Ricky Young and Mert Esencan

Title: Quantum-Inspired Optimization for Real-World Trading by Icosa powered by gBraid

Abstract: Quantum-Inspired (QI) algorithms represent a range of heuristics methods that can tackle combinatorial optimization problems, inspired by the recent advances in quantum computing research. We demonstrate out-of-sample Q testing for quadratic (2-local) optimization problems with 100 to 30,000 fully-connected linear variables by trading financial assets. Icosa's technology selects assets from a universe of stocks in a market index and executes daily trades jointly with a hedge fund which is expected to be available on qBraid. While most Ql research performs benchmarking with synthetic data on limited problem sizes, we solve large optimization problems with live financial data and bring 2X returns compared to the customer benchmark. Leveraging distributed computing through AWS, our product further highlights the importance of selecting parameters at both the model and solver levels.

Company Information: qBraid is a premiere cloud-based platform for quantum computing and high compute resources. Boasting fully automated installation of quantum software tools for researchers and developers in the quantum space, qBraid is poised as one of the largest quantum hardware providers to be a crucial player in workforce development, software integration, and research in quantum computing. Most notably, qBraid's team of research scientists have serviced multiple Fortune 500 companies to release quantum software and conduct joint research. The qBraid platform has proven popular at the most intensive hackathons at MIT, Stanford, and other institutions where users accessed 20+ quantum devices available which are seamlessly accessible with the qBraid Lab and SDK. Icosa Computing, a New York City- based software startup, applies quantum computing research to tackle large-scale discrete optimization problems. The company's primary product, used in the finance sector for daily optimized asset allocation, demonstrates two orders of magnitude scaling advantage greater than conventional methods. With a proven track record of increased returns for its clients, Icosa is post-revenue, serving a diverse range of financial institutions including hedge funds, mutual funds, and banks. The central technology that powers Icosa's offerings combines model tuning methods with quantum-inspired solutions, leveraged through strategic partnerships with special-purpose hardware and high-performance computing providers. 

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