Unhedged

Unhedged Pty Ltd, a fintech company based in Australia, was established in 2020 by founder and CEO Peter Bakker. Bakker, a seasoned entrepreneur with an MBA from INSEAD, has over a decade of experience in algorithmic trading. His journey into automated trading began after a successful exit from a previous venture, which allowed him to travel extensively while needing a way to manage his investments remotely. This led him to develop numerous trading algorithms, some of which gained popularity on the Quantopian platform. The core mission of Unhedged is to provide retail investors with access to sophisticated, AI-powered algorithmic investment strategies, a domain traditionally dominated by hedge funds.

The company operates in the robo-advisory market, offering a mobile application that allows users to invest in portfolios managed by proprietary algorithms. This approach removes emotion and human bias from investment decisions, as the algorithms are designed to react to data and predefined triggers. The platform targets everyday investors seeking to outperform market benchmarks, with a minimum investment as low as $100. Unhedged's business model centers on management fees and performance-based fees, aligning the company's revenue with its clients' investment success. The app provides access to several distinct algorithms, including strategies focused on sector rotation, industrial activity, and momentum, which are designed to perform differently across various market cycles. The service launched for wholesale investors in August 2021 and expanded to retail investors in December of the same year.

Since its inception, Unhedged has secured funding through several rounds, including a pre-seed round of $500,000 in April 2021 and an equity crowdfunding round that raised $2.34 million in June 2021. The platform offers users different investment options managed by its algorithms. For example, the 'Sector Rotation' algorithm adjusts its holdings between asset classes like bonds, cash, and gold during turbulent markets, while the 'Industrial Activity' algorithm focuses on other market signals. One of the key benefits for users is the simplification of investing; after choosing their preferred algorithms or a balanced approach, the system automates the trading and portfolio management process. The app itself is designed for ease of use, featuring a simple interface and a demo mode for users to observe historical performance before committing capital.

Keywords: algorithmic trading, robo-advisor, retail investing, fintech, investment app, AI investing, automated investing, quantitative investing, portfolio management, financial technology, wealth management, asset management, mobile investing, Australian fintech, Peter Bakker, investment strategies, hedge fund strategies, market outperformance, data-driven investing, passive income