Databento has received approximately 2,000 applications for 20 vacancies after targeting quantitative professionals from hedge funds and proprietary trading firms, highlighting intense competition for jobs following recent market volatility, according to a report by eFinancialCareers.

Christina Qi, founder and chief executive of Databento, advertised the positions during last week's hedge fund market turmoil, specifically encouraging applications from employees at multistrategy hedge funds. The company offers remote and flexible working arrangements and already employs former professionals from Citadel, Two Sigma, Tower Research, Flow Traders and Susquehanna International Group.

Qi said applications came predominantly from hedge funds and proprietary trading firms, alongside candidates from investment banks, fintech companies, cryptocurrency businesses and independent trading operations. Despite the substantial response, she described the volume of applications as relatively typical given current employment market conditions.

The recruitment drive comes amid a difficult period for parts of the hedge fund industry, with market losses prompting several managers to reduce investment teams and capital allocations. Meanwhile, electronic market makers including Jane Street and Citadel Securities have demonstrated greater resilience, contributing to diverging employment prospects across the quantitative trading sector.

Founded in 2020, Databento provides market data infrastructure to trading firms and financial institutions. The company raised $97m in Series B financing in July to support its expansion.

The latest recruitment figures follow an earlier hiring round in which Databento received approximately 20,000 applications for five positions, underscoring sustained competition for roles within financial technology and quantitative trading businesses.