This Hedge Fund Created an Excel on Steroids

In partnership with

Start learning AI in 2025

Everyone talks about AI, but no one has the time to learn it. So, we found the easiest way to learn AI in as little time as possible: The Rundown AI.

It's a free AI newsletter that keeps you up-to-date on the latest AI news, and teaches you how to apply it in just 5 minutes a day.

Plus, complete the quiz after signing up and they’ll recommend the best AI tools, guides, and courses – tailored to your needs.

Sign up to start learning.

In the fast-paced world of financial markets, the ability to analyze and interpret vast amounts of data quickly is often the difference between success and failure. Recognizing this, London-based hedge fund Man Group took matters into its own hands, developing ArcticDB, a revolutionary tool that has turned data analysis into a streamlined process of industrial proportions.

The Origins of ArcticDB

Founded in 1783, Man Group manages over $175 billion in assets and is renowned for leveraging cutting-edge technology to maintain a competitive edge. Despite the abundance of data analysis tools on the market, the firm struggled to find a solution that could handle the immense scale of their operations—particularly when analyzing tick data, the granular price movements of stocks recorded every microsecond.

ArcticDB emerged out of necessity. Over a decade of development, Man Group designed a solution to crunch billions of rows and millions of columns of data with remarkable efficiency. This internal tool, initially created for in-house use, is now being commercialized, with notable early adopters like Bloomberg, which began integrating ArcticDB into its analytics offerings in 2023.

What Makes ArcticDB Unique?

ArcticDB is more than just a high-capacity data-crunching tool. According to Gary Collier, Chief Technology Officer of Man Group, the platform operates like an “industrial-scale Excel” for enormous datasets. However, unlike Excel, ArcticDB primarily operates through code-based interfaces, allowing users to conduct high-speed analyses and derive insights without being overwhelmed by endless spreadsheet grids.

Key features include:

• Unprecedented Speed: ArcticDB processes immense streams of data—such as the 400 billion market ticks Bloomberg ingests daily—faster than most existing tools.

• Seamless Integration: ArcticDB integrates smoothly with existing data ecosystems, enabling firms to adopt the tool without overhauling their workflows.

• Versatility: While its design caters to tick data, ArcticDB also handles daily, weekly, or other time-series data formats, making it applicable across industries.

Applications in Finance and Beyond

Man Group’s quantitative analysts, or "quants," use ArcticDB to analyze markets, identify risks, and uncover investment signals for generating alpha—above-average returns. The tool’s ability to handle time-series analysis has made it indispensable in capital markets, where the need for rigorous data modeling grows daily.

Bloomberg has embedded ArcticDB into its BQuant analytics tools, which serve financial services firms seeking advanced data solutions. However, the applications of ArcticDB extend beyond finance. Bloomberg’s CTO, Shawn Edwards, foresees the tool being utilized in industries like pharmaceutical research, where quick and comprehensive data analysis can drive innovation.

Competition and Challenges

While ArcticDB is a powerful innovation, it faces competition from existing tools like Microsoft Excel, which now leverages cloud processing to handle larger datasets. Additionally, some hedge funds may hesitate to adopt technology developed by a competitor like Man Group, despite its obvious advantages.

Industry expert Jason Strimpel, founder of PyQuant News, highlights ArcticDB’s unique edge: its speed and compatibility with existing systems. Even so, adoption across the financial sector has been gradual.

The Future of ArcticDB

As data science and machine learning continue to permeate industries, tools like ArcticDB are set to play an increasingly critical role. Companies across sectors are searching for faster, more reliable ways to experiment with and extract insights from massive datasets. ArcticDB’s ability to deliver on these demands positions it as a game-changer not just for finance but also for fields as diverse as healthcare, retail, and logistics.

For Man Group, the decision to commercialize ArcticDB represents a bold step toward redefining its role in the tech landscape. By opening its proprietary technology to the broader market, the firm has not only diversified its revenue streams but also contributed a vital resource to the global business ecosystem.

Conclusion

ArcticDB is more than a data analysis tool; it’s a glimpse into the future of decision-making in data-driven industries. As businesses navigate the challenges of ever-expanding datasets and the rising demand for speed and accuracy, solutions like ArcticDB will become indispensable.

With its ability to unlock insights from data at an unprecedented scale, Man Group’s ArcticDB stands poised to revolutionize not just financial markets but any industry where innovation is fueled by the power of information.