Founded in 1985 by economist Richard Olsen, the Olsen Group has played a pioneering role in the development of the young field of high-frequency finance. Based on ongoing analysis of what is considered the world's largest filtered database of tick-by-tick price movements, the Olsen Group is in the forefront of research demonstrating persistent predictability in the financial markets.

Specifically, the firm has contributed to the growing body of evidence that markets have internal structures, with participants acting in prescribed ways based on their differing profiles and time horizons. Within this framework, the Olsen Group has demonstrated that financial time series exhibit significant deviations from a random walk and can be conditionally forecast.

From the firm's 15-year research effort has come not only new financial theory but also sophisticated online tools for forecasting, trading and risk management.

The primary goal: To be an effective "incubator" for predictive technologies

The mission of the Olsen Group is to serve as an industry "incubator" for ventures related to the development of new predictive technologies. Accordingly, the organization is structured into highly focused units designed to efficiently carry new ideas from research through market application.

At the core of the Olsen Group's capabilities is the Olsen Research Institute, which works closely with the ETH in Zurich and other leading universities to explore new technologies and develop pilot products. Complementing the institute's activities are commercial units focused on creating:

• Software tools for collecting, filtering, storing and analyzing high frequency data (Olsen Data);
• Online predictive and risk management services (Olsen Information Services);
• Online risk management tools for the risktaker (Riskeye);
• Online currency conversion, with the objective of developing an exchange that can process e-commerce and FX currency transactions at near- zero cost (OANDA); and
• Venture capital for e-finance companies (BIMCO).

In addition, the Olsen Foundation underwrites research and development in the predictive technology area.

For more information

OANDA

Riskeye

Olsen Research Institute