John Tingoi, a 22-year-old Applied Computer Science graduate from Chuka University, has secured a remarkable joint third place in the highly competitive International Quant Championship (IQC) global finals held in Singapore.
The prestigious event, organised by WorldQuant BRAIN, drew nearly 80,000 participants from 142 countries, all competing to prove their skills in finance, statistics, and programming. Tingoi’s top-three finish is a historic achievement for Kenyan quantitative talent.
Tingoi tied for third place with Chia-Chun Chung from Taiwan. This final stage in September 2025 followed months of intense qualifying rounds, showcasing the world’s best quantitative finance minds.
◼️First Place: MinKyeom Kim, Korea
◼️Second Place: Sumit Kumar, India
◼️Third Place: John Tingoi, Kenya (tie)
◼️Third Place: Chia-Chun Chung, Taiwan (tie)
The competition’s significance goes beyond just the prize money. It focuses on nurturing the next generation of finance leaders.
Igor Tulchinsky, founder and CEO of WorldQuant, noted the profound impact of the competition:
“I’m proud of the dedication, curiosity, and creativity you’ve shown throughout this journey. IQC isn’t just about winning, it’s about building the skills, resilience and vision that will define the next generation of leaders in quantitative research and beyond.”
Tingoi’s path to the global final was rigorous, requiring him to outperform over 9,000 participants in Kenya during the national qualifiers. Despite teams being allowed to form groups of up to four, Tingoi chose to compete solo.
“I managed to secure second runners up from the competition.”
His final project centered on creating a high-performance algorithm that can predict the future price of financial markets by building robust trading signals. His submission was rigorously assessed on logic, risk strategy and originality.
He emphasised that competing against long-time industry veterans was tough, demanding a unique approach to succeed. “You must have something extra that other competitors have,” he advised.
John Tingoi started his involvement with WorldQuant by working part-time as a remote researcher while pursuing his studies. This early dedication has now paid off substantially, providing both global recognition and financial security.
“Participating in WorldQuant is sustainable, I don’t have to call my mother asking for rent or money for upkeep.”
The total prize pool for the championship totalled around Sh13.2 million, and top performers, like Tingoi, are highly considered for potential internships, consulting, or full-time roles at WorldQuant.
For Kenyans, Tingoi’s success provides powerful inspiration and proof of concept. As Chuka University celebrated: “From his humble beginnings in a Maasai rural community, John has risen through determination, resilience, and brilliance to achieve global recognition.” His achievement is a testament that background does not dictate destiny, but rather that opportunity, mentorship, and discipline can propel Kenyan youth onto the world stage in high-demand fields like FinTech and quantitative analysis.
