Thasos, an alternative data intelligence firm that transforms real-time locations from mobile phones into objective and actionable insights, has launched a real-time foot traffic product, QStreams wjhich has been developed specifically for quantitative hedge funds.
Thasos has partnered with Battle of the Quants to make QStreams available free of charge for a limited time via an exclusive beta program starting May 21, 2019.
“Mobile data has a well-justified reputation for being noisy and challenging to work with, but that’s precisely what makes QStreams so novel — the combined level of quality and coverage is unprecedented. By partnering with Battle of the Quants and allowing fund managers to help shape the product through the beta program, we’re offering the first data product built by quants for quants,” says John Collins, Thasos Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer.
A superset of Thasos products, QStreams provides subscribers with daily customer visitation and other fundamental metrics for every individual store, restaurant, factory, or other location owned or operated by more than 480 companies — over 600,000 properties across the United States — with nearly four years of history. While the product covers companies in every sector — from Walmart and Chipotle to Tesla and Campbell’s Soup — the retail and REIT segments represent every US public company with more than USD50 million in market capitalisation and a meaningful brick-and-mortar presence.
QStreams and other Thasos products derive information from the most powerful source of real-time data available today for measuring and forecasting economic activity across business sectors: geolocation information from over five billion phones worldwide.
“Mobile data has a well-justified reputation for being noisy and challenging to work with, but that’s precisely what makes QStreams so novel — the combined level of quality and coverage is unprecedented,” says John Collins (pictured), Thasos Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer. “By partnering with Battle of the Quants and allowing fund managers to help shape the product through the beta program, we’re offering the first data product built by quants for quants.”
Offering QStreams to emerging quantitative hedge funds through the beta program gives those without a significant data budget an opportunity to participate before the product is later released through Thasos’ channel partners.
The three-month beta program will give hedge funds with under USD1 billion in assets under management (AUM) complete access to the live QStreams data at no cost. Through regular communications with Thasos, participants will provide feedback that helps to refine the QStreams product. The program will only be available to those emerging hedge funds attending the Battle of the Quants conference happening in New York City from 21-22 May, 2019. In its 12th year, the conference is a must-attend industry event bringing together quantitative hedge funds, asset allocators and academia to explore and discuss the critical issues confronting the quantitative approach to finance. All hedge funds interested in participating in the exclusive beta program must register through Battle of the Quants.
“Battle of the Quants was launched to directly address the unique challenges and opportunities facing the quantitative hedge fund industry, and Thasos is now doing the same thing with QStreams,” says Bartt Kellerman, Founder of Battle of the Quants, and Founder and CEO of Global Capital Acquisition. “Having spent many years in the hedge fund industry, I think we have a good sense of when a product is unique and worthwhile. QStreams and the Thasos beta program are truly an exceptional offering that can help bring emerging quant hedge funds to the next level.”
