Back in 2009, Citigroup started its series of Global Innovation Labs, in Dublin – followed by Israel, Singapore, Mexico, and London, with a few hundred technologists globally to focus on more rapid research, tactical experimentation and prototyping of next-generation client solutions. Moreover, the labs are a way to plug into local innovation ecosystems and, via the Markets and Securities Services Group, to invest in startups, partnerships, and top talent.
This week Citi created the Markets Acceleration Lab, initially for New York, with similar global ambitions, but with a focus on AI and trading, inviting analysts internally to apply for the lab and to kick off AI-based trading solutions later this year… to teach traders how to code and coders how to trade.
American Banker and Bloomberg reported that Citi started teaching computer programming to entry level analysts last year and that the firm last fall created Sprint (Spread Products Investments Technologies), to back certain related FinTech companies.
Nikhil Joshi, Global Head of Spreads Products Technology, described the goal for the Markets Acceleration Lab as „to create a pipeline of unique talent.“