Stanford Math PhD Launches AI-Driven Quantitative Finance Startup, Secures $50 Million Funding
Stanford’s young mathematician, Aixin Tang, is making headlines as her startup, Axiom, seeks to raise $50 million to tackle AI-driven quantitative finance. As the first generation of a family to attend university, Tang completed her dual degrees in mathematics and physics from Stanford University in just three years. Her exceptional research during this time earned her prestigious awards, including the Alice T. Schafer Prize from the American Mathematical Society, which is given annually to one female mathematics undergraduate in the United States. In 2023, she also won the Frank and Brennie Morgan Prize for Outstanding Research by an Undergraduate Student, awarded jointly by the American Mathematical Society, the Mathematical Association of America, and the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics. After graduating from Stanford, Tang received a Rhodes Scholarship to pursue neuroscience at Oxford University, but she ultimately decided to enter the University of Cambridge to study for her Ph.D. in mathematics and physics simultaneously. This interdisciplinary background has become a unique advantage for Axiom, allowing Tang to approach the integration of AI and mathematics from multiple perspectives. "I have always been a researcher," Tang says, "and I want to solve truly challenging technological problems." Currently, the competition in the field of mathematical AI is intense. In 2023, Robinhood's CEO, Vlad Tenev, founded Harmonic, a company with similar market ambitions. By the end of 2024, Harmonic had raised $75 million from investors such as Sequoia Capital, valuing the company at $325 million. Harmonic claims to be building models that can address complex mathematical problems. Simultaneously, major tech companies are also advancing in this domain. OpenAI's O4-mini model recently demonstrated performance exceeding human mathematician teams in FrontierMath evaluations. This achievement not only highlights the immense potential of AI in the field of mathematics but also underscores the growing demand for specialized mathematical AI systems. For the financial industry, an AI system capable of rigorous mathematical verification holds significant practical value. Quantitative trading, risk assessment, and derivative pricing all require rapid and precise mathematical calculations and reasoning. If Axiom can successfully develop an AI system that genuinely understands mathematical logic and can perform formal proofs, it could bring substantial changes to the financial industry's operating methods. However, Axiom has not yet launched any specific products, and its team is still in the early stages of formation. While other large tech companies and startups are competing fiercely to develop mathematical AI, it remains unclear whether Axiom will find a differentiated edge in the market. Despite this, the market potential for such innovations is vast, and Tang’s approach could position Axiom uniquely in the future. References: 1. https://www.theinformation.com/articles/stanford-math-phds-ai-startup-targets-300-million-valuation?rc=qjiy7u 2. https://alum.mit.edu/slice/first-generation-grad-excels-math-and-law 3. https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnwerner/2025/04/24/a-discovery-every-day-what-does-superintelligence-actually-look-like/ Editor: Hewan Long