The most valuable companies of today aren’t the same bunch as 20 years ago. With each generation comes new challengers and new categories (Hello, Big Tech). And while we can’t really predict the next class of top performers, innovation will likely come from parts of the economy that use technology in new and exciting applications, industries like:
- semiconductors
- clean energy
- virtual reality
- artificial intelligence
- nanotechnology
This dynamic led us to create the Innovative Technology portfolio.
What is the Innovative Technology Portfolio?
The portfolio increases your exposure to companies pioneering the technology mentioned above and more. These innovations carry the potential to reshape the way we work and play, and in the process shape the market’s next generation of high-performing companies.
Using the Core portfolio as its foundation, the Innovative Technology portfolio is built to generate long-term returns with a diversified, low-cost approach, but with increased exposure to risk. It contains many of the same investments as Core, but also includes an allocation to the SPDR S&P Kensho New Economies Composite ETF (Ticker: KOMP). For a more in-depth look at the portfolio’s methodology, skip over to its disclosure.
How are pioneering companies selected?
The Kensho index that KOMP tracks uses a special branch of artificial intelligence called Natural Language Processing to screen regulatory data and identify companies helping drive the Fourth Industrial Revolution. After picking companies across more than 20 categories, each is combined into the overall index and weighted according to their risk and return profiles.
Why might you choose this portfolio over Betterment’s Core portfolio?
We built the Innovative Technology portfolio to perform more or less the same as an equivalent stock/bond allocation of the Core portfolio. It may, however, outperform or underperform depending on the return experience of KOMP and the companies this fund tracks.
So, if you believe the emerging tech of today will drive the returns of tomorrow—and are willing to take on some additional risk to take that long-term view— this is a portfolio made with you in mind. Risk and early adoption can tend to go hand-in-hand, after all.
Why invest in innovation with Betterment?
Innovative technology is in our DNA. We may be the largest independent digital financial advisor now, but the “robo advisor” category barely existed when we opened shop in 2008. If you choose to invest in the Innovative Technology portfolio with Betterment, you not only get our professional, tech- forward, portfolio management tools, you also get an investment manager with first-hand experience in the field of first movers.
