Barak Capital

Most Israeli quant shops draw talent from Unit 8200 and the air force; Barak Capital has done it since 1996, well before the pattern became fashionable. The Tel Aviv group started as a discretionary prop desk trading relative value across stocks, bonds, FX, and rates, and still runs that hedged book globally.

The newer story is geographic. In 2010 Barak launched a dedicated market-making arm, now incorporated as Barak Market Making B.V. with its own Amsterdam office and leadership, quoting futures and options across European, Asian, and American venues on an FPGA-backed low-latency system. The Amsterdam desk held its first junior quant recruitment day in April 2026, a clear signal of where the group is putting its growth.