The next phase of artificial intelligence does not live on your screen. The machines walk onto factory floors, stock warehouses, and assist surgeons. That shift is now a capital allocation decision. Wall Street is already making it.
Robotics and humanoid ETFs give investors exposure to the physical AI economy without picking a single robot company. Seven funds dominate the category in 2026: BOTZ, ROBO, ARKQ, KOID, HUMN, IBOT, and ARTY. Each fund targets a different layer of the humanoid stack, from supply-chain components to AI compute infrastructure. The Robotic Life tracks the underlying companies in our humanoid robot directory.
Lars Talbert breaks down the ETFs powering the humanoid economy in the video below.
How Robotics and Humanoid Robot ETFs Compare
Seven exchange-traded funds cover the robotics and humanoid robot category in 2026. The table below maps tickers, issuers, expense ratios, assets under management, inception year, and primary focus for each fund.
| Ticker | Fund Name | Issuer | Expense Ratio | AUM | Inception | Primary Focus |
| BOTZ | Global X Robotics & AI ETF | Global X | 0.68% | $3.44B | 2016 | Industrial automation, healthcare robotics |
| ROBO | ROBO Global Robotics & Automation Index ETF | Exchange Traded Concepts | 0.95% | $1.77B | 2013 | Broad robotics value chain, equal-weight |
| ARKQ | ARK Autonomous Technology & Robotics ETF | ARK Invest | 0.75% | varies | 2014 | Active management, Tesla, autonomous transport |
| KOID | KraneShares Global Humanoid Robotics & Physical AI Index ETF | KraneShares | 0.69% | new fund | 2024 | Humanoid robotics components and supply chain |
| HUMN | Roundhill Humanoid Robotics ETF | Roundhill | 0.69% | new fund | 2024 | Humanoid pure-play, embodied AI |
| IBOT | VanEck Robotics ETF | VanEck | 0.47% | new fund | 2024 | Global robotics semiconductors and automation hardware |
| ARTY | iShares Future AI & Tech ETF | BlackRock iShares | 0.47% | $2.85B | 2018 | AI infrastructure, data centers, semiconductors |
Data sourced from Global X, KraneShares, Roundhill Investments, VanEck, iShares, Kiplinger, and The Motley Fool. Expense ratios and assets under management change over time. Verify current figures with each fund issuer.
BOTZ: The Industrial Robotics and AI Layer
Global X Robotics & AI ETF (BOTZ) tracks 68 companies across industrial automation, healthcare robotics, and autonomous vehicles. The fund launched in September 2016 and carries a 0.68% expense ratio.
Top holdings include Keyence (factory automation), ABB (industrial robotics), NVIDIA (AI chips), FANUC (factory automation), and Intuitive Surgical (surgical robotics). Roughly half the portfolio sits outside the United States, with significant Japan exposure.
BOTZ suits investors who want concentrated exposure to established industrial robotics and AI hardware names. The Motley Fool notes BOTZ has underperformed the S&P 500 since its 2016 launch, with a sharp drop in 2022 alongside the broader tech selloff.
Several BOTZ holdings appear in the surgical and industrial robots tracked across the humanoid robot directory.
ROBO: The Diversified Robotics Value Chain
ROBO Global Robotics & Automation Index ETF (ROBO) holds 77 stocks across the full robotics value chain, with no single position above 2.5%. The fund launched in 2013 and carries a 0.95% expense ratio, the highest among the seven.
Top holdings include Celestica (electronics manufacturing services), Infineon Technologies (semiconductors), AirTAC International (pneumatic components), Ambarella (edge AI vision), and Teradyne (robotic test equipment). The equal-weight structure spreads risk across smaller and mid-sized companies.
ROBO suits investors who want diversified exposure across the entire robotics supply chain. The 0.95% expense ratio sits above category average. The Motley Fool notes ROBO has trailed the S&P 500 since inception even with dividends factored in. The diversification trade-off cuts both ways.
ARKQ: The Active Bet on Autonomous Technology
ARK Autonomous Technology & Robotics ETF (ARKQ) is the only major robotics ETF that holds Tesla as a primary position. The fund is actively managed by ARK Invest and launched in 2014.
ARKQ targets disruptive innovation across autonomous transportation, 3D printing, energy storage, and space exploration. Tesla sits as the marquee humanoid-adjacent holding, given the company’s Optimus humanoid program runs on the same Full Self-Driving neural network as the cars.
ARKQ suits investors who want direct Tesla exposure inside a robotics wrapper alongside active manager judgment. The 0.75% expense ratio sits in the middle of the category. Active management adds manager risk and historically higher turnover. Tesla’s pivot from automotive to robotics is detailed in Tesla is now a robotics company.
KOID: The Humanoid Robotics and Physical AI Pure-Play
KraneShares Global Humanoid Robotics & Physical AI Index ETF (KOID) is the first United States-listed humanoid robotics ETF. The fund tracks the MerQube Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index and launched in 2024.
KOID covers the full humanoid ecosystem: robotics integrators, humanoid manufacturers, and component suppliers including actuator and harmonic-drive makers. Holdings extend across the United States, China, Japan, and South Korea. The fund avoids the single-manufacturer bet by indexing the entire supply chain.
KOID suits investors who want the picks-and-shovels exposure to the humanoid race. The supply chain feeds every humanoid manufacturer covered in the autonomous robot companies directory, regardless of which manufacturer ultimately wins.
HUMN: The Active Humanoid Pure-Play
Roundhill Humanoid Robotics ETF (HUMN) is an actively managed fund focused on humanoid robotics manufacturers and embodied AI. The fund launched in 2024 and carries a 0.69% expense ratio.
