Axa Investment Managers (Axa IM) has unveiled the AXA WF Metaverse fund, investing in companies that “play a part” in the coming together of the digital and physical world.
The actively managed, multi-cap fund will invest in rising Metaverse long-term growth opportunities in both developed and emerging markets globally, leveraging Axa IM’s experience in managing strategies based on disruptive technologies.
The strategy will focus on four sub themes: gaming, socialising, working and enabling. The enabling theme will include sectors such as semiconductors, technological infrastructure, cybersecurity and payment.
The Metaverse fund is a new addition to AXA IM’s thematic equity fund range and is intended to complement the existing Robotech and Digital Economy strategies.
It will be managed by Pauline Llandric and co-managed by Tom Riley and Jeremy Gleeson, who run the Robotech and Digital Economy strategies, respectively.
Of the 250 stocks that currently make up the Metaverse, Llandric and her co-managers will choose 40 to 60 names for the fund.
Mark Hargraves, global head of Axa IM Equity, said: “We believe Axa IM is one of the first active thematic Metaverse investors and this fund launch builds on our established history in long-term thematic investment.
“The Metaverse is an expanding and tangible investment opportunity, driven by real companies with the potential to deliver strong year-on-year growth over the next decade. With a global customer base, we expect to see an increasing number of companies emerging from new sectors – such as healthcare and financials – as capabilities increase to bolster the promising investment opportunities in this space.”
The strategy is ESG-integrated and is classified as Article 8 compliant, according to the EU’s Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation.
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