Nasdaq Launches Economic Institute with AI-Focused Inaugural Research | LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis
Nasdaq has established the Nasdaq Economic Institute, a dedicated research platform that will publish independent analysis on capital markets, macroeconomic trends, and the evolving financial system.
The Institute will operate across three focus areas: capital formation, market modernization, and financial resiliency. Phil Mackintosh, Nasdaq’s Chief Economist, will head the platform, building on the economic research function he has led at the exchange operator for several years.
Alongside the launch, Nasdaq has published the first instalment of an AI research series examining how generative AI is reshaping business formation. The research found that new business applications have risen sharply since early 2025, with growth driven almost entirely by solo entrepreneurs. Those founders are concentrating in high AI-adoption sectors — technology, finance, and professional services — which have averaged 2.2% annual productivity growth since 2005. The data suggests that agentic AI tools are lowering the threshold for launching a company to the point where a single founder can perform tasks that previously required a small team.
Jeremy Skule, Nasdaq’s Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer, said the Institute would draw on the exchange’s position serving more than 10,000 corporates, 5,000 institutional investors, and 3,800 financial institutions across 140-plus markets worldwide.
“AI is emerging as one of the most consequential forces shaping global capital markets right now,” Skule said. “The Institute gives us the platform to quantify what that means for our clients and the industry.”
An editorial board will oversee the Institute’s research calendar going forward.
