A 3‑month intensive program for the world's top traders—culminating in an exclusive Demo Day at the Uncorrelated Conference, Miami 2026
Highly selective:
FundSeeder account required. Less than 1% of applicants are accepted.
The FundSeeder Accelerator is designed to identify and nurture the world's most promising trading talent, providing them with the resources, mentorship, and capital connections they need to succeed.
Intensive training, mentorship, and development focused on trading strategy refinement, risk management, and capital raising.
Direct guidance from industry veterans, successful fund managers, and trading professionals with decades of experience.
Present your trading strategy to a curated audience of institutional investors, family offices, and allocators at the exclusive Uncorrelated Conference in Miami.
FundSeeder Accelerator is a bespoke program designed to meet each trader or trading team where they are today—whether you’re an independent quant researcher refining your first systematic strategy, a discretionary trader expanding into multi-client capital, or an established boutique looking to scale. Through a personalized roadmap, we provide tailored resources, expert mentorship, and direct capital introductions aligned with your specific track record, strategy profile, and infrastructure readiness.
Learn from world-class traders and industry veterans who have built successful careers in global markets.
Jack Schwager is the author of the Market Wizards series and co-founder of FundSeeder. He has spent over four decades interviewing and studying top traders worldwide. Schwager advises on curriculum design, trader selection criteria, and the educational framework of the FundSeeder Accelerator. He earned a B.A. in economics from Brooklyn College and an M.A. from Brown University.
Neil Ramsey is Founder & CEO of Ramsey Quantitative Systems, Inc. (RQSI), where he leads the development of quantitative and systematic trading models and strategic direction. In late 2024, RQSI acquired FundSeeder, and Ramsey integrates cutting-edge analytics and platform innovation to identify and seed top trading talent. With over 38 years in the alternative investment industry, he has seeded and managed multiple funds including the RQSI FundSeeder Harvest Fund. Ramsey holds an M.B.A. from Vanderbilt University and a B.E. in Engineering, summa cum laude.
Emanuel Balarie is Co-Founder of FundSeeder and Senior Vice President of Business Development at RQSI. He co-leads the FundSeeder Accelerator, a program designed to identify and nurture emerging trading talent, connecting undiscovered traders with institutional capital. Prior, he authored Commodities for Every Portfolio and built extensive relationships in managed futures and global macro. Balarie holds a degree in Political Science and International Relations from the University of California, Berkeley.
Andy Volz is Chief Commercial Officer at Clear Street, overseeing all sales, distribution, and new business initiatives. He joined Clear Street after serving as COO at Jones Trading and Head of Prime Services Sales at Wells Fargo, bringing nearly 15 years of financial services leadership. At Clear Street, he leads the firm’s commercial strategy to deepen client relationships and identify market opportunities.
Charles Ecalle co-founded Solarius Capital Acquisition and serves as Senior Advisor and Sponsor Principal. A seasoned finance professional with over 20 years of investment and asset management experience, he previously co-founded and serves as managing director of Alumia, a platform helping asset managers raise international capital and leads Outsourced CIO service. Before that, Ecalle was head of Absolute Return solutions at Tailor AM managing liquid multi-asset portfolios and head of risk management. He also served on the investment committee at Amundi Private Equity Fund, managing several private equity funds. Earlier in his career, Ecalle was a quantitative researcher leading econometrician teams at Société Générale and began as a fixed income and currency trader at JP Morgan. He holds a Master's in Management from NEOMA Business School and an International MBA from Cox Business School at Southern Methodist University.
John McCauley is Founder of the Awareness Edge Group, a consultancy specializing in psychological and behavioral coaching for hedge fund traders and financial professionals. With over 20 years in global markets, he co-founded a macro hedge fund and led trading teams in Asia. McCauley holds an M.S. in International Finance from Thunderbird School of Global Management, is fluent in Japanese, and is a third-degree black belt in Karate. He integrates mindfulness and behavioral methodologies to enhance trading performance and leadership skills.
Neal Berger founded Eagle’s View Capital Management in 2005 and serves as President and Chief Investment Officer. A Wall Street veteran with over 25 years of investment experience, he previously founded and directed the Apogee Fund and New Edge Fund. Before that, Berger was a global macro trader at Millennium Partners and held proprietary trading roles at Chase Manhattan Bank and UBS. He began his career as a financial analyst at Morgan Stanley and holds a B.A. in economics from SUNY Albany.
