Gregory J Blotnick, a former hedge fund portfolio manager with stints at firms including Citadel LLC and Brattle Street Capital, has launched Valiant Research LLC, a market intelligence and analytics firm with a particular focus on the retail sector.

The new venture, Blotnick says, is aimed at closing the knowledge gap between institutional investors and everyday market participants, offering sophisticated yet accessible investment research and tools traditionally reserved for hedge funds and professional money managers.

“Over the last five years, there’s been a remarkable surge in public interest in the stock market, which is a great development,” said Blotnick. “However, we’ve also seen a troubling rise in self-proclaimed experts, who, in reality, have no professional experience to speak of. The end result is that many retail investors are paying for guidance that steers them in the wrong direction, effectively leaving them worse off than if they had done nothing at all.”

Blotnick, who launched Brattle Street Capital and previously worked at Exis Capital and Doubloon Capital, believes the investment advisory landscape for retail investors is increasingly dominated by unqualified voices. Valiant Research intends to change that by providing data-driven analysis rooted in academic finance, real-world investment experience, and the principles of legendary investors.

While Valiant will also serve institutional clients, Blotnick sees his mission as primarily focused on individuals.

Blotnick brings over a decade of hedge fund experience to the venture. After earning his MBA at Columbia Business School, he joined Citadel in 2017 as part of a five-person portfolio team managing more than $1bn in gross market value.