbers and technology to make smart choices and outplay competition.
Those with a mathematical background are acutely aware that beating the financial markets isn’t a matter of gut feeling or intuition. It’s data, calculations, and cold hard numbers that get you places – not hunches. Even then, success doesn’t happen 100% of the time, but that’s something individuals with STEM experience are aware of.
Experiments are key
A key skill in science, and STEM more broadly, is experimentation. The ability to test hypotheses, watch them fail, rework them, and try again. This gives STEM experts the upper hand when analysing the markets.
Their refusal to shy away from failure, instead seeing it as an opportunity to grow and evolve, is what gives them an upper hand when mastering predictive analysis, quant trading, and AI.
In addition, their ability to stress-test theories with scientific precision allows them to gain insights into markets that non-STEM-related firms can only dream of. Two Sigma, a US-based hedge fund that achieves $1bn in annual revenue and utilises scientists to bring rigorous data analysis, is a perfect example of this.
Building tech, not chasing it
STEM CEOs aren’t intimidated by disruptive fintech, blockchain tech, or AI – they build around it. Data fluency comes naturally, and understanding the latest tech is part of what they do, allowing them to work proactively rather than reactively with tech.
Whether optimising risk models or applying machine learning to customer data, they merge financial fluency with engineering to understand and build the top tech.
Ultimately, technology gives STEM leaders in finance a crucial advantage – the ability to merge human judgment with machine intelligence to outperform traditional players. High-Flyer, a quant investment firm founded by the DeepSeek founder Liang Wenfeng, demonstrates how deep tech expertise can translate to success in the world of finance.
Breaking down problems with precision
Engineering-trained CEOs have a systematic way of thinking that is ideal for breaking down complex financial markets. They’ve trained to break massive problems into digestible pieces, work under major constraints, and design technology with resilience and efficiency in mind.
This precision translates directly into how they manage portfolios, assess risk, and structure organisations. Their comfort with quantitative modelling and scenario planning allows them to make decisions with clarity, even amid market volatility.
Conclusion
Investors, CEOs, and entrepreneurs with a STEM background are taking over the world of finance. They are perfectly wired to solve problems, analyse markets, and evolve with technology.
