Varick is a quantitative investment manager at the forefront of applying artificial intelligence to systematic trading.
Varick is a quantitative investment manager. Our team brings decades of experience in systematic investing for leading financial institutions. We have developed a state-of-the-art technology platform and combine advanced machine learning research with deep global markets expertise.
At Varick, we leverage artificial intelligence, cutting-edge technology and deep markets knowledge to develop machine learning algorithms which systematically trade futures across equities, fixed income, currencies and commodities. Our investment strategies are designed to identify and capitalize on opportunities through advanced pattern recognition techniques.
Varick has deep expertise in applying AI techniques to uncover patterns in global markets. Our proprietary machine learning algorithms are rigorously tested using advanced computing and simulation capabilities. This expertise enables us to transform complex data into actionable insights.
Scientific rigor underpins every part of our research process. We follow a structured, data-driven approach — from hypothesis to validation — to ensure that our models are robust, rigorously evaluated and continuously learning. Our multidisciplinary team collaborates through a peer-reviewed process, reflecting the scientific method embedded throughout the firm.
At Varick, technology powers innovation. Our proprietary platform, built on custom infrastructure and large-scale cloud computing capacity, enables the analysis of large data sets to identify opportunities. We have seamlessly integrated the entire investment process from data collection to execution.
Our management team brings decades of experience in systematic investing for leading financial institutions.
Duncan Valentine is CEO of Varick as of January 2026.
Mr. Valentine has over 30 years’ experience in financial markets with a deep focus on derivatives. From 2007 to 2025, he was Partner and Managing Director at Capstone Investment Advisors in New York, helping grow its hedge fund and Solutions business while leading Sales, Investor Relations and being part of the Management Committee.
He began his career in 1996 as an options market maker, spending a decade trading derivatives across global exchanges and later becoming a Partner at Mako Global Derivatives and Head of Trading, Europe.
Mr. Valentine holds a BA (Hons) in Business and Economics from Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge.
Bob Arends is Founder and CIO of Varick and has over 30 years’ experience in developing systematic investment systems.
Prior to founding Varick, Mr. Arends worked at Shell Asset Management, supervising the development of systematic multi-asset strategies within Shell’s Hedge Fund team.
Mr. Arends was also a lead PM at Henderson Global Investors (London) where he was responsible for systematic investments for a global client base of institutional investors and Global Head of Currency Management at Fortis Bank, managing in excess of USD 9 billion of client assets.
Mr. Arends holds a Master’s degree in Economics (Finance and Investments) from the University of Groningen.
Lodewijk Henry is COO of Varick.
Previously, Mr. Henry was a Managing Director at J.P. Morgan with nearly two decades of global markets experience. During his tenure at J.P. Morgan, he held various leadership roles in both London and Paris.
Mr. Henry co-headed J.P. Morgan’s Continental European Equity Franchise and was responsible for their Dutch Cross Markets Franchise. Additionally, he served as a Senior Client Relationship Manager for J.P. Morgan’s Investor Client Markets, working closely with CIOs and heads of global markets at major financial institutions.
Mr. Henry holds a Master’s degree in Economics from the University of Amsterdam.
Nathan de Vries is Head of Research at Varick, leading the firm’s research on model development, data infrastructure and AI.
Prior to joining Varick, he held various quantitative roles spanning a decade at Shell Asset Management Company. Mr. De Vries was responsible for the full lifecycle of machine learning models within Shell’s AI & Quant Research team, from ideation to deployment. He began his career in academia, first studying the evolution of supermassive black holes and later as a Scientific Programmer building astrophysical simulation software for cutting-edge theoretical research.
Mr. De Vries holds a PhD degree in Astrophysics from Leiden University.
