Quant-focused hedge fund Qube, which has $34bn in assets under management, is set to go live with its first internal fundamental stock-picking team on 1 October, according to a report by Business Insider citing unnamed sources.

The move marks the firm’s entry into human-driven equity research, joining peers like DE Shaw and Engineers Gate that have expanded into fundamental investing in recent years.

The London-based team will be led by former Balyasny London head Stephen Irvine, who previously founded Lijaro Asset Management. Analysts will run sector-specific sleeves of $200m to $500m, depending on experience, under Irvine’s portfolio oversight.

Qube has already hired at least seven sector specialists this year, covering consumer, financials, chemicals, technology, pharmaceuticals, transportation, and industrials. Several have backgrounds at top hedge funds and banks, including Millennium, Rokos, BNP Paribas, and Barclays.

The launch complements Qube’s existing fundamental exposure through external fund allocations and seeding, signalling a growing trend of quant firms blending algorithmic strategies with discretionary stock selection to enhance alpha generation.