PRESS RELEASE: Archer Hires Prabhat Dalmia to Advance Data Science Efforts
Dalmia brings hedge fund and ETF expertise to innovative real estate investment firm
SAN FRANCISCO - JUNE 22, 2021 - Archer, a data-driven real estate investment firm, has hired Prabhat Dalmia to lead the firm’s data science group.
Dalmia boasts more than 20 years of experience in data science and analytics, predictive modeling, machine learning, data architecture, and software development. He joins Archer as a director, reporting to Fred Canney, Archer co-founder and CFO/COO.
“I have special interest in startups, FinTech and real estate, and it all seemed to align at Archer,” Dalmia says. “I saw a unique opportunity to apply my strong data analytics skills to overcome the challenges related to investing in commercial real estate.”
Previously, Dalmia held data science positions in the banking, finance, and healthcare sectors. Of particular note, he served as vice president of quant research for Summer Road, a Silicon Valley-based family office where he developed an entire quantitative hedge fund from the ground up. He also held a quant-related role at Cambria Investments, a Los Angeles-based investment management firm that sponsors several ETFs.
“Prabhat’s previous experience identifying signals and designing quantitative trading programs for investment managers and hedge funds lends itself well to the challenges we face with real estate data,” Canney notes. “We're really excited to take our technology to the next level with Prabhat leading the charge.”
Working remotely from Silicon Valley, Dalmia will focus on Archer’s proprietary technology platform, Actionable Insights Model (AIM). AIM helps investors source opportunities by converting raw, disjointed data into actionable market intelligence with a click of a button – something that typically requires an army of analysts and takes multiple weeks, if not months.
Utilizing behavioral ownership triggers, AIM creates a “seller propensity” score, allowing acquisitions teams to focus on the deals most likely to transact, e.g. the most actionable deals. The platform also provides customized recommendations based on clients’
preferred locations, previous investments, and areas of interest. By layering proprietary cash-flow forecasting models with market-specific data and thematic demand drivers, AIM delivers a clear view into the performance of any property type and market.
“Prabhat is a great fit for our team,” says Thomas Foley, Archer co-founder and CEO. “He brings a unique combination of skills that truly are necessary for this venture as we create scalable tools and technology to unearth targeted, actionable investments for our clients.”
Archer is working with several real estate investors to enhance their in-house acquisition teams and source deals. The firm plans to invest in commercial real estate alongside its clients, either through co-investments or customized separate accounts. Its longer-term vision is to build investment portfolios that target specific cities and property types, e.g. Salt Lake City industrial or San Antonio multifamily.
Dalmia holds a Bachelor of Technology in chemical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Kanpur, India, and an MBA from UCLA’s Anderson School of Management where he was an Anderson Student Asset Management (ASAM) fellow.
ASAM is a graduate-level program designed to teach MBA students how to create stock portfolios using quantitative methods. Students selected for the program as fellows are divided into teams, and each team selects an investment strategy based on research. Strategies are back-tested using computer models created by the fellows and then implemented and tracked with capital provided by UCLA. The ASAM fund now manages about $1 million.
About Archer
Archer is a real estate investment firm that helps investors build their ideal portfolios. By targeting specific cities and properties, Archer is refining the way investors enter new markets and expand into new property types. The firm has developed a transformative technology tool, Actionable Insights Model (AIM), that merges data from trusted sources and insights from local market experts. Guided by AIM, Archer identifies the most strategic assets, allowing investors to reduce the risk associated with market entry. Learn more at www.archer.re.