Incubator Program
For the team starting out, not the team that has arrived
The incubator gives startup funds and fintechs the same datasets the largest banks and US regulators use, at pricing that fits a startup budget.
Why we built the incubator
Startup funds and early-stage fintechs need institutional-grade data before they have institutional budgets. Cheap data can’t be trusted; full-price data closes the door. The incubator is the path between.
Real data, not toy data
Incubator startups work with the same data funds at scale rely on: what you ship is what you tested.
Pricing that fits the runway
Pricing crafted per applicant: the data your team needs now, at a price within your current ability.
A long-term partnership
The start of a relationship, not a one-off discount. As the fund or fintech grows, the engagement grows.
Who the incubator is for
The qualification framework depends on what you are building. A trading team demonstrates experience; a fintech discusses the potential product and the team behind it.
Trading businesses, startup funds and prop firms
Early-stage hedge funds, quant prop firms, and trading teams at the start of a fund’s lifecycle. Qualification built around experience and background, team composition, and strategies.
Fintechs, pre-funding and seed-stage
Fintech startups building products that depend on institutional-grade market data. Qualification built around the expected product, market opportunity, and the team behind it.
What incubator clients have access to
Everything on a standard subscription is available, at pricing that recognizes your stage.
The full algoseek catalog
Equity TAQ and minute bars with up to 90 fields, OPRA options with 60+ field bars, CME Group futures, and the full reference layer: security masters, adjustment factors, index components.
The same delivery infrastructure
Historical: S3 download, ArdaDB with subsecond queries, RESTful API, and the sandbox. Real-time: the same Mercury infrastructure every client uses.
Real-time data when ready
Historical research first, the foundation of any strategy. Real-time feeds add later through the same engagement, no renegotiation.
Core team from the trading side
Support from practitioner backgrounds in quant trading, the same quality institutional clients get. Data, pipeline, and strategy questions all in scope.
Bespoke pricing arrangements
Each incubator agreement is structured against the specific situation and budget. Pricing is confidential to that agreement.
A clear path to standard pricing
Transition to standard pricing happens at predefined milestones: minimum terms, AUM thresholds, funding rounds, or revenue targets. The aim is graduation, not extraction.
Research built on the right data from day one
Signals found on cleaned-up retail feeds, broken security masters, or weekly-refreshed reference data do not survive production.
One pipeline, historical and real-time
The archive and the streaming feed come from the same Mercury pipeline: the data you research on is the data you trade on.
Battle-hardened security masters
Built in-house from multiple sources, cross-referenced against FIGI and ISIN, tracking ticker changes, mergers, and delistings. Adjustment factors refreshed daily.
Research that survives fundraising
Research built on this foundation survives the first institutional round. The incubator exists so budget does not force the wrong starting place.
How the incubator works in practice
From application to data access usually takes two to three weeks, most of it spent confirming fit and structuring the agreement. The process surfaces a yes or a no quickly; nobody sits in indefinite review.
Apply
Tell us about you, the team, the fund or fintech, what you’re building, and what data you need. The form below covers the first review; no NDA required.
Discovery call
If the application fits, a 30-minute call covers the use case, your existing infrastructure, and the datasets you have in mind.
Data structure and onboarding
We propose a specific agreement: which datasets, which delivery method, and which milestones trigger graduation to standard pricing.
Onboarding and access
A standard 30-day setup period before billing starts: data access, infrastructure provisioning, and first support touchpoints. By the time the meter starts, you are running.
Ongoing partnership
The relationship continues through the life of the fund or fintech, restructuring as the team grows. The incubator agreement is the start, not the end, of the algoseek relationship.
Incubator FAQ
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How long does the incubator last?
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The specifics are agreed during conversations about the needs of the team. The exact structure depends on the datasets, the delivery method, and the team’s stage and trajectory.
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What happens when you graduate to standard pricing?
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Graduation happens at predefined milestones: minimum terms, AUM thresholds, funding rounds, or revenue targets. Not as a surprise. The transition is clearly defined in the agreement, so there are no surprise rate changes. The aim is graduation, not extraction.
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Is the data the same quality as commercial clients receive?
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Yes. Incubator clients access the same datasets through the same delivery infrastructure. The same minute bars, TAQ, options analytics, reference data, security masters, and delivery methods. There is no reduced-quality version of the data.
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Can you add or switch datasets while in the incubator program?
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Yes. Adding datasets, moving from historical to real-time, or restructuring the data package can all happen during the incubator, subject to the terms of the agreement.
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Is there a minimum commitment?
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Incubator agreements have a minimum term, structured against the team’s timeline and data needs. The specifics are proposed during the agreement process.
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Is incubator pricing confidential?
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Yes. Each incubator agreement is priced to the specific team, and the rate is confidential.
Apply to the incubator program
A short form, no NDA. Honest and specific answers move the application through review fastest.
Questions before applying?
If you’d rather talk before filling in a form, that route is open. A 15-minute call usually clarifies fit before any paperwork.