Over the past year, the Optiver Foundation has remained steadfast in its mission to promote environmental action and diversity through the transformative power of science, technology and education.

In collaboration with Land Life, an estimated 300,000 trees were planted in Spain and Canada. Together with the initial project in Moolagundi, Australia, the three combined reforestation initiatives are predicted to capture around 70,000 tonnes of CO2, successfully completing the Foundation’s work with the tech-driven land restoration organisation.

“We would like to thank Land Life for their dedication to mitigating climate change and their work on our first-ever partnership. The conclusion of our partnership with Land Life is not an end but a gateway to new initiatives aimed at furthering our environmental stewardship.”
Charles Lui, Optiver Foundation Chairman of the Board

In line with Optiver’s aim to increase the representation of women in finance and technology sectors, the Foundation’s partnership with Women Win achieved a significant milestone. The FREE STEM Fund received over 1,000 submissions for grant applications and shortlisted 284 promising candidates. From this pool, 27 grantees from 23 countries were selected to receive funding, setting the stage for the fund’s impact on narrowing the gender gap in STEM across regions in the global south.

After announcing its partnership with the University of Oxford, the Foundation launched an international scholarship programme, supporting women from low to middle-income countries pursuing postgraduate STEM degrees.

Beyond covering course fees, living costs and providing mentorship, the bespoke programme is also developing the methodology to assess the socio-economic backgrounds of applicants and target financial support to the most disadvantaged. The methodology is evolving to differentiate more finely between candidates during the scholarship selection process to ensure reliable and robust decision-making.  

We look forward to following the achievements of the Optiver Foundation’s scholars and grant recipients as their journeys take shape.

For a closer look into the Foundation’s partnerships over the past year, view the Optiver Foundation Annual Report 2022.