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There is now a CONTENT FREEZE for Mercury while we switch to a new platform. It began on Friday, March 10 at 6pm and will end on Wednesday, March 15 at noon. No new content can be created during this time, but all material in the system as of the beginning of the freeze will be migrated to the new platform, including users and groups. Functionally the new site is identical to the old one. webteam@gatech.edu
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Would you trade on whether or not a COVID-19 vaccine is developed by 2021? Soon, you may be able to, with FinTech (financial technology) startup, Kalshi. Join Startup Exchange and MIT alumnus Tarek Mansour to talk through the founding and development of Kalshi.
At this event, Mansour will recount how his experience working in quantitative trading narrowed his focus to FinTech and inspired him to create a platform that trades not on equity, but on the outcome of major events, such as coronavirus. He will also delve into the specifics of financial technology, pointing out the key differences that sets FinTech apart from other fields and how his idea fits squarely into the market. This will include a Q&A with Mansour along with a virtual networking session shortly after the event.
Mansour graduated from MIT with degrees in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, and Mathematics. After graduating, his work focused on machine learning and AI, before working at Goldman and Citadel where he transitioned to financial technology.
Since founding Kalshi in 2019, Mansour has received financial backing from several investors, including Y-Combinator, and forged partnerships with companies such as LedgerX to bring their platform to light. Kalshi is currently seeking regulatory approval from the government to begin trading. Y-Combinator’s CEO, Michael Siebel, an important investor, states “The Kalshi founders have the determination to overcome these regulatory challenges and the passion to create an innovative product.”