BlackRock Launches Active Robotics ETF as AI Expands Into Physical Economy

BlackRock has launched the iShares Future Robotics and Related Technologies Active ETF (RBTX) on NYSE Arca, expanding its AI investment lineup with a strategy focused on robotics and intelligent automation. The actively managed ETF invests across the robotics value chain, including companies developing, supplying, enabling, and implementing technologies that automate physical tasks in industries such as manufacturing, transportation, and logistics. RBTX carries a 0.65% expense ratio and is managed by Tony Kim and Reid Menge, whose team oversees more than $50 billion in AI and technology strategies. The launch follows the success of BlackRock's iShares A.I. Innovation and Tech Active ETF (BAI), which has attracted over $14 billion since October 2024. RBTX joins BlackRock's broader AI ETF lineup, including ARTY, AIBF, and SOXX, as the firm expands its nearly $200 billion active ETF business.