The Rollup Shashank Yadav on Why AI Agents Will Replace Hedge Funds
May 1, 2026
Shashank Yadav, co-founder of Fraction AI and ex-Goldman Sachs AI researcher, builds autonomous AI trading agents and infrastructure. He discusses why perpetuals and Hyperliquid power agentic trading. He describes Fraction AI’s Index that turns ideas into coded strategies, large-scale strategy testing, an agent marketplace model, security-by-design with no wallet access, and paths for users to get started.
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From Goldman Researcher To Fraction AI Founder
- Shashank started in AI in 2014, worked at Goldman Sachs as an AI researcher, then at a hedge fund before founding Fraction AI.
- His Goldman role taught him how AI embeds into finance and why risk management matters more than raw returns.
Risk Beats Returns In Complex Trading
- Managing risk is more important than maximizing returns in complex trading desks that sell exotic products.
- Goldman required engines to price and hedge illiquid portfolios (watches, paintings), reinforcing risk-first engineering.
Perps Are The Natural Fit For AI Trading
- Perpetual contracts (perps) are a superior, simple vehicle for leveraged directional exposure compared with futures and options.
- Perps remove expiry hassles and complex Greeks, making them accessible for agentic trading at scale.