How Stockwiz Is Leveraging AI To Democratise F&O Trading For Retail Investors - Related to leveraging, retail, is, investors, let’s

Congress used to evaluate emerging technologies. Let’s do it again.

A man administers a lie detector test to a job applicant in 1976. A 1983 study from the OTA debunked the efficacy of polygraphs. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS.

No doubt independent expertise still exists. Congress can turn to the Congressional Research Service, for example, or the National Academies of Sciences, Medicine, and Engineering. Other federal entities, such as the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Science and Technology Policy, have advised the executive branch (and still existed as we went to press). “But they’re not even necessarily specialists,” Calo says, “and what they’re producing is very lightweight compared to what the OTA did. And so I really think we need OTA back.”.

What exists today, as one researcher puts it, is a “diffuse and inefficient” system. There is no central agency that wholly devotes itself to studying emerging technologies in a serious and dedicated way and advising the country’s 535 elected officials about potential impacts. The digestible summaries Congress receives from the Congressional Research Service provide insight but are no replacement for the exhaustive technical research and analytic capacity of a fully staffed and funded think tank. There’s simply nothing like the OTA, and no single entity replicates its incisive and instructive guidance. But there’s also nothing stopping Congress from reauthorizing its budget and bringing it back, except perhaps the lack of political will.

The OTA had not exactly been an easy sell to the research community in 1972. At the time, it was only the third independent congressional agency ever established. As the journal Science put it in a headline that year, “The Office of Technology Assessment: Congress Smiles, Scientists Wince.” One researcher from Bell Labs told Science that he feared legislators would embark on “a clumsy, destructive attempt to manage national R&D,” but mostly the cringe seemed to stem from uncertainty about what exactly technology assessment entailed.

The OTA’s first investigation, in 1974, examined bioequivalence, an essential part of evaluating generic drugs. Regulators were trying to figure out whether these drugs could be deemed comparable to their name-brand equivalents without lengthy and expensive clinical studies demonstrating their safety and efficacy. Unlike all the OTA’s subsequent assessments, this one listed specific policy recommendations, such as clarifying what data should be required in order to evaluatea generic drug and ensure uniformity and standardization in the regulatory approval process. The Food and Drug Administration later incorporated these recommendations into its own submission requirements.

From then on, though, the OTA did not take sides. The office had not been set up to advise Congress on how to legislate. Rather, it dutifully followed through on its narrowly focused mandate: Do the research and provide policymakers with a well-reasoned set of options that represented a range of expert opinions.

Perhaps surprisingly, given the rise of commercially available PCs, in the first decade of its existence the OTA produced only a few reports on computing. One 1976 research touched on the automated control of trains. Others examined computerized x-ray imaging, enhanced known as CT scans; computerized crime databases; and the use of computers in medical education. Over time, the office’s output steadily increased, eventually averaging 32 reports a year. Its budget swelled to $22 million; its staff peaked at 143.

While it’s sometimes stated that the future impact of a technology is beyond anyone’s imagination, several findings proved prescient. A 1982 analysis on electronic funds transfer, or EFT, predicted that financial transactions would increasingly be carried out electronically (an obvious challenge to paper currency and hard-copy checks). Another predicted that email, or what was then termed “electronic message systems,” would disrupt snail mail and the bottom line of the US Postal Service.

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How Stockwiz Is Leveraging AI To Democratise F&O Trading For Retail Investors

Stockwiz uses 100+ data insights and more than 1 Mn data points to refine its AI-ML-powered trading models.

What do Groww, Zerodha and Dhan (part of Raise Financial Services) have in common? Well, almost anyone can answer that. All of them are leading discount broking startups which have taken stock trading to the masses and never failed to intrigue the new generation of retail investors, redefining a traditionally conservative Indian wealthtech market. But there is another link.

Around 80-85% of their revenues come from futures and options (F&O) traders, a highly speculative and leveraged stock market segment. Even an industry-leading full-service brokerage like AngelOne reportedly gains around 84% of its earnings from the F&O segment.

The flip side of this narrative is far from lucrative. Globally, India is the largest derivatives trading market. However, a study by the capital market regulator SEBI revealed that 93% of individual traders incurred losses in equity F&O between FY22 and FY24, and their aggregate losses exceeded INR [website] Lakh Cr.

