Float applies AI to ‘high-frequency decision-making,’ beyond trading

Waukesha-based startup Float is reimagining how artificial intelligence can make rapid, data-driven decisions in high-stakes environments. The company, co-founded by mathematicians Dr. John Stogin and Dr. John Wilshere Gordon, began with an ambitious goal: to teach AI to understand the “language of financial markets.” Now, as Float prepares to compete in the Elevator Pitch Olympics at the Early Stage Symposium on Nov. 6, the founders are exploring new ways to apply their technology across industries.

Stogin’s background includes years as a high-frequency trader, a role that inspired his fascination with data and decision-making. “We started out essentially processing the flow of information like a language,” he said. “It’s something like ChatGPT, but instead of understanding English, it understands the language of the markets.”

Float’s models interpret and act on real-time data, such as market movements, sensor readings, or system inputs, at speeds far beyond human capability. Stogin describes the company’s core innovation as “high-frequency decision-making,” a system designed for scenarios where fractions of a second matter. “There are situations where you want computers to use these language models to understand a system and then respond in real time,” he said.

While the company’s early focus was trading, Float’s technology could apply to power grids, industrial systems, and other environments where rapid, automated decision-making is critical. “We imagine this being more of an industrial type of application,” Stogin said. “Wherever you have a large amount of data and need to make relatively fast decisions, that’s where Float fits.”

Float is currently participating in the gBETA Applied AI Lab, an accelerator program run by gener8tor in partnership with Waukesha County Technical College. Stogin credits the experience with helping the team expand its vision. “The program came at the perfect time,” he said. “Investors were encouraging us to find a second application for our technology, and through gBETA we started exploring new possibilities right here in Wisconsin.”

Having relocated to the state just a year ago, Stogin hopes to connect with manufacturers and other industrial partners interested in applying AI to domain-specific challenges. “I’d love to meet with manufacturers and people in industry who are looking to apply AI to specific problems,” he said. “We want to find ways to contribute and collaborate.”

The Elevator Pitch Olympics, taking place Thursday, Nov. 6, will feature about 15 early-stage, often pre-revenue companies delivering 90-second pitches to conference attendees and a panel of investors. Judges score each presentation on a five-point scale based on whether it merits a follow-up meeting, offering founders immediate feedback.

As Float prepares to pitch at the Early Stage Symposium, Stogin said he is eager to share the company’s progress and connect with Wisconsin’s entrepreneurial community. “I don’t really know what to expect,” he said. “But I’m looking forward to meeting people and finding where Float can make a difference.”