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Internship

Quantitative Development Internship

Summer 2025

Posted on 10/8/2024

Akuna Capital

Akuna Capital

201-500 employees

Derivatives market making and liquidity provision

Quantitative Finance
Financial Services

Chicago, IL, USA

Category
Backend Engineering
FinTech Engineering
Software Engineering
Required Skills
Python
Requirements
  • Pursuing a BS/MS/PhD in a technical field – Engineering, Computer Science, Math, Physics (or related subject)
  • Strong Python programming background
  • Experience in object-oriented programming
  • Exposure to linear algebra and introductory statistics
  • Desire and ability to learn the intricacies of financial markets
  • Must graduate by August 2026
  • GPA of 3.5 or above
  • Legal authorization to work in the U.S. is required on the first day of employment including F-1 students using CPT, OPT or STEM
Responsibilities
  • Design and develop production code of trading strategies: pricing models, execution logic and performance optimization along with researchers, traders and system engineers
  • Analyze and incorporate market signals in our trading systems
  • Advance existing codebase and propose new solutions and improvements

Akuna Capital specializes in derivatives market making, providing liquidity in global financial markets. They enable quick buying and selling of assets without significantly affecting their prices. The company uses advanced technology and sophisticated algorithms developed by a team of developers, traders, and quantitative analysts to achieve this. Akuna primarily serves institutional clients like banks and hedge funds, offering efficient trading services without charging fees or commissions. Instead, they profit from the bid-ask spread, which is the difference between the buying and selling prices of assets. Their success relies on their technology and a collaborative environment that allows them to adapt quickly to market changes and improve trading strategies.

Company Stage

N/A

Total Funding

N/A

Headquarters

Chicago, Illinois

Founded

2011

Growth & Insights
Headcount

6 month growth

4%

1 year growth

4%

2 year growth

4%
Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Akuna Capital's technology-driven approach ensures continuous improvement and adaptation to market changes, providing a dynamic and innovative work environment.
  • The company's involvement in various funding rounds, such as for Options AI and Caden, indicates strong financial health and a commitment to supporting innovative ventures.
  • Working at Akuna Capital offers exposure to high-frequency trading and cutting-edge financial technologies, which can be highly rewarding and intellectually stimulating.

What critics are saying

  • The highly competitive nature of the financial markets means that Akuna Capital must constantly innovate to maintain its edge.
  • Reliance on technology and algorithms means that any significant technical failure or cyber-attack could have severe consequences.

What makes Akuna Capital unique

  • Akuna Capital's focus on derivatives market making sets it apart from other financial firms that may offer a broader range of services.
  • Their revenue model based on the bid-ask spread, rather than fees or commissions, provides a unique value proposition to institutional clients.
  • The company's success is heavily reliant on its advanced technology and sophisticated algorithms, developed through a collaborative environment of developers, traders, and quantitative analysts.

Benefits

Generous Paid Leave Policies - Vacation leave starting at 20 days per year that increases based on tenure, flexible sick leave, primary carer’s leave starting at 12 weeks, and volunteer time off.

Medical & Retirement Packages - 100% coverage of monthly premiums for employees enrolled in Akuna’s BlueCross BlueShield offerings and dental and vision plans, as well as a 401(k) plan with company match.

Wellness & Inclusion - Our employees have access to complimentary fitness and mindfulness events both in-person and virtually, as well as an in-building gym in our Chicago office. Additionally, our employee-led Culture Committee works together to continue building a healthy, positive, and inclusive work environment.

Continuing Education - We are proud to offer firm-wide classes through our Akuna U program, access to webinars, digital books, and case studies via Safari, opportunities to attend conferences, and tuition reimbursements to make sure you keep learning!

Social Events - We host happy hours, team outings and poker nights, sponsor a variety of employee-led clubs and sports teams, and offer volunteer opportunities to all employees.

Kitchen & Games Room - Catch up over a coffee made to order by our in-house barista and grab a bite to eat in our stocked kitchen, or challenge a fellow coworker to a friendly ping pong match in our games room!

Referral Bonuses - We want to reward you for helping us grow our awesome, hard-working team.