Esther Goodman has more than 40 years of experience in all facets of the alternative investment industry. Ms. Goodman is a co-Founder and Managing Director of Conyers Group, LLC, advising hedge fund managers and CTAs on strategy, marketing, organization, and operations; offering outsourced COO and CCO services to Investment Advisers, CTAs, and broker-dealers; and providing non-executive directorship services to hedge funds. From July 1986 until April 2014, Ms. Goodman was the Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of The Kenmar Group (which became The Kenmar Olympia Group in April 2012), where she led the front and back-office operations of the firm, served as Chief Compliance Officer of the firm’s broker dealer and directed compliance for the firm’s registered investment adviser, commodity pool operator and commodity trading advisor entities. Ms. Goodman was also a member of the Investment Committee and Chairman of its Operational Risk Committee. Prior to joining The Kenmar Group, Ms. Goodman served as a marketing executive at Commodities Corp. in Princeton, N.J. and was a co-founder and principal of Westchester Commodity Management, one of the industry’s early CTAs. Ms. Goodman was a Founding member and Director of the Managed Futures Trade Association from 1987-1991 and a Director of the Managed Futures Association from 1991-1995, predecessor organizations to the Managed Funds Association (MFA). In 2014 she received a Lifetime Achievement Award from CTA Expo, Ms. Goodman holds a B.A in Psychology from Stanford University. She currently serves on the National Board of the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation and is a founder and Director of the Stacy Joy Goodman Memorial Foundation.
Alvin Fan is a 20 year asset management veteran and CEO of OP Investment Management. Since helming OPIM’s regulated incubation business in 2014, he’s helped structure countless Asia-based funds and launched some of the region’s most exciting strategies across every major hedge fund asset class - from China market neutral quants to digital assets. As a result, OPIM recently won HFM’s best platform of the year with over $2 billion in AUM/AUA across more than 35 strategies in 2022 alone.
Drew Kellerman is a seasoned executive with deep expertise in institutional distribution, business development, and fundraising across both traditional and alternative investments. With a career spanning global investment banks, emerging technology firms, and boutique asset managers, he brings a strategic and entrepreneurial approach to capital formation and growth. Mr. Kellerman previously served as Managing Director and Head of Distribution for the Private Institutional Client Group at Alex. Brown, where he led capital raising efforts for boutique funds and private investment opportunities. Prior to that, he was Managing Director and Head of Business Development at Vertical Knowledge, a provider of open-source data and analytics solutions serving the defense, financial services, and commercial sectors. Earlier in his career, he held senior leadership roles at Deutsche Bank, including Managing Director in Credit Derivatives, U.S. Head of Synthetic CDO Sales, and Head of Hedge Fund Credit Sales. He also held structured finance roles in Singapore with FleetBoston Financial and Presidio Capital, and began his career as Vice President and Head of Emerging Markets Options Trading at First National Bank of Chicago. Mr. Kellerman holds a Bachelor of Science in International Relations from Syracuse University.
Geo Chen is the manager of his family office, Three Quays Holdings, and the author of the Fidenza Macro newsletter. Through his newsletter, Geo draws on over two decades of trading experience to share insights on global macro trends and provide education for traders. At Three Quays Holdings he implements a global macro trading strategy and makes investments in venture capital, cryptocurrency, and public equities. Prior to his current position, Geoffrey led a foreign exchange trading desk at Credit Suisse Singapore and worked as a foreign exchange dealer at the New York and London offices of the Royal Bank of Scotland. He holds a Bachelor of Sciences degree in Economics from Duke University in North Carolina, USA.
John has over two decades of experience in the financial industry, including 15 years dedicated to investment management. His extensive markets background spans trading, risk management, and portfolio management, with a keen focus on designing sophisticated strategy programs and funds that prioritize risk mitigation. Most recently, John served for six years as CEO of Paravene Capital, an investment management firm known for its multi-strategy approach to fund design and its expertise in risk mitigation. Previously, he held the position of Managing Director of Operations at Altis Partners for 5 years, an industry leading CTA (Commodity Trading Advisor) recognized for its innovative quantitative macro strategies. John also ran his own proprietary systematic options program as a Portfolio manager for the London Capital Group - for 2 years Previously John's foundational experience includes a series of leadership roles in commodity derivatives and futures within prominent banks and brokerages. Notably, he spent six years as Deputy Head of Commodities at BNP Paribas Fortis and also ran regional commodity departments at both WestLB and Prudential Securities. John holds an MBA from the Thunderbird School of Global Management - ASU and a BA from the University of Virginia.
