Description of the Advisory Firm
ARK Investment Management LLC (“ARK” or the “Adviser”) is a Delaware limited liability company with
headquarters located at 200 Central Avenue, Suite 220, St. Petersburg, FL 33701. ARK is an
independent, woman-owned and controlled firm that has been registered with the U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission (“SEC”) as an investment adviser since January 2014. ARK began managing
assets in September 2014.
Catherine D. Wood, ARK’s founder, Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”), and Chief Investment Officer (“CIO”)
is the portfolio manager responsible for managing client assets. Ms. Wood has over 40 years of
experience in theme-based investing (as defined below). Ms. Wood launched ARK after spending the
previous 12 years at AllianceBernstein where she served as Chief Investment Officer for its global
thematic portfolios, managing approximately $5-6 billion. Prior to AllianceBernstein, in 1997, Ms. Wood
co-founded Tupelo Capital Management. Prior to Tupelo, Ms. Wood held numerous positions in her 18
years at Jennison Associates, including research analyst and portfolio manager. During her career, Ms.
Wood has tracked technologies that enabled the development of new industries, such as cell phones
and database publishing, from their nascent stage to their full realization for the benefit of her investors
and clients.
ARK (an acronym for “Active, Research and Knowledge”) specializes in thematic investing in disruptive
innovation with a fresh take on fundamental analysis. Thematic investing is based on broader,
macroeconomic topics (i.e., themes) rather than benchmarks, and seeks to capture long-term growth
independent of sectors, geographic boundaries, and market-caps. Specifically, ARK invests in themes
that participate in disruptive innovation across sectors. ARK defines “disruptive innovation” as the
introduction of a technologically enabled new product or service that ARK expects to change an industry
landscape. It typically involves declining cost structures and increased productivity and unit growth.
Despite its potential, ARK believes the full magnitude of disruptive innovation and the investment
opportunities it creates are often unrecognized or misunderstood by traditional investors.
ARK’s goal is to invest at the pace of innovation based on the belief that technologically enabled change
is occurring at an accelerated rate, challenging benchmarks and index-based products to adjust to this
rapid pace of change. ARK’s differentiated investment strategy is to find and invest in the companies that
are poised to transform the global economy.
ARK’s Investment Process
ARK recognizes that many traditional research analysts, by focusing narrowly on individual sectors,
create inefficiencies in the financial markets both in understanding the market potential of disruptive
innovations and in sizing investment opportunities appropriately. ARK’s cohesive team, specifically its
Chief Futurist, Chief Investment Strategist, Directors of Research, Digital Assets, and Investment
Analysis, Associate Portfolio Managers, Research Analysts, Research Associates and its Portfolio
Manager (“ARK Team”), seek to identify what they believe to be the best companies within their
respective themes (and the elements within those themes) to power ARK’s investment decisions. ARK’s
distinctive and dynamic investment process is rooted in fundamental analysis and distinguished by ARK’s
ability to access and harness the vast amount of information available through social media and
traditional research sources to support ARK’s investment decisions.
ARK has a rigorous investment process, which includes “top-down” and “bottom-up” investment analysis
and a proprietary scoring system. ARK’s investment process initially examines from the top-down how
the world is changing and where it is headed. By anticipating and quantifying multi-year value-chain
transformations, typically caused by technologically enabled disruptive innovation, ARK believes it can
identify and capitalize on these opportunities. To understand quickly changing innovation themes, ARK
employs an open research ecosystem (“ARK’s Open Research Ecosystem”) to gather information and
refine its internal research process. Inputs include ideas, thoughts and public information from theme
developers who we believe are thought leaders in their fields, social media interactions, and crowd-
sourced insights as people respond to ARK’s public research. ARK’s Open Research Ecosystem powers
the distinctive and dynamic investment process that enables ARK to understand and keep pace with the
power of technologically enabled innovation.
Using this information in an iterative fashion, ARK’s Team works to “size” and “re-size” the opportunities.
