About

Oxford Algorithms creates and applies proprietary AI software solutions to drive smart investment decisions that result in consistent and exceptional returns.

Our team includes technology investors and entrepreneurs with experience in AI software development, in addition to mathematical and financial experts with deep market knowledge and proven track records in successful investment.

Meet the senior team

Our story

Our founding story is unconventional in the hedge fund world and hinges around the passions and expertise of three Oxfordshire neighbours. Dr Mohsen Zadeh-Koochak, Andrew Davisson and Shirin Dehghan met at a barbecue in 2017, and when the conversation turned to their personal and professional interests the first seeds of Oxford Algorithms were sown.

Mohsen has spent years investigating the application of AI specifically as applied to solving complex multifaceted problems. He was CTO and CSO at Arieso where complex mathematical modeling and the application of AI was used to manage self-learning mobile networks. Collecting billions of data gathered in real-time from subscriber handsets, behaviours were identified using AI, and the network was conditioned to best serve the customer base as a whole maximizing the quality of service for all. Mohsen’s love for predicting the unpredictable started with his research in this field whilst completing his PhD and led to the publication of a book detailing successful card counting strategies for blackjack – so successful were his methods they ultimately resulted in him being barred from all UK casinos. More recently though, Mohsen turned and tuned his algorithms towards successfully predicting the outcome of matches in over 30 football leagues.

Andrew, meanwhile, has spent years studying and investing in financial markets both as a former hedge fund CIO and more recently managing his own capital. After joining Salomon Brothers as a Mathematics graduate at the time of the Big Bang in the mid-80s, Andrew carved out a reputation as someone who could find, often stratospheric, value in unlikely investment opportunities. Successful traders are often described as having a good feel for the market, they can take in a multitude of inputs and make the right investment decisions. This is exactly what Andrew has been doing for years.

Shirin was the third piece of the puzzle. An engineer by training and an entrepreneur by nature, Shirin, with Mohsen, co-founded Arieso in 2002, which was acquired in 2013 for $85 million. Between then and now, she has focused her investments and entrepreneurial spirit on a number of innovative technology firms, spotting great ideas, building stellar teams, and bringing solutions to market. She invested in and led the board as Chairwoman of mobile analytics specialist Opensignal which resulted in her third successful exit in 2021.

Wearing his financial markets hat, and with an eye for the effective investment strategies, Andrew asked Mohsen if the algorithms he’d developed for predicting mobile networks and sporting outcomes could be used to forecast the markets. The pair set about to test the hypothesis, initially with the idea that they might use the technology to inform their own personal investment decisions.

After three years of hard work and development, the answer was a resounding “yes”. Not only could the algorithms predict market movements, but they were forecasting what looked like industry-leading returns. When Shirin learned how unique and successful the algorithms were she realised this cottage industry idea could be transformed into a commercial mansion, and she set about building a team capable of bringing it to market.

Meet the full senior team.

Our approach

What sets Oxford Algorithms apart from the crowd is its unique combination of deep AI and investment expertise, combined with a zealous focus on producing exceptional and risk adjusted returns.

The financial markets team at Oxford Algorithms develops investment strategies using rigorous, research-led, methodologies. Data is the centre-piece of this process and is carefully analysed and tested for usefulness within those investment strategies.

The algorithms have been developed and refined over a number of years. Based on proprietary machine learning methods, the algorithms continually learn from new market data.

Real-time automation is the key to ensuring data from multiple sources is collected and fed into the algorithms. This results in an investment decision being made to either hold a position or redistribute funds to the investment instruments that are forecast to produce the best risk-adjusted returns.

All Oxford Algorithms products undergo a rigorous and thorough release process focusing on the quality of predictions made whilst managing the overall exposure and risk. Crucially, the investment decisions taken by the algorithms have produced verified and reliable results.

While Oxford Algorithms is focused on delivering returns, it is also focused on building long-term sustainable success as a technology company. A significant portion of the AUM is contributed by the founders themselves who view the long-term success of Oxford Algorithms as the number one priority.

Our company and employees abide by a clear set of principles set out in the Oxford Algorithms Investment Charter.

  • Transparency: we believe greater transparency will encourage trust and progress. We will deliver both good and bad news with detailed explanations under our transparency charter.
  • No conflict of interest: once part of the Oxford Algorithms investor club, our investors have full access to all our products. Employees or executives of the business are allowed to use the results of Oxford Algorithms only by formally investing in the fund.
  • Performance first: we will not increase AUM unless we can demonstrate to our board that we can deliver the same quality of performance to our investors in the fund.
  • Corporate Social Responsibility: as a firm, we are committed to the highest standard actively encouraging a strong culture of making a positive impact internally and externally.

Our culture

We are a family of dedicated individuals who have come together to create a business that everyone is excited to be part of and those who are not, covet to join.

We aim to ensure everyone is treated fairly and with respect, providing a collaborative and challenging working environment in which equal opportunities are provided to all and achievement is fairly rewarded regardless of gender, race, religion, sexuality, or social background.

We want everyone to share in the success of the company both in the short and long term. We operate a transparent environment, where we provide the underlying information used to decide on employee salary levels and bonuses.

Our values

At the heart of everything we do are a set of core values. These values define who we are and how we engage and interact, not only with our clients and each other, but also with our business partners, the local community, the environment, and society at large.

Client Focused – We strive to achieve extraordinary outcomes for our clients and make sure they are fully supported and delighted with us even when things are not going well.

Respect – At Oxford Algorithms respect for each other and our clients is a non-negotiable value that we all take very seriously. We are open and welcoming of new ideas and differing points of view, and always welcome constructive feedback.

Fairness – It is essential that people are treated fairly and feel rewarded for their contribution and length of service with the company.

Integrity – Being honest with ourselves and our clients is the number one rule of any business if it is to build an impeccable reputation, where employees are proud to be part of and clients are delighted to be doing business with.