About GRADTEC
Who We Are
AI-driven financial analysis, built in Hamburg.
Our story
Traditional equity research is deep but unscalable. Quantitative algorithms scale but are blind to context. GRADTEC is based in Hamburg and builds AI that thinks like a million analysts simultaneously — our autonomous agents generate and validate investment hypotheses, analyzing unstructured financial data with human-like depth to uncover lucrative inefficiencies, especially in small-caps.
We believe in building products with genuine added value — products that convince investors through performance, not push marketing. Our approach is systematic, data-driven, and continuously improving.
Not their first rodeo.
A reunion of two founders — five years together at an AI asset manager (LAIC, today worth €65m, Union Investment's first external asset-management partnership in two decades). Together, about 20 years in the field.
Jan Wöltjen
CEO / AI Research
- PhD candidate, Probabilistic Deep Learning (Uni Augsburg)
- M.Sc. Quantitative Finance · CFA Level II
- ex-Senior AI Researcher LAIC · ex-JBF Capital (USA)
Pablo Hebestreit
COO / Data Engineering
- M.Sc. Quantitative Finance (Erich-Schneider Prize)
- ex-Head of Quant Analysis & Prokurist, LAIC
- ex-SSW Trading (HFT) · ex-Eurex Clearing
Our Philosophy
The way we build is deliberate. A handful of principles keep us pragmatic, focused, and honest about what actually creates alpha.
Efficiency over Complexity
Optimal use of limited resources. The simplest approach that works is the best approach.
Follow the Gradient
Analyze results, find the obvious problems, fix them — and iterate constantly. Performance gains come from clean execution, not complex innovation.
The Bitter Lesson
Computing power gets ~50% cheaper every 1.5 years. We design our architecture to ride growing compute rather than fight it.
Build on What Exists
We don't compete with foundation-model labs. We leverage their progress and focus on what we do best: financial domain expertise.
Pull, Not Push
Build products that convince through real performance and genuine value. Let results speak louder than marketing.
Start Where Competition Is Low
Focus on market segments where alpha is less competed, then expand systematically from a position of strength.