At a glance
IBOT charges 0.47% a year, below the 0.69% average of the 5 funds most like it (the cheapest of 6). It has $97.9M in assets, the 4th largest of that group; it paid 0.32% of its price in distributions over the past 12 months, annual. Over the past year it returned +20.5% with distributions reinvested (S&P 500: +11.5%), 2nd of those 6 funds; over three years it returned +27.1% a year. Its ten largest positions make up 39.5% of the fund, out of 65 in all.
The short version
VanEck Robotics ETF (IBOT) is an index fund that tracks the BlueStar Robotics Index. The index holds about 65 global companies in industrial automation, machine vision, 3D printing, design software, surgical robots and chipmaking equipment. IBOT's 0.47% expense ratio is the lowest of the six robotics funds we compared, whose peers average 0.69%. About 60% of its holdings were outside the US as of June 30, 2026, including roughly 25% in Japan.
Price history
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IBOT +20.5% over the year to Oct 27, 2026, total return with distributions reinvested.
How it has behaved
| YTD | 1 yr | 3 yr | 5 yr | 10 yr | Since start | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IBOT official prospectus, to Dec 31, 2025 | — | +28.35% | — | — | — | +18.91% |
| Blue Star Robotics Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) index, same period | — | +28.25% | — | — | — | +19.35% |
| MSCI ACWI Net TR Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes, except withholding taxes) index, same period | — | +22.34% | — | — | — | +19.81% |
| IBOT price data to Oct 27, 2026 | +20.4% | +20.5% | +27.1% | — | — | +20.8% |
- Over the year to Oct 27, 2026, IBOT returned +20.5%, 2nd of 6 among similar funds.
- Its worst full calendar year was 2024 (+6.4%); its best was 2025 (+28.6%).
- The deepest fall in its price history was 25.4% (Jul 16, 2024 to Apr 8, 2025), recovered by Jun 27, 2025.
Show as a table
| Year | Price data | Prospectus (official) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | +20.4% | — |
| 2025 | +28.6% | +28.35% |
| 2024 | +6.4% | +6.39% |
| 2008 financial crisis stocks fell Oct 9, 2007 – Mar 9, 2009 | Before this security existed |
|---|---|
| 2020 COVID crash stocks fell Feb 19, 2020 – Mar 23, 2020 | Before this security existed |
| 2022 bear market stocks fell Jan 3, 2022 – Oct 12, 2022 | Before this security existed |
Dividends and income
Show as a table
| Year | Per share | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $0.2000 | -82.6% |
| 2024 | $1.1500 |
What's inside
As of Jun 30, 2026, the fund held 65 securities; the ten largest made up 39.47% of assets.
| Holding | Weight | |
|---|---|---|
| ASML Holding NV | 5.30% | |
| Keyence Corp | 5.17% | |
| ABB Ltd | 5.07% | |
| Emerson Electric Co | 4.85% | |
| NVIDIA Corp | 4.64% | |
| Rockwell Automation Inc | 3.86% | |
| Autodesk Inc | 3.14% | |
| FANUC Corp | 2.97% | |
| Teledyne Technologies Inc | 2.36% | |
| Applied Materials Inc | 2.11% | |
| TechnipFMC PLC | 2.08% | |
| Daifuku Co Ltd | 1.95% | |
| Lam Research Corp | 1.94% | |
| Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc | 1.90% | |
| Yaskawa Electric Corp | 1.82% |
By country
United States 39.57%Japan 25.19%Switzerland 7.4%Netherlands 6.88%United Kingdom 5.08%By asset type
Stocks 99.92%What changed recently
- Over the three months to Jun 30, 2026, investors added a net $22.2M (creations minus redemptions, per the N-PORT report).
- Monthly total returns reported for that quarter: +16.95%, +6.24%, +4.22%.
How it works
IBOT is a passive fund. It does not try to beat its benchmark. It aims to match the BlueStar Robotics Index before fees. MarketVector Indexes GmbH publishes the index, and it is indirectly owned by VanEck, the fund's adviser. To count as a "Robotics Company," a business must earn at least 50% of its revenue from one of six areas: robots or industrial automation, 3D printing, manufacturing or computer-aided design (CAD) software, machine vision, robotic surgery, or semiconductor manufacturing equipment. Up to 20% of the fund can go into makers of embedded machine-learning chips that earn at least 25% of revenue from these themes.
As of December 31, 2025, the index held 65 stocks. Their market values ran from about $550 million to $4.53 trillion. The index provider reviews the membership list and resets the weights twice a year. The fund usually uses replication, which means it buys the index stocks in about the same proportions as the index. When that isn't practical, it can hold a representative sample instead. Portfolio turnover was 25% in the prospectus filed January 27, 2026.
The fund is "non-diversified," so it can put more money into a single company than a typical fund. As of June 30, 2026, the top 10 holdings made up 39.5% of assets. The fund owns many foreign shares, so currency moves affect returns. It used no derivatives or leverage.
What it really costs
- IBOT charges 0.47% a year, versus an average of 0.69% for the similar funds below (1st of 6, cheapest first).
