Ark Invest
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Investment management |
| Founded | 2014 |
| Founder | Cathie Wood |
| Headquarters | St. Petersburg , United States |
Area served | Global |
Key people | Cathie Wood (Founder) |
| Products | Actively managed exchange-traded funds, ARK Venture Fund |
| Website | ark-invest |
ARK Investment Management LLC—often referred to as ARK or ARK Invest—is a U.S.-based investment management company located in St. Petersburg, Florida. Established in 2014 by Cathie Wood, ARK specializes in managing multiple actively managed exchange-traded funds (ETFs) as well as the ARK Venture Fund, a closed-end interval fund that invests in both publicly traded and private enterprises. As of June 2025, ARK’s assets under management surpass $20 billion, including two ETFs ranked among the top 10 performers in May 2025.
History
After Cathie Wood proposed actively managed ETFs centered on disruptive innovation at AllianceBernstein, where she was the chief investment officer for global thematic strategies, her idea was declined. Consequently, she departed in 2014 to establish Ark Invest. The firm’s name draws inspiration from the Ark of the Covenant and also functions as a backronym for Active Research Knowledge.
In October 2014, Ark introduced its initial lineup of four active ETFs: the Innovation ETF, the Genomic Revolution ETF, the Next Generation Internet ETF, and the Autonomous Technology & Robotics ETF. The product range expanded with the launch of the Fintech Innovation ETF in 2019 and later the Space Exploration & Innovation ETF in 2021.
In 2017, following a collaboration to create a Global Fintech Equity Fund in 2016, Nikko Asset Management acquired a 15% ownership stake in Ark. This partnership granted Nikko exclusive distribution rights for Ark’s products throughout Japan and the Asia-Pacific markets.
Ark’s portfolio also includes two index funds: the 3D Printing ETF launched in 2016 and the Israel Innovative Technology ETF initiated in 2017. Previously, Ark managed the Transparency ETF introduced in 2021; however, this fund was discontinued in July 2022 after Transparency Global stopped calculating its underlying index.
In November 2020, Resolute Investment Managers announced intentions to purchase a controlling interest in Ark. Nevertheless, by December 2020, Cathie Wood exercised her option to buy back control, preserving leadership while maintaining a distribution partnership with Resolute and securing capital from Eldridge Industries. Resolute continues to hold a minority share.
By December 2020, Ark’s Innovation ETF had become the largest actively managed ETF globally, with assets totaling $17 billion and delivering a remarkable 170% return that year. On January 11, 2021, Ark positioned itself among the world’s top ten ETF issuers.
In June 2021, Ark submitted an application to launch a bitcoin ETF trading under ticker ARKB; this awaited approval from the SEC, which had yet to authorize any bitcoin-related ETFs. The firm refiled for approval in April 2023 and received authorization on January 10, 2024, with trading commencing the following day.
In October 2021, Ark shifted its corporate headquarters from New York City to St. Petersburg, Florida.
On September 19, 2023, Ark entered the European market through acquiring Rize ETF Limited ("Rize ETF"), recognized as Europe’s first dedicated thematic ETF issuer. The Rize brand was subsequently phased out and replaced by "ARK Invest Europe," which currently offers three active UCITS ETFs under the ARK brand alongside seven index ETFs formerly under Rize branding.
By mid-2025, Ark divested $47.9 million worth of Coinbase shares after a notable 37% price increase but maintained Coinbase as its second-largest holding within its flagship Innovation ETF at an 8.4% allocation. Throughout 2025, Ark’s funds experienced significant recovery; notably, ARKK posted a year-to-date increase of 23.4%, outperforming the S&P 500’s gain of 6.8%.
Investment strategy
ARK Invest concentrates its capital on sectors characterized by disruptive innovation, including artificial intelligence, DNA sequencing, CRISPR gene editing, robotics, electric vehicles, energy storage, fintech, 3D printing, and blockchain technologies, encompassing cryptocurrencies. The firm prioritizes equities expected to potentially double in value within a five-year timeframe.
On November 22, 2022, Cathie Wood reaffirmed a bitcoin price projection of $1 million by 2030, suggesting a 61-fold increase from the closing price of $16,174 at that time.
From 2014 through 2021, the ARK Innovation ETF achieved an average annual return of 39%, outperforming the S&P 500 by more than three times. Nevertheless, in 2022, the ETF experienced a 63% decline and had fallen 78% from its peak in February 2021. Wood attributes this fluctuation to the fund’s intended long-term investment horizon of five years.
Due to ARK’s policy of not holding cash reserves, it also invests in prominent Big Tech companies it categorizes as "cash-like innovation stocks."
ARK promotes transparency by regularly releasing up-to-date research, trade activity, and portfolio holdings, while making its research reviews accessible to the public. The team comprises financial analysts alongside scientists and computer scientists to enhance evaluation of transformative technologies. Significantly, many analysts are millennials without prior experience on Wall Street.
Risks
Skeptics such as James Grant and Jason Zweig warn that investors anticipating exceptional returns from ARK ETFs may be let down, as "hot" funds and thematic ETFs often encounter difficulties maintaining consistent performance.
Although the flagship ARK Innovation ETF gained acclaim for its results in 2017, 2020, and 2023, Morningstar ranks it as the third largest "wealth destroyer" over the period from 2014 to 2023, having destroyed US$7.1 billion in shareholder value over ten years. The fund also posted a 24% loss in 2021.
Morningstar further highlights risks linked to ARK’s substantial holdings in smaller-cap stocks, which could increase overall volatility.
Funds
ARK Invest oversees multiple exchange-traded funds:
| Fund name | Ticker | Type | Inception |
|---|---|---|---|
| Innovation ETF | Template:NYSE Arca | Active | 2014 |
| Next Generation Internet ETF | Template:NYSE Arca | Active | 2014 |
| Genomic Revolution ETF | Template:BZX | Active | 2014 |
| Autonomous Technology & Robotics ETF | Template:BZX | Active | 2014 |
| Fintech Innovation ETF | Template:NYSE Arca | Active | 2019 |
| Space Exploration & Innovation ETF | Template:BZX | Active | 2021 |
| The 3D Printing ETF | Template:BZX | Index-based | 2016 |
| Israel Innovative Technology ETF | Template:BZX | Index-based | 2017 |
| Transparency ETF | Template:BZX | Index-based | 2021 (closed 2022) |
| Bitcoin ETF | Template:BZX | Index-based | 2024 |
In September 2022, ARK introduced the ARK Venture Fund, a distinct venture capital investment vehicle separate from its suite of ETFs.