Despite these odds, F&O trading is India’s fastest-growing sector, with a surge in retail participation. The question is: Why do so many continue to trade where success seems statistically improbable?

“It’s because 90% of these traders tend to pursue quick money. In the process, they trade excessive amounts of leverage and highly risky and volatile instruments without knowledge about the market,” rued Parang Mehta, who, along with wife Geetanjali Shroff, set up the digital trading, research and advisory platform Stockwiz to empower new and veteran retail traders and investors.

For context, futures and options are financial contracts (derivatives) between sellers and buyers that involve speculations on future price movements of an underlying asset (securities, commodities, market indices, currencies and more). Of course, there are ways to hedge price volatility and realise relative gains. But the stakes could be high when people try to predict the price movement without understanding intrinsic valuations.

Stockwiz is backed by iStart Rajasthan, the state government’s initiative to foster startup innovation. The bootstrapped venture initially invested INR 1 Lakh and clocked INR 3 Cr in revenue in FY24. Now, it eyes a 10x jump in the current financial year.

The Seeds Of Stockwiz And The Eureka Moment.

Not all startup ideas come from the dorms of IITs and IIMs or the Gen Z college dropouts because the entrepreneurial bug has bitten them too early. For the 27-year-old Mehta, who hails from a family of doctors, the love for the capital market is a self-acquired passion. An MBA degree holder in finance, he was through with the CFA certification Level II. But neither academic training nor his exposure to trading could prevent losses – INR 25 Lakh in four years.

The tipping point came during his training in Sydney when he dived deep into systematic trading, wherein investment decisions are based on algorithms generated through market data analysis. Whenever these pre-set parameters are met, trade is executed automatically, minimising human errors and ensuring consistent strategy executions for various market conditions.

“Finally, I understood that 90% of success was discipline and systematic trading. I returned to India, started trading and had my first profitable week, month and year,” expressed Mehta.

Soon after, he started mentoring people online and earned lakhs. The business thrived until December 2022, when he took a month off for his wedding. His wife, Geetanjali, held a master’s degree in marketing and finance and handled B2B sales for ITC Hotels, which fitted well when she decided to explore the markets.

During that break, the couple tested several channels on Telegram and WhatsApp for trading tips, but the experience was chaotic. Tips were lost in the noise, and prices were too high when they executed trades. Exit signals got buried, and outcomes were always poor.

When impersonal, haphazard support fell short, they understood that an end-to-end solution and a tailored approach would be needed to meet people’s requirements. In January 2023, Stockwiz emerged as a community-driven, tech-powered F&O ecosystem.

How Stockwiz Built A One-Stop Destination For F&O Traders.

In the complex world of derivatives trading, where most retail traders chase profits without the tech tools and knowledge, Stockwiz aims to integrate operations and experiences to bridge the critical gap.

Realising that cutting-edge technologies like AI-ML and automation could transform end-to-end F&O trading, the founders built a seamless, technology-driven platform that provides real-time insights into market trends, automated trade executions and robust risk management – all under one roof.

Here is a deep dive into four differentiated aspects that make Stockwiz stand out.

Team trades live every day alongside its members, providing them with real-time market exposure to hone their skills. These live interactions create a dynamic learning environment and foster a deeper understanding of trading strategies.

Unlike brokerages focussing on retail trading, Stockwiz focusses on capital preservation and steady returns, drawing inspiration from institutional strategies. It also trains people through courses, seminars and workshops.

With more than 20K active members, the platform enables traders and investors to connect and collaborate with like-minded people. “This community-driven model is central to Stockwiz’s growth. Many of our competitors have followed suit after seeing how powerful communities are for retention and value addition,” the founders expressed.

When iStart Played A Key Role In Optimising Product Design & Team Building.

Asked about the driving forces behind Stockwiz’s impressive growth, the founders mentioned the pivotal role of iStart Rajasthan. “It has been incredibly supportive,” noted Mehta. “We were introduced to Raunak Singhvi, a mentor and advisor, through the initiative. His guidance was invaluable during early growth as we found the product-market fit and fine-tuned our tech offerings.”.

Backed by the Rajasthan government, the programme has been designed to promote local startups, attract investment and generate jobs across the state. But for Stockwiz, it was more than a support system. The catalyst shaped Mehta’s vision and expertise into a thriving business. The founders also lauded iStart for helping the startup scale quickly.