As a result of extensive and iterative research steps, ARK anticipates and quantifies multi-year value-
chain transformations and market opportunities. ARK models cost-curves and calculates elasticity of
demand to identify entry points for technology-enabled disruption. Through this process, specific
companies percolate to the top as those we believe are best positioned to benefit from the identified
investment premise, at which point ARK begins its bottom-up process.
ARK scores potential investments based on six key metrics, inputting the values into a proprietary scoring
system to quantify the companies in the context of the opportunity. ARK builds models that incorporate
the company’s unit volume growth, cost declines, market adoption and penetration, share count growth,
and future multiples. The CIO has final accountability for the selection of investments and approval for
all investment decisions.
Additionally, in ARK’s “top-down” and “bottom-up” approaches, ARK evaluates environmental, social,
and governance (“ESG”) considerations. In its “top-down” approach, ARK uses the framework of the
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (“UN Goals”) to integrate ESG considerations into its
research and investment process. In its “bottom-up” approach, ARK makes its investment decisions
primarily based on its analysis of the potential of individual companies, while integrating ESG
considerations into that process. ARK’s highest-conviction investment ideas are those that it believes
present the best risk-reward opportunities. ARK, however, does not use ESG considerations to limit,
restrict or otherwise exclude companies or sectors from an investment universe.
ARK’s Open Research Ecosystem
ARK’s Open Research Ecosystem is the unique process through which the ARK Team evaluates, models
and exchanges data and public information to fuel ongoing thematic research, start creative discussions
around burgeoning research ideas, gather data and public information from multiple sources, and drive
the conclusions leading to ARK’s theme-based research decisions in disruptive innovation.
The ARK Team introduces an idea or concept that requires investment research and analysis,
determines the overarching direction of the research and then pulls together and analyzes information,
insights and data from numerous sources. ARK’s Open Research Ecosystem begins with internal
deliberations and iteration of disruptive innovation ideas generated from ARK’s discerning use of
traditional and social media sources. Once the ARK Team believes an idea is ripe for deeper external
analysis and comment, the appropriate ARK Team members communicate and collaborate with relevant
Theme Developers (as defined below) about the particular idea.
This intense and deep exploration often results in “living research” articles that are prepared by the ARK
Team members, which are published on our external website (www.ark-invest.com). This living research
is available for open-source discussion and feedback and is subject to potential revisions, refinements
and enhancements by the ARK Team and publication of further refined research. The knowledge and
insights gained throughout ARK’s Open Research Ecosystem enables ARK to modify its portfolio
positions accordingly, feeding the ARK investment process.
ARK Theme Developers
Theme Developers are those we deem to be thought leaders from a variety of fields who offer meaningful
insights, experience, and knowledge about ARK’s research themes. The ARK Team actively engages with
these Theme Developers in ARK’s Open Research Ecosystem. ARK’s Theme Developers do not receive
any monetary compensation for participating in ARK’s Open Research Ecosystem and are only benefited
through the exchange of ideas, knowledge and research. Also, ARK contractually obligates Theme
Developers to, among other things: not exchange material non-public information; not share confidential
information about ARK and/or its clients; and disclose all conflicts of interest to ARK’s Chief Compliance
Officer (“CCO”) initially and on an ongoing basis with respect to serving as a Theme Developer for ARK.
Types of Advisory Services
Advisory and Supervisory Services to the ARK ETFs
ARK provides investment advisory services to the ARK ETF Trust, a registered investment company.
The ARK ETF Trust has eight separate series (each, an “ARK ETF”, and collectively, “ARK ETFs”), which
are exchange-traded funds. ARK serves as the investment adviser to each ARK ETF, subject to the
general supervision of the Board of Trustees of the ARK ETF Trust. ARK’s duties as adviser to each ARK
ETF include furnishing a continuous investment program for the ARK ETFs and determining what
investments or securities will be purchased, held or sold. After the initial two-year period following
commencement of operations of the relevant ARK ETF, the ARK ETF Trust’s Board of Trustees annually
reviews and evaluates the services provided by ARK under the investment advisory agreement (“Advisory
Agreement”) and is asked to approve the Advisory Agreement for an additional one-year period.
