About

From the trading desk to the research lab.

Nikolai Sie is an investor, builder, and author from Norway, currently pursuing a dual MBA and MS in Engineering and Applied Science at Columbia University. His work brings together quantitative investing, machine learning, and the practical challenges of turning research into investment decisions.

Before Columbia, Nikolai spent eight years at Norges Bank Investment Management, based in Singapore. He worked across Asian equity trading and emerging markets portfolio management, most recently managing a $15 billion portfolio of Indian equities. Alongside his investment responsibilities, he developed trading analytics and ran algorithmic trading flow allocation across Asia. His experience spans hybrid fundamental and systematic investment strategies, tactical trading around market events, capital markets transactions, and risk management at scale.

This website showcases his ongoing work through projects from Columbia’s MBA/MS Engineering program, his writing, and Nimloth Capital, a two-year research program on AI investment strategies.

Nikolai is also the author of Odinsbane: The Waters of Mimir, a fantasy novel rooted in Norse mythology. Writing offers a connection to his Norwegian heritage and a different outlet for his curiosity—exploring the legacy of violence, ambition, and power through fiction.

Outside investing, engineering, and writing, his interests include fitness and mountaineering.

Projects

01 · Research

Nimloth Capital: Quantitative Market Research

A two-year research program in market data, artificial intelligence, and quantitative trading, published openly: methods, results, and the systems beneath them. The flagship post, Putting the data to work, is an interactive global stock momentum snapshot. It relates past momentum signals to forward returns across major markets, with filters for date, country, market-cap bucket, and aggregation method.

Heat map from Nimloth Capital's global stock momentum snapshot, relating momentum metrics to forward returns

02 · Writing

Odinsbane: The Waters of Mimir

A fantasy novel rooted in Norse mythology. Two siblings who grew up in the ruins of Odin’s mistakes set out to teach the king of the gods that his arrogance has consequences, and find a world of lore and witchcraft where great powers battle with brutal might and ruthless deceit. Self-published, and a different outlet for the same curiosity about power, ambition, and its legacy.

Screenshot of the Odinsbane website showing the book cover

03 · Coursework

Columbia Coursework

Human Centered Design · Final project

Line: Subway Navigation for International Professionals

New York draws thousands of international professionals every year. They arrive feeling ready, but then they reach the subway. Finding the right exits and platforms is like navigating a jungle underneath the city.

What they need is Line. With each subway exit numbered, the Line app maps every detail of your fastest route and buzzes if you head the wrong way. Line can connect to any wearable device and project augmented reality arrows into your phone or smart glasses that ease your transition between the underground and the city.

Line is how the international professional navigates New York with confidence.