“We were mentored in crucial areas like operations, product design and team-building,” stated Mehta. “Although we chose not to seek financial backing, preferring to remain bootstrapped at this point, a lot of insights, feedback and advice came our way. It gave our business the proper direction and helped refine our business strategy.”.

A quick look at the Indian capital markets reveals both challenges and opportunities. Consider this. Per an ICICIDirect report, the country’s monthly F&O turnover reached a record INR 8,740 Lakh Cr ($[website] Tn) in March 2024, a phenomenal surge from INR 217 Lakh Cr (about $27 Bn) in March 2019.

Again, the country’s stock market wrapped up in 2024 with an impressive 10% gain despite heavy selling by FIIs. Overall, they sold INR [website] Lakh Cr, again a record selling in a year. That the market thrived despite this capital drain was solely due to the rise of a new hero – the retail investors. As Stockwiz is going all out to target them for the futures and options space, it demonstrates the startup’s readiness to embrace upcoming opportunities.

But here is the flip side. The Indian stock market is strictly regulated, and innovating in this sector comes with challenges. Stockwiz needs to focus on its growth, but being a SEBI-registered entity, it has to comply with all applicable norms for a smooth run ahead.

, the startup has compliance and grievance officers in place, internal systems and controls for the segregation of other business activities and strict firewalls to protect traders and investors. Additionally, it has an external auditor and an in-house compliance team managing the entire compliance scenario.

Nevertheless, Stockwiz is not putting all its eggs in one basket, given the fast-evolving regulatory scenario and how fintechs must scramble to cope. Instead, it aims to venture into wealth management this year and eyes INR 100 Cr in assets under management (AUM). More products and services, especially in areas like portfolio management, smallcase, algo/speed trading, mutual fund distribution and global investing options for Indians, are in the pipeline.

The fintech will charge variable fees for these services, which may help it surpass the INR 60 Cr revenue mark in FY26. “Our product timeline until 2027 is already planned, and we will move accordingly,” revealed Mehta.

“In the long run, we will launch products and services designed for non-traders or investors who can trade like professionals and participate in the India Story 2050, where we may see this century’s greatest wealth creation opportunity.”.

As of now, the vision is clear: To make professional-grade trading and investing tools accessible to all at an affordable price and prepare to emerge as a driving force in the financial revolution the country is set to experience in the coming decades.

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METYCLE raises €14M Series A for metal recycling platform

METYCLE, a digital platform for international secondary metal trade, has raised a €[website] Series A funding round. The round was led by 2150 with investment from existing investors DFF Ventures, Market One Capital, Partech, and Project A.

The enterprise will use the new funds to develop further its data, software, and AI backbone for the metal recycling industry.

Founded in 2022 by industry experts Sebastian Brenner and Rafael Suchan, the corporation aims to streamline and bring transparency to the global metal recycling market. The platform connects verified buyers and sellers directly, eliminating intermediaries to offer superior prices and increased efficiency.

METYCLE takes physical ownership of the metals and ensures delivery , providing full transparency throughout the transaction process. For buyers, METYCLE offers access to a wide network of reputable suppliers and employs AI-based quality assessments to ensure material standards. Sellers benefit from a straightforward listing process and a platform that actively works to find the best destinations for their products.

Its AI-powered sorting process determines the physical and chemical properties of shredded recyclable metals in real time - representing a significant reduction in manual labour and CO2 emissions as well as improved recycling ratios and material recovery.

“Metal recycling is crucial for the transition to a carbon-neutral world. Recycling does not only ensure circularity of metals, but also helps to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to 95% compared to primary metal production,” says Rafael Suchan, co-founder of METYCLE. “Today, already more than one third of global metal production is based on recycled metals and METYCLE makes the global metal recycling industry more efficient and transparent with the help of state-of-the-art technology.”.

“Our platform is revolutionizing how secondary metals are traded globally,” added Sebastian Brenner, co-founder of METYCLE. “By rolling out METYCLE’s AI-based sorting and quality certification, we’re creating unprecedented transparency and trust in the metal recycling industry.”.

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The latest developments come a day after it was reported that Tesla has finalised locations for its first Indian showrooms in New Delhi and Mumbai.