Pursuant to a supervision agreement between ARK and the ARK ETF Trust, with respect to each ARK
ETF (“Supervision Agreement”), and subject to the general supervision of the Board of Trustees of the
ARK ETF Trust, ARK also provides or causes to be furnished, all management, supervisory and other
services reasonably necessary for the operation of each ARK ETF and bears the costs of various third-
party services required by the ARK ETFs, including administration, certain custody, audit, legal, transfer
agency, and printing costs. The Supervision Agreement also requires ARK to provide investment advisory
services to the ARK ETFs pursuant to the Advisory Agreement.
Additional information regarding the services provided by ARK to the ARK ETF Trust can be found in the
ARK ETFs’ prospectuses and statement of additional information, which are publicly available at
www.ark- funds.com, on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s website (www.sec.gov) or by contacting
the ARK ETFs’ principal underwriter, Foreside Fund Services, LLC at Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100,
Portland, ME 04101 or by calling 855-406-1506.
Advisory Services to the ARK Venture Fund
ARK provides investment advisory services to the ARK Venture Fund (the “Venture Fund”), a Delaware
statutory trust that is registered under the 1940 Act as a non-diversified, closed-end management
investment company. ARK serves as the investment adviser to the Venture Fund, subject to the general
oversight of the Venture Fund’s Board of Trustees and is responsible for the day-to-day investment
management of the fund. The Venture Fund is designed primarily for long-term investors and not as a
trading vehicle. The Venture Fund is an “interval fund” pursuant to which it, subject to applicable law, will
conduct quarterly repurchase offers for between 5% and 25% of the Fund’s outstanding shares of
beneficial interest (“Shares”) at net asset value (“NAV”) generally.
Additional information regarding the services provided by ARK to the Venture Fund can be found in the
ARK Venture Fund prospectus and statement of additional information, which are publicly available at
www.ark- ventures.com, on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s website (www.sec.gov) or writing to the
Venture Fund at ARK Investment Management, LLC, 200 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, Florida 33701,
or by calling toll-free 888-511-2347.
Advisory Services to Separately Managed Accounts, Other Pooled Investment Vehicles and Clients
ARK provides investment advisory services to certain separately managed accounts and pooled
investment vehicles (some of which include retirement plans, tax-exempt entities, limited liability
companies, public funds, foundations, endowments, insurance companies and their separately managed
accounts, high net worth clients, emerging manager programs, and financial institutions and their
customers and clients). ARK also provides sub-advisory services to U.S. and non-U.S. collectively
managed funds sponsored by third-parties (“Sub-Advised Funds”). ARK also provides advisory services
to private funds (“Private Funds”). ARK can provide investment advisory services to unit investment trusts
(“UITs”), other mutual funds, and closed-end funds (“Other Registered Investment Companies”).
Such accounts will be managed in accordance with investment objectives, guidelines, strategies, policies
and restrictions established by each client and documented in a written advisory agreement (and related
documents) with, or on behalf of, each client and ARK. Depending upon the contractual arrangements,
ARK executes purchases and sales of securities for these accounts either through firms that the client
directs ARK to use or through broker-dealer firms ARK selects including firms that can furnish ARK with
investment research and other brokerage services. As described in more detail in Item 12, in executing
trades for accounts where the client authorizes ARK to choose broker-dealers, ARK will seek to obtain
the most favorable execution for each transaction under the circumstances taking into consideration
several factors, including price. Certain clients can choose to execute their own portfolio transactions
based on advice and/or information provided by ARK (including through the provision of model portfolios
to certain institutional clients). Additional details about each of the client types to which ARK provides
advisory services is provided in Item 7.
Advisory Services to Wrap and UMA Programs and Model Portfolios
ARK also offers investment advisory services to clients of wrap fee programs and provides
nondiscretionary model portfolios to Unified Managed Account (“UMA”) programs sponsored by non-
affiliates. ARK’s nondiscretionary services consist of furnishing model portfolios in various equity
strategies, which the UMA program sponsor in some cases chooses to employ in its management of
accounts under one or more managed account programs. For more information about the strategies that
ARK offers to wrap and UMA programs, please see Item 8. ARK does not effect or arrange for the
purchase or sale of any securities in connection with nondiscretionary model portfolios.
