One of PIMCO's rising stars has left the firm to launch a tech startup

One of PIMCO's rising stars has left the firm to launch a financial technology startup.

Hao Zou was a global portfolio manager at the California-based asset management giant before resigning on January 4.

He was also the youngest member of the firm's Americas Portfolio Committee.

At PIMCO, Zou was one of a team of five people running the firm's $20 billion global bond portfolio.

Zou joined the firm in 2011 at 24 after interning there the previous summer.

He earned an MA in Economics, an MBA, and an MS and PhD in Engineering at Stanford University - all in three years.

Zou was named to Forbes' 2016 "30 Under 30" finance list of "game changers under 30 transforming the world" just last week.

Now, he is launching a fintech startup focused on using artificial intelligence to make financial analysis more efficient for institutional and retail customers.

Zou says he is assembling a team of algorithmic traders, investment infrastructure developers, and ex-hedge fund managers from firms including Citadel, Two Sigma, and AQR, as well as developers from software companies like Google, for the venture.

We've reached out to PIMCO for comment and will update if we hear back.