The Story Behind ContemplateIQ

Building automated trading solutions that actually work for real traders in Southeast Asia's dynamic markets

How We Started

Back in 2019, I was sitting in a cramped office in District 1, watching another trader lose everything because his "foolproof" system failed during a market crash. That's when it clicked – most trading platforms are built by people who've never actually traded real money.

We started ContemplateIQ because we got tired of seeing smart people make terrible decisions with overhyped trading bots. Every system promised the moon, but when markets got volatile, they all fell apart.

Here's what we learned: Good automated trading isn't about perfect predictions. It's about managing risk when you're wrong – because you will be wrong, a lot.

So we built something different. Our systems assume they'll be wrong 40% of the time. They're designed to lose small and win consistently, not chase massive gains that never come.

Early development workspace showing trading analysis screens and market data

What Drives Us Every Day

Honest Technology

We don't promise overnight riches. Our algorithms are built to preserve capital first, grow it second. Every backtest includes the ugly periods where strategies fail.

Regional Focus

Southeast Asian markets behave differently. We've spent years understanding local trading patterns, holiday effects, and currency correlations that global platforms miss.

Real Support

When markets move fast, you need help fast. Our team is based in Ho Chi Minh City, working the same hours as our users. No waiting for overseas support to wake up.

The People Behind the Platform

We're a small team of traders and developers who believe in building tools we'd actually want to use ourselves.

Marcus Lindström

Chief Technology Officer

Former quantitative analyst at a Singapore hedge fund. Marcus moved to Vietnam in 2018 and has been building trading systems for emerging markets ever since. He speaks fluent Vietnamese and terrible jokes.

Elena Kowalczyk

Lead Trading Strategist

Elena has been trading Asian markets for over a decade. She's the one who keeps our algorithms grounded in reality and makes sure we're not chasing trends that won't last.

Our Journey So Far

2019

The First Algorithm

Started with a simple mean reversion strategy for VN30 futures. Lost money for six months straight, then figured out why most backtests lie to you.

2021

Real Client Testing

Convinced twelve brave traders to test our systems with real money. Half of them made money consistently. The other half taught us what we were doing wrong.

2023

Platform Launch

Officially launched ContemplateIQ with three core strategies. Focused on transparency – every trade, every loss, every adjustment is visible to users.

2025

Growing Responsibly

Now serving over 200 active traders across Vietnam, Thailand, and Malaysia. Still refusing to promise unrealistic returns or accept clients we can't help properly.

How We Build Trading Systems

Most companies start with complex models and hope they work. We do the opposite. Every system begins with a simple idea that makes sense, then we test it until it breaks.

Take our momentum strategy for Vietnamese stocks. Instead of using dozens of indicators, it tracks just three things: volume patterns, price breakouts, and market breadth. Simple enough to understand, robust enough to survive market crashes.

We backtest on data that includes the 2020 crash and 2018 trade war

Every strategy has predefined exit rules for when it stops working

Risk management is built into the algorithm, not added as an afterthought

Performance reports show worst-case scenarios, not just the good months

Our development process takes months, not weeks. We'd rather launch one solid strategy per year than twelve untested ones. Because when it's your money on the line, "good enough" isn't good enough.

Want to Know More?

We're always happy to explain how our systems work. No sales pitch, no pressure – just honest answers about what automated trading can and can't do for you.

Get in Touch