Typically, the sponsor of the wrap fee or UMA program charges a single fee to its clients for all services
provided under the program (brokerage, custody and advisory) and pays its advisers, including ARK,
a
portion of the fee for the services that ARK provides. In some cases, wrap program clients enter into
unbundled arrangements with the sponsor where they enter into investment management agreements
directly with ARK. These are known as “dual contract” arrangements.
ARK’s portfolios in wrap programs and nondiscretionary models for UMA programs typically hold fewer
securities and can be subject to additional constraints, such as minimum market caps or restricted
securities, than portfolios managed in a comparable strategy for clients, and can have different brokerage
execution. ARK cannot guarantee that the performance and composition of wrap portfolios and
nondiscretionary model portfolios will be similar to the performance results and composition of accounts
in a comparable strategy and vice-versa due to a variety of reasons, including the difference in the types,
availability and diversity of securities that can be purchased, economies of scale, regulations and other
factors applicable to the management of ARK’s client accounts.
Non-Discretionary Sub-advisory and Sub-Sub advisory Services
ARK provides investment sub-advisory services to the ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF (ARKB) (“Bitcoin
ETF”), a Delaware statutory trust that is an offering of an indeterminate amount of shares registered in
accordance with the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”) and is not subject to regulation
under the 1940 Act or registered under the 1940 Act as an open-end management investment company.
The shares trade on the Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. 21Shares US LLC (“21 Shares”) is the sponsor of
the Bitcoin ETF, and ARK serves as the sub-adviser to the Bitcoin ETF and provides assistance in the
marketing of the shares through a support services agreement (as discussed further below). ARK
provides data, research, and, as needed, operational support to the Bitcoin ETF. The Bitcoin ETF’s
investment objective is to seek to track the performance of bitcoin, as measured by the performance of
the CME CF Bitcoin Reference Rate - New York Variant, adjusted for expenses and other liabilities.
Additional information regarding the services provided by ARK to the Bitcoin ETF can be found in the
Bitcoin ETF prospectus and statement of additional information, which are publicly available at
https://21shares.com/en-us, on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s website (www.sec.gov) or writing to
the 37 W. 20th St, Suite 1101 New York, NY 10011, or by calling 212-223-3460.
ARK provides investment sub-sub advisory services to 21Shares in respect of the following ETFs: ARK
21Shares Active Bitcoin Futures Strategy ETF (ARKA); ARK 21Shares Active Bitcoin Ethereum Strategy
ETF (ARKY); ARK 21Shares Active Ethereum Futures Strategy ETF (ARKZ); ARK 21Shares Active On-
Chain Bitcoin Strategy ETF (ARKC); and ARK 21Shares Blockchain and Digital Economy Innovation
ETF (ARKD, collectively with ARKA, ARKY, ARKZ and ARKC, the “Digital Asset ETFs” and each a
“Digital Asset ETF”). Each Digital Asset ETF is a series of a trust organized as a Delaware statutory trust
that is registered under the 1940 Act as an open-end management investment company. The Digital
Asset ETF shares are listed on the Cboe BZX, Inc. EA Advisers serves as the investment adviser to
each Digital Asset ETF, 21Shares serves as the sponsor and sub-adviser to each Digital Asset ETF, and
ARK serves as the sub-sub adviser to each Digital Asset ETF. The adviser receives 21Shares trading
recommendations and is responsible for selecting the brokers and placing the Digital Asset ETF’s trades.
21Shares selects such funds’ investments in accordance with its investment objectives, policies, and
restrictions, subject to the overall supervision and oversight of the adviser and the board. ARK, as sub-
sub adviser, provides non-discretionary advice to 21Shares related to the markets in which the Digital
Asset ETFs invest. 21Shares, in its sole discretion, considers the advice provided by ARK when making
trade recommendations for a Digital Asset ETF to the extent 21Shares deems necessary. 21Shares and
ARK could use quantitative analyses with respect to the Digital Asset ETFs.
