AI for Financial Markets Startup Competition

QRT is proud to partner with ICAIF on the inaugural AI for Financial Markets Startup Competition as part of the ICAIF Conference, taking place in Milan from 14-17 November 2026.

The competition is designed to support early-stage startups applying new AI techniques to financial markets, quantitative research, trading and financial infrastructure. It represents a unique opportunity for startups to gain exposure to both ICAIF’s ecosystem and QRT’s expertise in quantitative research and trading.

At QRT, we combine data, research, technology and trading to approach complex challenges. Through this competition, we are looking to support ambitious, early-stage teams developing ideas with strong scientific foundations and practical potential.

Who should apply

We welcome applications from early-stage startups developing AI technologies relevant to financial markets.

Requirements for startups:

• Incorporated after 1 January 2023
• Early-stage, having raised less than €10 million to date
• Working on AI-led products, tools or research with potential relevance to:
  • Quantitative finance
  • Financial markets
  • Trading
  • Financial infrastructure
  • Research workflows

Areas of interest

We are particularly interested in ideas related to:

• Agentic AI for quantitative research and investment workflows
• Adaptive multi-agent market simulation
• Formal verification and trustworthy AI systems
• Foundation models for tabular and time-series data
• Efficient model compression and optimisation for financial AI
• AI infrastructure for quantitative research and trading
• Financial reasoning models

These themes are not exhaustive. We welcome applications from teams approaching financial markets and infrastructure in new and thoughtful ways.

What finalists receive

Selected finalists will be invited to pitch live at ICAIF 2026 in Milan.

Finalists will receive:

• A weekend ticket to attend the ICAIF 2026 Conference
• Travel and accommodation support
• The opportunity to present live to the ICAIF community and a panel
• Exposure to researchers, technologists, investors and industry practitioners
• Mentoring from QRT Venture and its VC partners
• Up to $20k USD token credits from OpenAI
• $10k USD cloud compute credits

The winning startup will also be invited to QRT HQs in London and receive mentoring from senior QRT researchers and engineers.

Key dates

• Applications open: 29 September 2026
• Applications close: 20 October 2026
• Finalists announced: 23 October 2026
• Live pitch at ICAIF, Milan: 15 November 2026

How applications will be assessed

Applications will be reviewed against four criteria:

1. Quality of research or science
2. How disruptive the idea is for the problem or market addressed
3. Usefulness of the value proposition
4. Commercial and financial potential

How to apply

To apply, please send no more than 10 slides presenting your company, technology and business model to the email below by 20 October 2026.

Apply here: startups@qube-rt.com

Token Credits Sponsored by

By submitting an application to enter this Competition, you confirm that you have read, understood and agree to be bound by the Competition Terms and Conditions.