Cambridge-based deep tech start-up Theia Insights raises $6.5M to bring foundational AI to the global investment community

Entrepreneurs / 13th May 2024

Theia Insights, a UK based deep tech start-up launched by former Amazon Alexa scientist and solo entrepreneur Dr. Ye Tian, has raised $6.5M. In another example of US venture capital looking to the UK for the most innovative technology companies, the round was led by Silicon Valley’s Unusual Ventures, with participation from Fidelity International Strategic Ventures, and LA-based Clocktower Ventures, alongside a number of strategic angels.

Theia Insights’ products and solutions are built upon a foundation of academic and proprietary research and incorporate the latest developments in AI, machine learning, Natural Language Processing (NLP), Large Language Models (LLM), and technologies grounded in advanced financial mathematics.

Given the importance of understanding the economic landscape and the make-up of companies – what exists and “who does what and by how much,” investors rely on a number of foundational technologies to make decisions. The modern world moves faster and changes more frequently than ever before – the global economy is more dynamic, companies are increasingly active across many different verticals, and we are bombarded by information and data. In turn it is essential that tools and solutions keep up. Theia was founded to solve this problem and build future-proof foundational AI that adapts to the world we live in today.

Dr. Ye Tian, Founder and CEO of Theia Insights, said: “We live in the age of data overflow – everything from geopolitics to financial filings, to social media and news. It’s often overwhelming and easy to get lost in the noise. But good investment decisions require clarity, and that is where AI can play an unrivalled role – by lifting us from the valley to the mountain top, so we can choose the paths we want to take by seeing where every path leads and how they connect.”

With an academic background in Natural Language Processing (NLP) and AI, former research scientist at Amazon Alexa, Dr. Ye Tian has assembled a highly skilled team of experts from Nasdaq, Morgan Stanley, Meta, UC Berkeley’s Economics Department, Amazon Alexa, AWS and the University of Cambridge’s Computer Science Department. The company is named after “Theia” the Goddess of Sight, with the mission of synthesising and distilling vast amounts of information so investors can see clearly.

This financing round has afforded Theia the opportunity to attract industry-leading talent from conventional classification and risk management firms, as well as individuals at the very forefront of the rapid recent advancements in AI. This carefully managed expansion of the firm’s pool of exceptional human resources is being matched by ongoing investment in ambitious commercial projects and research initiatives.

Lars Albright, General Partner at Unusual Ventures, commented: “We believe that data infrastructure in the asset management sector will continue to go through substantial change and advancement through the adoption of AI. The shortcomings around legacy industry classification systems and the lack of dynamic insights on risk factors driving investment decisions is a pressing issue. After meeting and getting to know Theia, we were impressed with their bold vision, their technical ability and the team they have assembled to tackle this substantial problem.”

Fidelity International Strategic Ventures also supported Theia in the round. Principal Erik Mostenicky said: “Theia Insight’s team’s strong academic expertise in AI and natural language processing uniquely positions them to tackle many technically challenging problems affecting the investment industry, and we are excited to support them on this journey. Their products have already attracted significant interest from major industry players, and we believe they have the potential to redefine and revolutionise portfolio construction and risk monitoring processes in the future.”

Theia Insights serves a diverse range of corporate clients, such as asset and wealth managers, ETF issuers, Index providers, investment banks, fintechs and the broader financial services ecosystem. In partnership with some of the world’s largest and most well-known organisations in the space, Theia is developing three core technologies: dynamic industry classification, thematic risk model and portfolio analysis

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