Additional information regarding the services provided by ARK to the Digital Asset ETFs can be found in each
Digital Asset ETF prospectus and statement of additional information, which are publicly available at
https://21shares-funds.com/, on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s website (www.sec.gov) or writing to
21Shares at 19 East Eagle Road Havertown, PA 19083, or by calling 215-882-9983.
Additional Non-Advisory Services
Marketing Support Services
In addition to providing sub-advisory services, ARK provides marketing support services to cryptoasset
products related to the launch, listing and ongoing operations of these products. In connection with the
launch and listing, ARK creates a marketing and distribution strategy for these products, assists with the
development and maintenance of websites, and consults on marketing efforts. In connection with the
ongoing operations of these products, ARK uses commercially reasonable efforts to facilitate inclusion of
the products on distribution platforms, including those platforms on which ARK ETFs are distributed.
Disclosed Research
ARK can, subject to applicable law, discuss with clients, potential clients or other third parties, one or
more issuers (public or private) that it does not then hold in any portfolio managed by ARK and which
ARK could consider for investment. Any such discussions are solely for informational purposes, will only
regard public information, and are not intended to constitute investment advice (except to the extent such
discussions are investment advisory services specifically contemplated by an investment advisory
agreement between ARK and a client). Such discussions could include, among other things, the views
of the ARK Team regarding the issuer or its securities, the issuer’s financial condition or prospects, or
the merits generally of an investment (or non-investment) in that issuer or any industry or sector of which
that issuer is a part. ARK is under no obligation to enter into such discussions with any client or all clients
and can elect to have such discussions only with certain clients or with third parties in its sole discretion.
ARK will not, as a result of any such discussion, be limited in any way from purchasing or selling
investments of any such issuer, including investments that could be or appear to be inconsistent with the
views expressed in such discussion, except as required by law.
Published Research
ARK publishes most of its research analysis (“living research”) on our external website (www.ark-
invest.com) in an on-going effort to educate investors on disruptive innovation. This initiative includes
publication of research articles, investment models, white papers, videos, podcasts, or other content
formats, hosting of educational research events (live and virtual), and sending research newsletters,
stock commentaries, and market commentaries to clients and subscribers (collectively, “Research
Content”). Also, ARK publishes fund content on its external websites
(www.ark-funds.com and www.ark-
ventures.com) in an on-going effort to educate investors on disruptive innovation. This initiative includes
publication of fund articles, videos, or other content formats, hosting of educational webinars, and
sending newsletters to clients and subscribers (collectively, “Fund Content”). All Research Content and
Fund Content is original and has been researched and produced by ARK unless otherwise stated. No
part of ARK’s Research Content or Fund Content may be reproduced in any form, or referred to in any
other publication, without the express written permission of ARK.
The Research Content and Fund Content is for informational and educational purposes only and should
not be construed, either explicitly or implicitly, as investment advice or an offer or solicitation in respect
to any products or services by ARK; or services for any persons who are prohibited from receiving such
information under the laws applicable to their place of citizenship, domicile or residence. The Research
Content and Fund Content is intended only to provide observations and views of the author(s) at the time
of publishing, both of which are subject to change at any time without prior notice. Certain of the
statements contained within the Research Content and Fund Content are statements of future
expectations and other forward-looking statements that are based on ARK's current views and
assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results,
performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. ARK's
Research Content and Fund Content and the statements therein are not endorsements of any company
or recommendations to buy, sell, or hold any security.
All Research Content and Fund Content is subject to change without notice. All statements regarding
companies or securities or other financial information in the Research Content, Fund Content, or any
sites relating to ARK are strictly beliefs and points of view held by ARK or the third party making such
statement. Research Content and Fund Content should not be used as the basis for any investment
decision, and does not purport to provide any legal, tax or accounting advice. Additionally, while ARK’s
current assessment of subject companies utilized within Research Content or Fund Content may be
positive, it may be necessary for ARK to liquidate or reduce position sizes prior to the company attaining
any indicated valuation prices due to a variety of conditions including, but not limited to, client specific
guidelines, changing market conditions, investor activity, fundamental changes in the company’s
business model and competitive landscape, headline risk, and government/regulatory activity. ARK does
not have investment banking, consulting, or any type of fee-paying relationship with any subject company
represented in its Research Content or Fund Content.
