JI

James Isilay

CEO @ Cognism | Helping salespeople find phone numbers that *actually* work

Zurich

Invests in

Stages:

  • Min Investment:

    $5,000.00
  • Max Investment:

    $50,000.00
  • Target Investment:

    $25,000.00

Work Experience

2016

  • CEO

    2016

    Developing an event-based approach to lead generation, sales management and alpha discovery using algorithmic technologies, natural language processing and machine learning. • Acquired Kaspr.io (France) - March 2022 • Raised $87,500,000 venture round - January 2022 • Selected for Tech Nation Future Fifty - September 2021 • Raised $12,500,000 venture round - March 2021 • Acquired Mailtastic (Germany) - May 2020 • Raised $16,000,000 venture round - July 2019 / February 2020 • Granted US Machine Learning Patent - 10147020 - December 2018 • Raised $3,500,000 venture round - December 2018 • Winner BESMA Customer Service Team of the Year - October 2018 • Raised $2,800,000 venture round - March 2018 • Raised $500,000 seed round - January 2017 • Speaker Quant Insights Conference - October 2016 - http://qiconference.com/ • Selected Winton Labs accelerator - April 2016 - http://www.wintonlabs.com/ • FinTech Sandbox Demo Day Presenter, Boston, USA - March 2016 - http://fintechsandbox.org/

  • President

    2023

    • Producer - Last Swim - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt30918821/ (Winner Berlin Film Festival) • Executive Producer - Desperation Road - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14633464/ • Executive Producer - Kill Your Lover - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt23897308/

2022

  • Board Member

    2022

2021

  • Limited Partner

    2021

  • Limited Partner

    2020

2021

  • Member

    2021

2011 - 2016

  • Algorithmic Trader

    2011 - 2016

    • Running automated strategy books. Developed and back-tested strategies using Deltix (C#), Matlab, CQG and Trade Signal. Traded Brent Oil, WTI, Gas Oil, German Power and Carbon. • Setup automated trading desk and met PnL targets for last two years. • Developed Deltix (C#) system to monitor European Energy Spreads and alert on opportunities. Fundamental analysis then applied to turn signals into complete trade ideas. • Created a joint ETH Zurich-Axpo trading book. Assisted the ETHZ team in implementing the LPPL strategy working with Professor Didier Sornette and Dr Peter Cauwels. • Technical Analyst covering European energy markets. • Researched and wrote fundamental trade sheets for Carbon and UK Power Markets (Day Ahead Trading). • Speaker IFTA 2012 Singapore. Invited to speak at the 25th Annual Conference on Automated Trading.

2009 - 2011

  • Quantitative / Technical Analyst

    2009 - 2011

    • Developed basket of automated trading systems for German Power using Trade Signal. • Built demand model for NBP Gas, project including building data feeds. • Built alert system for UK Power Station outages. • Completed a number of data feed and analysis projects for the UK Power / Gas market. • Developed a live PnL system for Cross Border Power Trading covering German, French and Italian Markets, Excel / VBA based. • Technical Analyst for EGL. On a daily basis cover the European Energy Complex and Risk Complex. Run a daily technical chat channel for traders and analysts. On the chat I make specific trade calls with trade plans these recommendations have a strong track record.

2001 - 2008

  • Metal Sales / Financing

    2008 - 2008

    • Executor/originator on structured base metal finance trades. Handled internal deal approvals, organized legal contracts, handled physical metal transfers and organized payments to/from the clients (Red Kite and BHP Billiton). • Base and precious metals derivatives sales focus on EMEA corporate client base. Also covered US auto sector (Ford and General Motors). • Cross sold energy and agriculture products of small size to my client base. • Produced monthly metals option trade idea report for clients. • Completed London Metal Exchange course "Introduction to Physical Trading and Warehousing"

  • Junior Exotic Options Trader

    2007 - 2008

    • Priced Barrier, Digital, Touch and Asian options. • Drafted confirmations for legal and compliance for Base Metal Exotic Options. • Developed Vanna-Volga Spreadsheet to price over hedge, used to cross check internal systems.

  • Quantitative Developer

    2006 - 2007

    • Developed Crude Oil Forward Curve distribution system so that trader driven dealable crude prices could be globally distributed. Excel/VBA based solution. • Enhanced and supported Base and Precious Metal Forward Curve distribution system. This system is used for global dealable price distribution for all e-tools. Excel/VBA based solution. • Developed Metals Volatility Analytics suite to compare historical and implied volatilities in precious and base metals. • Developed new PnL and Position management system for Base Metal futures trading using Excel and VBA. Worked with Business Unit Control to explain PnL figures for Base Metal desks. • Developed tactical Order Book system for Base Metals and then worked with third party vendor to bring in a strategic solution. • Developed Trader and Sales electronic blotters to move Base Metal business off paper tickets. Excel/VBA based solution. • Implemented smaller projects for metals desk including reconciliation systems between technology platforms, links to settlement systems, confirmation tool and credit reports to cover gaps in existing technology. • Developed technology to produce weekly volatility studies for metals.

  • FX Derivatives IT Developer / Team Lead

    2001 - 2006

    • Team leader of FX derivatives tools and derivative B2B services. Responsibilities included requirements gathering (working with business and other technology teams), managing team of three staff, monitoring project plans and assisting in implementing solutions. • Lead developer on Market Maker GUI - FX Volatility Term Structure management application. Developed new features using Java Swing and managed full development life cycle from requirements gathering, design, development, UAT and production. • Developer on Price Broadcast System the C++ server system used to cache FX Volatility curves. Managed contractor and helped implement emergency bug fixes. • Developed connectivity code for FX Option Trader. Award winning e-tool for FX option trading.