Itay is the Co-Founder and Chief Investment Officer of Equi, where he leads the firm’s investment strategy and manager allocation process. He brings over 15 years of experience managing money across hedge funds, registered investment advisory firms, and global financial institutions. Previously, Itay managed a long/short volatility hedge fund that consistently outperformed its benchmarks, as well as a registered investment advisory firm specializing in complex portfolios and hedging strategies. His trading experience spans equity indices, commodities, and FX markets, with deep expertise in implementing sophisticated volatility and derivative strategies. Itay began his career at UBS, where he was part of a specialized group advising ultra-high-net-worth clients on options and derivative strategies. This early foundation shaped his approach to risk management and innovation in portfolio construction. At Equi, Itay leverages his extensive background to identify, allocate to, and cultivate top investment managers, combining rigorous analysis with a deep understanding of market structure and strategy.
Chon is an experienced Silicon Valley engineer, entrepreneur and investor. He was formerly founding partner and Managing Director of Junzi Capital Engineering, a leading quantitative hedge fund investing in the commodity space. He has been actively investing in Silicon Valley startups for 12 years, and has personal investments in over 25 deals with multiple IPOs and exits. Chon is a proud Cal Bear (BS EECS), and also has a SM EECS from MIT.
Peter L. Brandt entered the commodity trading business in 1976 with ContiCommodity Services, a division of Continental Grain Company. From his start in the commodity industry, Peter’s goal was to trade proprietary funds. But, he first needed to learn the business. From 1976 through 1979, Peter handled large institutional accounts for Conti, including Campbell Soup Company, Oro Wheat, Godiva Chocolate, Swanson Foods, Homestake Mining and others. In 1980, Peter founded Factor Trading Co., Inc. In his capacity as CEO, Peter was primarily engaged in trading proprietary capital. Factor Trading also produced market research and managed the trading activities of several large institutional clients. Among Peter’s institutional trading clients was Commodities Corporation (“CC”) of Princeton, NJ, at the time one of the world’s largest trading houses. In 1990, Peter published his first book, titled Trading Commodity Futures with Classical Chart Patterns. In 2011, John Wiley and Sons published Peter’s 2nd book, Diary of a Professional Commodity Trader. The book became Amazon’s #1 ranked book on trading for 27 weeks. His first book, Trading Commodity Futures with Classical Chart Patterns, was published in 1990, is considered a classic by many traders.
We provide everything you need to take your trading career to the next level and connect with institutional capital.
Direct introductions to institutional investors, family offices, and allocators looking for emerging trading talent.
Join an exclusive network of elite traders, mentors, and industry professionals for ongoing support and collaboration.
Work with industry experts to optimize your trading approach, risk management, and performance metrics.
Follow a proven roadmap designed to transform promising traders into institutional-ready investment managers.
Hear from actual traders who have already partnered with RQSI and FundSeeder.
"FundSeeder has been critical to our growth as an emerging quantitative manager. Each allocator we've been connected to is a high-value, personal relationship whose investment goals align with our strategy. This allows us to avoid dozens of screening calls and focus our effort on building the right relationships."
Seeded by RQSI Mar. 2025
"FundSeeder’s support enabled us to launch with significantly more resources than originally planned, accelerating our path to scale. Additionally, RQSI's knowledge and experience has been invaluable in establishing the proper compliance and regulatory structure for our operations and trading activities."
Accelerated capital by RQSI Feb. 2025
"Our experience with RQSI has been very positive, providing us with unique opportunities to engage with top-tier talent and a forward-thinking community. FundSeeder helped us raise capital and introduce us to new investors, but also helped improve our connectivity to execution platforms and brokers."
Accelerated capital by RQSI Feb. 2025
Be the first to know about our upcoming investor Demo Day. Join us virtually or in person for an exclusive look at the traders selected for RISE 2026.
I’m InterestedJoin leading companies in the trading and financial industry to support the next generation of trading talent through the FundSeeder Accelerator.
Partner With UsOur highly selective process ensures we identify traders with exceptional potential and the right mindset for success. Less than 1% of applicants are accepted.
1
Submit your trading background, performance history, and strategy overview.
2
Our team analyzes your trading metrics, risk management, and consistency.
3
Selected candidates participate in a detailed interview with our selection committee.
4
Top traders are invited to join the 3-month accelerator program.
Orientation week and foundation phase begins
Core curriculum focused on strategy refinement and risk management
Operational setup and performance reporting implementation
Pitch development and investor presentation preparation
Apply through your FundSeeder account. You’ll be prompted to sign up or log in before starting your application.
Apply for the 2026 Cohort