Index Research Services
ARK provides research services to a certain index provider in the form of information and insight inputs
with respect to industry trends, investment themes, and other relevant topics for indexes focused on
disruptive innovation and potentially other themes.
Client-Tailored Services and Client-Imposed Restrictions
Generally, ARK provides advisory services to each client under the terms of an investment advisory
agreement between ARK and the client.
As a general matter, ARK’s management of any pooled investment vehicle or registered or unregistered
fund will be in accordance with the governing documents for that vehicle or fund including the investment
objective, guidelines, differentiated investment strategy or strategies, policies and restrictions for the
vehicle or fund. ARK’s management of such vehicle or fund is not tailored to or intended to reflect the
specific requirements or needs of any individual investor in the vehicle or fund. ARK’s management of a
client’s separately managed account will be tailored to the client and consistent with the particular
investment objective, guidelines, differentiated investment strategy or strategies, policies and restrictions
the client selects for that account.
Within a given investment theme and consistent with the account, fund, or vehicle’s stated investment
objectives, investment strategies, guidelines, policies and restrictions, ARK typically has the authority to
select which and how many securities and other instruments to buy or sell without consultation with the
client (or, in the case of a fund or vehicle, its management or investors).
In certain circumstances, ARK will agree to manage a client’s account subject to certain reasonable
restrictions imposed by the client, including, without limitation, the exclusion of specific securities or types
of securities, within that account, cash levels permitted in the account or techniques that can be used in
managing the account. In addition, ARK can agree to manage a client’s account where such client wishes
to engage in securities lending, provided that sufficient restrictions are established to mitigate the risks
of such practice. However, ARK reserves the right not to enter into an agreement with a prospective
client, or to terminate an investment advisory agreement with an existing client, if any proposed limitation
or restriction is, in ARK’s opinion, likely to impair ARK’s ability to appropriately provide services to a client,
or ARK otherwise believes the limitations or restrictions to be operationally impractical or unfeasible.
The menu of investment themes that ARK can make available to institutional clients, and a brief
description of each theme’s investment objective(s), along with the investment strategies used to achieve
the objective and the material risks associated with such investment strategies, is provided in response
to Item 8. Other investment themes not described in Item 8 can be made available to institutional clients.
Additional detail about each investment theme is available at no charge by contacting ARK at 1-727-810-
8160 or through www.ark-invest.com/contact.
The portfolio composition of accounts within the same investment theme can differ at any given time.
These differences in portfolio composition are attributable to a variety of factors, including, but not limited
to, the type of account (e.g., manner of trade execution), client objectives, guidelines, policies, practices
(e.g., securities lending), limitations and restrictions, size of the account, date of initial funding, whether
ARK has investment discretion, and significant account activity (e.g., significant number of contributions
and/or withdrawals). As a result, the performance of an account within a particular investment theme
could differ from other accounts having the same investment strategy.
Assets
Assets Under Management
As of February 29, 2024, ARK’s assets under management totaled approximately $28,534,000,000
(rounded to the nearest million) and breaks out as follows:
• Discretionary: $15,177,000,000 (rounded to the nearest million)
• Non-discretionary: $12,630,000,000* (rounded to the nearest million)
*This number includes the assets that are managed by others using our continuous and ongoing
nondiscretionary portfolios, which include Sub-Advised Funds and Non-Discretionary Sub-Advisory and
Sub-Sub advisory Services. ARK does not include assets managed by other persons based on
continuous and ongoing non-discretionary portfolios provided by ARK in the calculation of our regulatory
assets under management in Part 1A, Item 5.F of the Form ADV.
Assets Under Advisement
Additionally, as of February 29, 2024, ARK’s non-discretionary assets under advisement (“AUA”) totaled
approximately $724,000,000* (rounded to the nearest million).
*This number includes the assets that are managed by others using non-discretionary Wrap Fees or
UMAs, and Model Portfolios (each as described in Item 5). ARK does not include AUA in the calculation
of our regulatory assets under management in Part 1A, Item 5.F of the Form ADV, which is dated March
29, 2024, or in non-discretionary AUM above.