This New Themes ETF Lets You Bet On China's ChatGPT Rivals

American investors now have a new means of accessing China’s rapidly evolving artificial intelligence environment, without needing to use a VPN or a Chinese tutor. Themes ETFs launched the Themes China Generative AI ETF DRGN on Wednesday, the first U.S.-listed ETF exclusively investing in Chinese firms driving the generative AI revolution. The fund opened for trading on July 15, launching with an expense ratio of 0.39%, among the lowest in the AI ETF universe.

Forget the typical U.S.-focused spin on Nvidia NVDA or Microsoft MSFT. DRGN cracks open a door to a high-growth but frequently undercovered segment of the AI universe: China’s homegrown talent.

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Chinese AI proficiency is greater than DeepSeek, according to Paul Marino, Themes ETFs chief revenue officer. There are among the world’s top AI experts emerging in China, and the ETF provides a mechanism for American investors to surf that wave without leaving U.S. markets.

DRGN tracks the BITA China Generative AI Select Index, which comprises publicly traded Chinese companies listed in the U.S., Hong Kong or accessible via Stock Connect that derive substantial revenue from generative AI activities—including model training and provisioning, application software, and AI infrastructure and hardware across the full stack.

This is Themes ETFs’ 19th fund since its launch in December 2023. Although the firm is most recognized for pursuing niche tech and thematic plays, its offerings also encompass cybersecurity, defense, and cloud, as well as gold miners, banks, and U.S. infrastructure.

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