- Using the prospectus's standard example, $10,000 invested would cost about $48 in the first year and $591 over 10 years (assuming a 5% annual return).
| Cost of $10,000 (SEC example) | 1 yr | 3 yrs | 5 yrs | 10 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IBOT | $48 | $151 | $263 | $591 |
In a retirement portfolio
IBOT is a concentrated, global bet on one theme, and it has tended to swing more than the broad stock market, so it fits better as a small add-on than as a foundation.
IBOT launched on April 5, 2023, so it has no record through the 2008 financial crisis, the 2020 COVID crash or the 2022 bear market. Its deepest drop was 25.4%, from July 16, 2024 to April 8, 2025. It got back to its old peak by June 27, 2025, about 2.6 months after the low. Its weakest calendar year, 2024, still gained 6.4%. Over the year to October 27, 2026, its beta was 1.68. Beta measures how much a fund moves compared with the overall market, so this means swings about two-thirds larger than the market's. Someone who sells shares during a slump would lock in those losses. The yield was 0.32% as of October 27, 2026, paid once a year, so the fund adds little income. Under the SEC's standard example, it costs $48 in the first year on $10,000. Past results don't predict the future, and a plan should look at the whole portfolio, not one fund.
Who it may suit — and who should look elsewhere
May suit
- Investors wanting global robotics exposure, including Japanese and European makers such as Keyence, FANUC and ABB, for a 0.47% expense ratio.
- Long-term holders comfortable keeping a small, higher-risk slice through drops like the 25.4% fall from July 2024 to April 2025.
- Investors comparing robotics funds on cost: IBOT charges less than ROBO (0.95%), BOTZ (0.68%) and ROBT (0.65%).
Look elsewhere if
- Retirees seeking income: the yield was just 0.32% as of October 27, 2026, paid once a year.
- Investors wanting a long track record: IBOT launched in April 2023 and missed the 2020 crash and the 2022 bear market.
- People wanting a broad core fund: IBOT is non-diversified, and its top 10 holdings made up 39.5% of assets as of June 30, 2026.
Close alternatives
Matched by holdings overlap from the latest N-PORT reports.
| Fund | Overlap | Cost | Net assets | 1 yr | 3 yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IBOT this fund | — | 0.47% | $97.9M | +20.5% | +27.1% |
| ROBO ROBO Global Robotics & Automation Index ETF | 36% | 0.95% | $1.99B | +10.3% | +19.7% |
| BULD Pacer BlueStar Engineering the Future ETF | 33% | 0.6% | $14.9M | +24.2% | +26.6% |
| BOTZ Global X Robotics & Artificial Intelligence… | 31% | 0.68% | $3.44B | -11.9% | +14.8% |
| ROBT First Trust Nasdaq Artificial Intelligence … | 22% | 0.65% | $729.9M | +3.6% | +17.3% |
| MAKX ProShares S&P Kensho Smart Factories ETF | 20% | 0.58% | $4.9M | +18.3% | +30.9% |
Questions investors ask
Is IBOT good for a retirement portfolio?
IBOT is better seen as a small, higher-risk add-on than as a core holding. It holds about 65 robotics and automation stocks, and its beta of 1.68 over the year to October 27, 2026 means it has swung more than the broad market. Its deepest drop was 25.4%, from July 2024 to April 2025. It yields only 0.32%, paid once a year, so it offers little income. It may suit investors who want a modest slice of one theme alongside broader funds.
What's the difference between IBOT and ROBO?
Both are global robotics funds, but IBOT costs about half as much and is far smaller. IBOT's expense ratio is 0.47% versus 0.95% for ROBO, and about 36% of their holdings overlapped in the latest N-PORT reports. ROBO had about $2.0 billion in net assets as of July 31, 2026, versus about $97.9 million for IBOT as of June 30, 2026. Over the year to October 27, 2026, IBOT's price return was 20.5% versus 10.3% for ROBO.
Does IBOT pay dividends?
Yes, but not much, and only once a year. IBOT paid about $0.20 per share over the 12 months to October 27, 2026, a yield of 0.32%. That is typical for a fund full of growth-oriented technology and industrial companies, which tend to reinvest profits rather than pay large dividends. Investors looking for steady income from their portfolio would get very little from this fund.
What stocks are in the IBOT ETF?
As of June 30, 2026, the largest holdings were ASML at 5.3%, Keyence at 5.2%, ABB at 5.1%, Emerson Electric at 4.9% and NVIDIA at 4.6%. Rockwell Automation, Autodesk, FANUC, Teledyne and Applied Materials rounded out the top 10, which made up 39.5% of the fund. US stocks made up about 40% of the fund, Japan about 25%, Switzerland 7.4% and the Netherlands 6.9%.
How has IBOT performed since it launched?
From its April 2023 launch through December 31, 2025, IBOT returned 18.91% a year. That was slightly behind its index at 19.35% and the global MSCI ACWI Index at 19.81%. The fund gained 6.39% in 2024 and 28.35% in 2025, ahead of the MSCI ACWI's 22.34% that year. Its price rose 20.4% in 2026 through October 27. Its record is short, so it shows little about how the fund behaves in a long downturn.