Top positions include UBTech Robotics (6.47%), Harmonic Drive Systems (4.82%), Rainbow Robotics (4.28%), and Qualcomm (3.97%). The fund weights Chinese and Korean humanoid makers alongside United States robotics chip suppliers, giving direct exposure to the global humanoid race.
HUMN suits investors who want concentrated humanoid exposure with active manager discretion. Several HUMN holdings appear directly in our humanoid robot profiles, including UBTech, providing readers a way to see the underlying machines inside the fund positions.
IBOT: The Lowest-Cost Robotics ETF
VanEck Robotics ETF (IBOT) carries a 0.47% expense ratio, the lowest among pure robotics ETFs. The fund tracks the BlueStar Robotics Index and launched in 2024.
IBOT covers global semiconductor components, AI hardware, and automated manufacturing systems. Holdings span the United States, Japan, Germany, and South Korea. The portfolio targets the robotics supply chain through semiconductors, sensors, and actuators rather than humanoid manufacturers directly.
IBOT suits cost-conscious investors who want broad robotics exposure at the lowest fee in the category. The expense ratio sits 21 to 48 basis points below BOTZ, ROBO, and ARKQ.
ARTY: The AI Infrastructure Layer
iShares Future AI & Tech ETF (ARTY) holds approximately 50 companies across AI compute, data centers, and AI semiconductors. BlackRock launched the fund in 2018, and ARTY tracks the Morningstar Global Artificial Intelligence Select Index.
Top positions include Taiwan Semiconductor, Marvell Technology, Advanced Micro Devices, CoreWeave, and Micron. ARTY targets the compute layer powering both digital AI and physical AI. Training humanoid robots requires massive computational power, a point covered in our pillar on what is physical AI.
ARTY suits investors who view the humanoid economy through the compute lens rather than the robot lens. The 0.47% expense ratio matches IBOT as the lowest in the category.
How to Choose a Robotics or Humanoid Robot ETF
The right robotics ETF depends on the investor’s target: broad robotics exposure, humanoid pure-play exposure, or AI compute exposure.
Four selection factors matter for the seven funds:
- Expense ratio: IBOT and ARTY tie at 0.47%, the lowest in the category. ROBO sits highest at 0.95%.
- Concentration: BOTZ and ARKQ run concentrated portfolios. ROBO equal-weights 77 names for maximum diversification.
- Humanoid purity: KOID and HUMN target humanoid robotics directly. BOTZ, ROBO, ARKQ, and IBOT cover broader automation.
- Tesla exposure: ARKQ is the only major fund holding Tesla as a primary position.
The Motley Fool notes most robotics ETFs have underperformed the S&P 500 over the long term. Honest investor accounting includes that record alongside the multi-trillion-dollar humanoid forecasts.
Why Robotics ETFs Matter for the Humanoid Economy
Robotics ETFs provide exposure to the full ecosystem powering humanoid robots, not a single manufacturer. The humanoid economy runs on four layers: AI compute, AI infrastructure, supply-chain components, and humanoid manufacturers.
Morgan Stanley projects humanoid robots reach a $5 trillion market by 2050, with nearly 1 billion units in global circulation. Goldman Sachs estimates factory humanoids reach economic payback in under one year. CNBC reported in June 2026 that humanoid robots are projected to reach a $200 billion market over the next decade. Funding follows the forecasts, and The Robotic Life records the rounds in our robotics funding tracker.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best humanoid robot ETF?
KOID and HUMN are the two pure-play humanoid robotics ETFs available in the United States as of 2026. KOID tracks an index; HUMN is actively managed. Each captures the humanoid category through a different method.
Are robotics ETFs a good investment?
Robotics ETFs give diversified exposure to a growing industry, though The Motley Fool notes most have underperformed the S&P 500 since inception. The thesis rests on the humanoid economy reaching the trillion-dollar forecasts from Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs.
What is the difference between BOTZ and ROBO?
BOTZ concentrates capital in industrial robotics and AI giants like NVIDIA and Intuitive Surgical at a 0.68% expense ratio. ROBO equal-weights 77 companies across the robotics value chain at a 0.95% expense ratio. BOTZ runs concentrated; ROBO runs diversified.
Does Vanguard offer a robotics ETF?
Vanguard does not currently offer a dedicated robotics or humanoid robotics ETF. Investors seeking robotics exposure use funds from Global X, ROBO Global, KraneShares, Roundhill, VanEck, ARK Invest, and BlackRock iShares.
Which robotics ETF holds Tesla?
ARKQ holds Tesla as a primary position. Most other robotics ETFs hold minimal or no direct Tesla exposure.
Key Takeaways
Robotics and humanoid robot ETFs let investors buy the humanoid economy as a category rather than pick a single manufacturer. Seven funds dominate the category in 2026, each targeting a different layer of the physical AI stack.
- BOTZ and ROBO cover broad industrial robotics and automation.
- KOID and HUMN target humanoid robotics directly.
- ARKQ holds Tesla and other autonomous-tech disruptors.
- IBOT carries the lowest expense ratio at 0.47%.
- ARTY covers AI compute and infrastructure powering physical AI.
The Robotic Life tracks the companies, robots, and funding behind these ETFs through a business lens. Explore the humanoid robot directory to see the underlying robots, and review the funding side in our robotics funding tracker.
Disclosure: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment, legal, or tax advice. Expense ratios, holdings, and prices change. Verify current data with each fund issuer before making investment decisions.
