OUR STORY
Turning passion into proficiency
How it Started
Over time, we gained more technical and practical experience, and we started understanding that financial markets are far more complex than they seem. We dedicated our free time to developing a trading engine, that can run 24/7 and requires minimal maintenance. This would allow us to invest our savings consistently, seeking higher risk-adjusted rewards. Step by step, we crafted this system, and in April 2022, it became a reality. Our trading engine operates reliably, adhered to defined trading rules, and requires little maintenance. With a growing wealth of knowledge and experience, we achieved outstanding results.
We are two brothers who embarked on an exciting journey from curiosity to expertise in the world of finance. Our technical background is in Quantitative Finance, Actuarial Science and Computer Science. Our experience ranges in multiple fields of trading, quantitative research, portfolio management and more.
Our journey began during our student days in 2018-2019. Driven by curiosity, we have decided to test the momentum strategy in cryptocurrency markets. Our initial strategy was straightforward: identify the top-performing 10% of cryptocurrency assets based on momentum criteria and rebalance our portfolio weekly. Very simple and naive (long only) factor investing. We scraped together our own savings and we were running this trading strategy for some time.
Fast forward to today, our framework has not only delivered impressive returns to us and our partners, but has continuously evolved. Over the past years, we've implemented numerous enhancements, focusing on improving risk management and risk-adjusted performance. If you are interested in learning more about what we are doing, please don't hesitate to reach out!
Our Approach
Our approach is grounded by our strong belief in behavioural finance. This means we examine how people tend to make decisions in financial markets. We do that by looking at the data. Just like in regular stock markets, we believe that investors in cryptocurrency markets also follow certain predictable patterns in their decision-making.
In behavioural finance, we explore the fascinating intersection of human psychology and financial decision-making. By analyzing the data derived from real-world markets, we gain valuable insights into how investors respond to various market conditions, news, and economic events. These insights help us identify recurring tendencies, such as the fear of missing out, risk aversion, and herd behaviour. Those biases are universal among investors, whether they're trading stocks or digital assets. Our research is driven by the understanding that human emotions and cognitive biases play a substantial role in shaping investment choices, and by shedding light on these tendencies, we make more informed decisions.
One simple example of this is the short-term reversal effect. Usually, when an asset increases in price rapidly, a group of investors will want to take their profits by closing positions. This can create a higher supply in the market and thus makes it more likely for the asset price to drop in value over the following few hours or days. The same works in reverse: when an asset drops in price rapidly, it is more likely to experience upward price pressure over a short-term period. Thus, our goal is to precisely estimate this effect numerically, and then statistically evaluate how strong a signal it is for predicting future performance.
Above example is only one signal: short-term reversal. We don't rely on a one signal to construct a predictable model in financial markets. Our models are fortified with over 100 signals, and we continually enrich them by uncovering new anomalies in financial markets. Our commitment to innovation drives us to stay ahead in the ever-evolving landscape of cryptocurrency investments.
In behavioural finance, we explore the fascinating intersection of human psychology and financial decision-making. By analyzing the data derived from real-world markets, we gain valuable insights into how investors respond to various market conditions, news, and economic events. These insights help us identify recurring tendencies, such as the fear of missing out, risk aversion, and herd behaviour. Those biases are universal among investors, whether they're trading stocks or digital assets. Our research is driven by the understanding that human emotions and cognitive biases play a substantial role in shaping investment choices, and by shedding light on these tendencies, we make more informed decisions.
One simple example of this is the short-term reversal effect. Usually, when an asset increases in price rapidly, a group of investors will want to take their profits by closing positions. This can create a higher supply in the market and thus makes it more likely for the asset price to drop in value over the following few hours or days. The same works in reverse: when an asset drops in price rapidly, it is more likely to experience upward price pressure over a short-term period. Thus, our goal is to precisely estimate this effect numerically, and then statistically evaluate how strong a signal it is for predicting future performance.
Above example is only one signal: short-term reversal. We don't rely on a one signal to construct a predictable model in financial markets. Our models are fortified with over 100 signals, and we continually enrich them by uncovering new anomalies in financial markets. Our commitment to innovation drives us to stay ahead in the ever-evolving landscape of cryptocurrency investments.
2019 - 2021
Gaining more knowledge and experience with quantitative investing & researching new ideas and strategies
Initial start of research and trading -
Momentum anomaly trading
Momentum anomaly trading
2018 - 2019
Our Journey
First research on Stat-Arb investment strategy
January 2021 - September 2021
October 2021 - January 2022
Investing in new database & computer power in order to conduct better and more efficient research
Starting date of Stat-Arb Investment Solution
30 April 2022
31 May 2022
Starting date of Core Investment Solution
All operational systems moved to the Microsoft Azure Cloud
October 2022
January 2023
New update on trading framework: Focus on better risk-management
New update on trading framework: Focus on better risk-adjusted performance
February 2023
March 2023
New update on trading framework: Focus on better risk-management of extreme events
New update on trading framework: Focus on better risk-adjusted performance
April 2023
January 2024
New update on trading framework: 1. Improving trading execution to lower transaction costs & 2. Better risk management of extreme events.
"I completed my Master`s degree at Tilburg University in the Netherlands, in the field of Quantitative Finance and Actuarial Science. Following my studies, I gained valuable professional experience at Robeco, working as Graduate Quant Researcher and Portfolio Manager. At Vicuna, I focus on researching new ideas and improving trading framework."
Ivan Tomaš
Meet the Team
"I earned a Master's Degree from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing in Zagreb, specializing in Computer Engineering and Data Science. Following my graduation in 2023, I co-founded Vicuna with my brother, where I primarily work on data and software engineering."
Marino Tomaš
Interested in exploring our data-driven investment solution? We're genuinely excited to get to know you. Feel free to drop us a message, and let's chat.
Whether you're considering a partnership or simply want to learn more about us, we're here to listen and share.
Whether you're considering a partnership or simply want to learn more about us, we're here to listen and share.
Let`s Connect