Coller Capital, a well-established secondary market firm based in London, is currently expanding its technology platform and seeking to hire an additional data scientist to join its team. The position involves working closely with data, machine learning and software engineers as well as investment professionals to develop data-driven private equity tools, as stated in a job posting on the company’s website.
The main responsibilities of the role include implementing predictive models and algorithms, conducting quantitative analysis and creating tools to impact multi-million dollar deals. Ideal candidates for the position are required to have a Masters or PhD in Computer Science or a STEM subject. Josh Lowe, a director at Coller, leads the company’s data science team, which currently consists of three other data scientists.
Coller Capital is known for its history of innovation in the secondary private markets and leverages more than 30 years of proprietary data in its investment process. A spokesperson for the firm emphasized the importance of their data science team in providing quantitative analysis to improve investment decision-making. With the industry trending towards incorporating data science and artificial intelligence, Coller is committed to growing its team and investing in talent to stay ahead of the market.
One of Kohler’s former data scientists, Harry Vander Elst, left the firm in 2020 to found RockSling Analytics before joining Clipway as a partner. However, according to a source familiar with the situation, this opening for a new data scientist is not a replacement for Vander Elst. Instead, it reflects Coller Capital’s commitment to expanding its technology platform and improving its capabilities through hiring top talent like Vander Elst did when he founded his own company.
Companies in the secondaries industry are increasingly incorporating data science and artificial intelligence capabilities into their operations to improve efficiency and speed. These tools can offer advantages to buyers by simplifying secondary LP sales processes and bringing secondary market transactions closer to real-time trading similar to public market securities.