Corporate Investigations · Research · Training
Documenting the build in public. Consulting on corporate due diligence and research management. Coaching the analysts and portfolio managers of the future.
01 · What we do
The Spectacled Bear — solitary, patient, watchful. It reads the mountain slowly and long before it acts.
i.
We are building an equity research firm blending heritage and experience with the new capabilities of LLMs. No inertia, no corporate immune response — just focus on client needs. The build is documented in public on our Substack; the technical work sits underneath.
ii.
Bespoke work for asset managers and hedge funds.
iii.
1:1 and small‑group coaching, technical to career.
02 · The Substack
We are documenting the process of building an AI‑native equity research firm from scratch — the issues, the solutions and, doubtless, the failures. Alongside the build, expect deep thought on the equity research market, commentary on the founding of the business, on AI, and on topical financial markets.
As the project progresses we will be diving deeply into the technical questions — accounting, valuation, and technology — that form the fundamental backbone to best‑in‑class research.
Our aim: to become a mandatory read for anyone involved in producing or consuming equity research, whether they are beginning the AI implementation journey or already some way along it.
First note coming soon.
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03 · About
Spectacled Bear AI Ltd was founded in 2026 to build an AI‑native equity research and corporate due diligence firm. The process of creating the business is documented on our Substack.
Thirty years in finance. Chris qualified as a Chartered Accountant at Deloitte, joined Deutsche Bank equity research in 2000, and subsequently moved into portfolio management at DWS and research management as Head of Research for the leading IRP "The Analyst".
He has blended front‑office roles with system and research‑process development and management responsibilities — working in and leading II‑ranked research teams, holding responsibility for the research systems underlying a EUR 15bn systematic equity index/fund business, and directly portfolio‑managing EUR 3bn of UCITS funds. At The Analyst, he led a team seeking high‑conviction "Doubles and Halves" for the premier league of long‑only and hedge funds.
Chris has specialised in accounting, valuation and governance within a broad generalist / strategy remit, across all sectors, regions and size classes from global large cap to Pan‑European small & mid cap.
He has a strong interest in helping those at the beginning of their careers — preparing for graduate applications, interviews and the first professional roles that follow. Chris has interviewed many graduates for a bulge‑bracket investment bank and a boutique equity research firm. At DWS he co‑chaired the UK People Engagement Group, led the mentorship programme and personally coached a number of colleagues through promotion processes.
In finance
Buy‑ & sell‑side
Chartered Accountant
04 · Frequently asked
No. Spectacled Bear AI Ltd is not authorised or regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and does not provide regulated services, including Equity Research or Investment Advice. Any reference to investable instruments is for educational or illustrative purposes only.
A typical engagement is a fixed‑scope deep dive on a listed or unlisted target on behalf of an asset manager or hedge fund. It combines desk research, primary‑source review, outsourced fieldwork and event attendance, and delivers a written note plus a debrief call. Scope, timing and cost are agreed in a short engagement letter before work begins.
We are building an equity research firm around the capabilities of modern large language models, treating AI as a new load‑bearing course between raw data production and human interpretation. The build is documented in public on our Substack; the technical work sits underneath.
Yes. Training is one of three practices, alongside consulting and the equity research build. We offer 1:1 coaching for graduate recruitment and early‑career analysts, and bespoke technical training for experienced professionals across accounting, valuation and governance.
Registered in England and Wales, Company No. 17354634. Registered office: 71-75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9JQ. Not FCA regulated.
04 · Contact
Consulting mandates, training enquiries, or a note on the Substack — we would like to hear from you. Please include a line on your role, your firm, and the shape of what you have in mind.
Meetings typically follow within a week of an initial email exchange.
Direct to Chris. Contact form to follow once volume warrants.
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