How we’re making quant finance more accessible

Over the past decade, quantitative finance has gone from being seen as a niche and relatively obscure field to a highly sought-after discipline. We believe widespread advances in artificial intelligence and the rise of data-driven investment methodologies have accelerated this shift. As a result, the demand for talent in our industry has never been higher.

Historically, acquiring quantitative skills was limited, requiring access to hardware that was reserved for those with the resources to afford it. Today, cloud computing and AI-driven tools, including large language models, are widely available, opening up access to information and making it easier than ever to develop expertise in quantitative finance.

Despite this progress, a global skills gap persists, posing challenges for businesses and economies in equal measure. One?study?found that 74% of employers globally are experiencing difficulty in finding the skilled talent they need in 2025.

WorldQuant was founded on the philosophy that talent exists everywhere, but access to knowledge is key to unlocking it. As such, we would like anyone who is curious and dedicated to have the opportunity to build a career in quantitative finance. This is why we created WorldQuant BRAIN – our cloud-based simulation platform, where aspiring quants can test theories, receive immediate feedback, and refine their models. Demand for the platform has been extraordinary, used by over 150,000 people across 180+ countries.

How You Can Learn to Quant

While BRAIN is powerful for advancing skills, we believe there's also value in introducing core principles earlier in an aspiring quant’s learning journey.

For anyone looking to become a quant researcher, we have launched Learn2Quant – a free, introductory video series offering a hands-on guide to the fundamentals.

At its core, quantitative finance involves identifying patterns in data, testing hypotheses, and making informed decisions through rigorous analysis. Through these 10 lessons, Learn2Quant provides you with a structured approach in building your skills covering:

• Generating and refining ideas
• Building signals across different data categories, idea types, holding frequencies, and delays
• Diversifying and managing risk in a pool of signals
• Applying advanced research techniques to improve model performance

Learn2Quant goes beyond theory by integrating with BRAIN, enabling you to test ideas in real time. With access to 120,000 data fields across market, economic, and alternative datasets, you will gain practical insights applicable to real-world scenarios – and so I’d encourage you all to sign up and expand your understanding of what it takes to build your career.

We hope that you will join fellow quant enthusiasts on BRAIN and find Learn2Quant a helpful resource on your journey.