Investment Funds Focused on the Metaverse - (2024)

Know which Metaverse investment funds were created in the heat of what many consider the successor of today’s Internet.

Investment funds in the Metaverse

The combination of virtual, augmented, and physical reality is already transforming consumer habits. As a result, large companies in the traditional financial industry are betting early on this innovation.

HSBC – Metaverse Discretionary Strategy

HSBC, one of the world’s largest banking institutions, launched a metaverse fund called “Metaverse Discretionary Strategy” in April last year. It is a discretionary fund aimed at wealthy clients in Asia. The fund’s investment portfolio focuses on five critical elements of the virtual world: infrastructure, computing, virtualization, experience, and discovery and interface. Nicholas Dowell, portfolio manager at HSBC Asset Management, compared the Metaverse to the beginning of the technological revolution that was the Internet in the 1990s.

U.S. financial giant BlackRock has created a metaverse-focused mutual fund to help its investors enter the new frontier of the digital age. The fund is called “iShares Metaverse UCITS ETF,” launched at the end of December on the European stock exchange Euronext. iShares Metaverse UCITS ETF tracks the STOXX Global Metaverse Index, which identifies and evaluates, based on patents, the best companies related to the Metaverse and high-tech world. Some companies this index tracks include Activision Blizzard and Meta Platforms.

Through its metaverse-focused investment fund, BlackRock wants to capitalize on the opportunities offered by new technologies. BlackRock highlighted the rapid growth that the Metaverse has experienced over the past two years. By 2030, some estimate a market value of up to $5 trillion. Hence the importance of capitalizing on this space. Omar Mouft, product strategist for ETFs at BlackRock, told Funds Europe that the Metaverse signifies a leap forward in global connectivity.

Bankinter Metaverso by Edmond de Rothschild FI

Madrid-based Spanish bank Bankinter launched an investment fund focused on the Metaverse in June last year. Like BlackRock, Bankinter sees the Metaverse as one of our time’s most significant technological innovations. Bankinter is the first bank in Spain to launch a fund focused on this technology. It partnered with the management firm Edmond de Rothschild AM to do so. Called “Bankinter Metaverso by Edmond de Rothschild FI,” the fund is available exclusively to the bank’s clients, Bankinter said in a statement. Through this fund, the Spanish bank invests in metaverse-related companies worldwide and the entire value chain this sector offers—infrastructure, immersive experiences, human interface, applications, use cases, and more.

Allianz Global – Allianz Metaverse

Allianz Metaverse, from the global investment management firm Allianz Global Investors, is a fund exposed to the shares of companies related to the Metaverse. As such, Allianz Metaverse follows companies that drive innovative projects to develop the virtual world. The fund, launched in November last year, focuses on metaverse applications, infrastructure, and Web3 technology, incorporating crypto, blockchain, and decentralization concepts. Marc Phanitsiri manages the fund.

Candriam – Candriam Equities L Meta Globe Fund

Candriam, which defines itself as a global multi-specialist asset manager, launched an investment fund linked to the Metaverse called: “Candriam Equities L Meta Globe Fund.” This investment vehicle allows its investors to participate in companies focused on the development and improvement of the virtual world, according to Funds Europe. Candriam’s fund launched at the end of October and trades in seven European countries. These include Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Spain. Like other giants in the traditional financial sector, Candriam believes that the Metaverse can offer great investment opportunities.

Roundhill Ball Metaverse ETF

The Roundhill Ball Metaverse ETF, created by Roundhill Investments, is focused on several key areas of virtual world development. The company reports on its website that as of Dec. 31, 2022, the fund’s top five holdings were in Apple, Nvidia, Roblox, Microsoft, and Meta. Roundhill claims that the Metaverse will become the successor to today’s Internet and create an experience that spans the virtual and real worlds. His estimates indicate that unique Metaverse users will reach 5 billion by 2030. The TAM (total market demand for a product) will range from $8 trillion to $13 trillion. Roundhill launched the fund in mid-2021 and trades under the METV ticket on the New York Stock Exchange.

BBVA Mexico

The BBVA Mexico Digital Economy Fund, launched last October, invests in companies related to the Metaverse and other technological innovations. As reported by Observatorio Blockchain, the Digital Economy Fund specializes in blockchain technology and digital economy. Thus, it includes sectors such as the Metaverse, augmented reality, cloud services, or Web3. According to BBVA, the digital economy will help promote economic growth and enhance attractive opportunities for new investments.

Animoca Brands – Metaverse fund for developers

GameFi giant Animoca Brands, which develops The Sandbox, is creating a metaverse fund focused on developers and digital property. It aims to support companies that are already experimenting with this technological innovation. According to Yat Siu, CEO of Animoca Brands, the new fund could have up to $1 billion. Initially, Siu had targeted a $2 billion fund to boost the construction and development of the Metaverse. However, the current state of the crypto market led him to cut his financial target in half. Siu also stated that his new fund would be global, with no geographic restrictions.