WorldQuant BRAIN has launched the 2026 International Quant Championship (IQC), its flagship global quant competition managed through the BRAIN platform, with this year’s theme celebrating “The Champion’s Journey” across sport and finance.

The theme reflects the idea that champions, whether in elite sport or quantitative finance, are shaped by many of the same qualities: mindset, resilience, teamwork and a relentless drive to improve. To bring that idea to life, this year’s International Quant Championship campaign features a group of world-class athletes whose careers reflect those values and whose journeys mirror the mindset required to succeed in high-performance research environments.

Among them is Saina Nehwal, one of India’s most accomplished badminton players and the first Indian badminton athlete to win an Olympic medal. A former world No. 1, Nehwal helped elevate Indian badminton through years of consistent performance.

The campaign also features Cristina Teuscher, former Team USA Olympic swimmer and gold medalist in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay at the 1996 Atlanta Games, who also earned bronze in the 200-meter individual medley at the 2000 Sydney Games.

Also participating is Patricia “Patty” Collins, a US Paralympian and paratriathlete whose career has been defined by resilience, discipline and reinvention. Collins competed for Team USA at the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games, won gold at the 2012 ITU Paratriathlon World Championships, and earned silver at the 2013 World Championships.

Rounding out the group is Miklós Gór-Nagy, a Hungarian water polo player, world champion and sports executive whose experience spans both elite athletic competition and leadership in law, economics and sport.

Together, these athletes help frame IQC 2026 around a broader message that becoming a champion, in any field, is a process built over time through focus, adaptability and perseverance.

A Growing Global Community

The competition itself continues to grow globally. The 2026 International Quant Championship has attracted more than 140,000 registrations from over 150 countries and thousands of universities worldwide. Participants compete by building and testing quantitative finance algorithms using historical market data on the BRAIN platform, advancing through team-based rounds before the competition culminates at the global finals in Singapore on October 5–6.

Since its inception, IQC champions have emerged from countries including South Korea, India, Kenya and Taiwan, underscoring the competition’s role as a global platform for discovering quantitative talent beyond traditional financial hubs.

“In our sixth iteration of this competition, we are incredibly proud to see that the IQC has been established as a leading benchmark for discovering quantitative talent, seeing it grow consecutively each year into a truly global platform,” said Igor Tulchinsky, Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of WorldQuant. “This year, we’re excited to build on that momentum at a time when AI is opening up new possibilities, new markets and new pools of talent.”

A Competition and Platform for Aspiring Quants

Top-scoring teams may qualify for cash prizes from a $100,000 prize pool, advance to the global stage, and be considered for career-changing projects, internships or full-time positions as WorldQuant BRAIN researchers. More than 80 participants have already received offers through the platform and competition ecosystem.

“We have seen the IQC grow into one of the strongest global pipelines for talent, especially given our ability to tap into emerging markets,” said Nitish Maini, Chief Strategy Officer at WorldQuant. “By collecting these champions in one place, we are not just scaling ideas, we are humanizing excellence and tying real world challenges to tangible roles and careers.”

For many participants, the International Quant Championship serves as an entry point into quantitative research and a chance to compete on a truly global stage. MinKyeom Kim of Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology in South Korea, winner of the 2025 IQC, said: “IQC was the initial stage of my quant life. There are few chances to start a quant career. But this competition led me to where I could gain experience and access opportunity.”

Today, the BRAIN platform offers 125,000 datasets to over 500,000 users and around 13,000 research consultants worldwide.

To learn more about the 2026 International Quant Championship and WorldQuant BRAIN, visit worldquantbrain.com/IQC.