Deep tech pioneer Othoz raises €10M to shape the future of investing

ML as key technology for decision-making in asset and wealth management – led by Acton Capital and with participation of existing investors as well as renowned industry experts, the funding round marks a crucial step on Othoz’ pioneering journey to establish ML as a key technology in quantitative asset management.

“Machine learning will shape the future of the financial industry.” -- Daniel Willmann, Othoz

“The opportunity of reducing human bias on investment decisions is vast,” explains Daniel Willmann, Managing Partner and Co-founder of Othoz. “The combination of heterogenous data sets and holistic valuation models enables to generate investment strategies with above-average performance.”

The interdisciplinary team around Daniel Willmann and Matthias Eitz consists of experts in the fields of finance, computer and data sciences, mathematics, physics, and neuroscience. In early 2020, Peter Oertmann, entrepreneur and pioneer in quantitative asset management, joined the circle of shareholders and the leadership team. By combining deep tech expertise with long-standing industry experience, Othoz aims to further expand the application of AI-based solutions for active and passive asset management.

The next generation of funds meets an increasing demand for ESG investing: Othoz launched its first ML-powered investment funds in 2019.While applying an “end-to-end” investment decision process, Othoz can implement customized strategies and integrate investor preferences. This includes dimensions such as return expectations, risk budgets and adherence to Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG) criteria. “The next generation of funds is already being developed. The applied algorithms are geared towards a substantially enlarged data set,” explains Mathias Eitz, Co-founder and Managing Partner of Othoz.

“With the increase in demand, we will also extend our offering of active, ESG-compliant investment strategies over the next few years.” -- Mathias Eitz, Othoz

In addition, Othoz is bringing ML-enabled overlay strategies for the enhancement of index-tracking investment products to market in 2022. Furthermore, as part of its product development roadmap, Othoz is planning to provide research solutions to the rapidly growing online brokerage market, making AI-based insights available to retail investors.

The €10 million financing round enables Othoz to further manifest its position as the technology leader in the fast-growing market segment for quantitative asset management. “The team combines analytical rigor, unique tech capabilities and knowledge in cutting edge technology with relevant experience in the asset management space,” says Christoph Braun, Managing Partner at Acton Capital. The funding will be used to further expand its technological platform capabilities, whilst expanding its team with experts from various disciplines.

Since 2017, Othoz has been working on mapping the complex dynamics of influencing variables and interdependencies in financial markets in holistic models and combining them with the best practices of modern investment processes. Othoz is embedded in the global AI community, through a close exchange with leading universities and as a member of the Institute for Quantitative Investment Research (Inquire Europe). To date, Othoz is one of the most important drivers for AI-based analyses and decision-making processes in asset management. The company was founded by Dr. Daniel Willmann, Dr. Mathias Eitz and Ronald Richter, with the entrepreneur and investment expert Dr. Peter Oertmann joining the circle of shareholders and the leadership team in 2020. The team is accompanied by experienced advisors, such as Dr. Werner Brandt, long-time CFO of SAP and multi-supervisory board member.

“Over the next years, Othoz will shape the next generation of research and decision-making processes in asset management.” -- Peter Oertmann, Othoz