International Quant Championship 2026 — WorldQuant BRAIN's Global Quantitative Finance Modelling Competition

What's this competition all about?

Ever wondered what quant finance actually is — or whether it could be the right career for you? The International Quant Championship (IQC) 2026 is your chance to find out.

Run by WorldQuant — one of the world's leading quantitative asset management firms — the IQC invites university students from across the globe to learn, compete, and prove themselves by building predictive financial models called Alphas on the WorldQuant BRAIN simulation platform.

No quant experience? No problem. BRAIN was built to make quantitative finance accessible to anyone with curiosity and analytical drive. The platform walks you through everything you need to get started — and WorldQuant's team runs workshops and training sessions to help you build your first Alpha from scratch.

What to expect?

The IQC 2026 unfolds across three stages:

Stage 1 — Qualifier Round (17 March – 19 May) Form your team (solo or up to 4 people from your university), sign up on the BRAIN platform, and start submitting Alphas. Accumulate points to qualify for the next stage. 

Stage 2 — National/Regional Round (26 May – mid-July) Top-performing teams advance to compete at a national or regional level. 

Stage 3 — Global Finals (September 2026, Singapore) The best teams from around the world go head-to-head at the Global Finals in Singapore.

Who can join?

If you're analytical, curious, and up for a challenge, this competition is for you. Backgrounds in maths, engineering, computer science, finance, physics, or economics are a natural fit — but all disciplines are welcome. WorldQuant values intellectual horsepower above all else.

To enter, simply:

• Register on the WorldQuant BRAIN platform (free)
• Form a team of 1–4 people from your university
• Start building and submitting Alphas

No prior quant finance, programming, or financial markets experience is required to get started. The platform and community are designed to help you learn as you go.

FAQs

Do I need quant finance experience to compete? Not at all. The BRAIN platform is designed to be accessible, and there are resources and workshops to get you started. If you can think analytically, you can participate.

Does it cost anything to enter? No. The IQC is completely free to enter.

Do I need a team? You can compete solo or form a team of up to 4 people from your university.

What can I win? Cash prizes from a US$100,000 pool, plus potential WorldQuant BRAIN Research Consultant opportunities, internships, and full-time roles. And the Global Finals are held in Singapore.