Catenaa, Sunday, February 22, 2026- Inference Research, an AI-native quantitative trading firm, announced its launch with a $20 million Seed funding round led by Avenir Group.
The investment aims to support the development of proprietary AI infrastructure and institutional-grade trading systems that bridge digital assets and traditional finance.
Founded by Luke Li, former co-founder and Head of Trading at Amber Group, Inference Research is designed to operate across digital assets, traditional markets, and emerging frontiers.
The firm focuses on AI-driven solutions for asset pricing, liquidity provision, and global market efficiency.
Avenir Group, originating from Li Lin’s family office and recognized as a leading institutional investor in Asia, will provide strategic support, enabling Inference Research to accelerate technology development and scale operations.
The partnership underscores a shared mission to integrate AI-native capabilities with traditional financial discipline for resilient and efficient market infrastructure.
Seed funding will be used to expand the firm’s sovereign AI infrastructure, recruit quants, engineers, and researchers, and advance institutional adoption strategies.
The team is prioritizing talent with expertise in quantitative finance, blockchain, and AI to execute high-performance strategies with transparency and integrity.
Inference Research positions itself as a next-generation quantitative franchise, leveraging AI to optimize trading operations, risk management, and market interactions.
The firm aims to deliver scalable, AI-driven solutions that enhance capital efficiency and bridge institutional finance with digital asset markets.
