The folks at a Mid-Atlantic fund firm with $15 billion in assets are helping a 33-year-old, $4.5-billion-AUM (as of September 30) subadvisor in the Keystone State enter the ETF space. The new offering is also the fund firm's first subadvised ETF and the fund firm's first equity ETF.

Alexander Robert "Alex" Morris F/m Investments CEO, Chief Investment Officer

Last Thursday (October 31), Alex Morris, CEO of F/m Investments [profile], and Scott Rehr, CEO of Emerald Advisers, unveiled the launch of the F/m Emerald Life Sciences Innovation ETF (LFSC on the Nasdaq). Washington, D.C.-based F/m serves as LFSC's investment advisor, while Lancaster, Pennsylvania-based Emerald Mutual Fund Advisers Trust serves as subadvisor.

Scott Lambert Rehr Emerald Advisers CEO

LFSC is an actively managed, diversified series of the RBB Fund, Inc. The new fund's inception date was October 30 (last Wednesday), and its expense ratio if 54 basis points. (That bakes in a 25bps fee waiver promised through December 31, 2025.)

The new ETF's PM team includes five Emerald executives: Joseph Garner, director of research; Kenneth Mertz, chief investment officer; Stacey Sears, senior vice president; and Terry Smith and Nishit Trivedi, both directors of life sciences research.

Morris describes LFSC as "an opportunity for investors to tap into the transformative advancements taking place in healthcare and biotech."

"We're proud to partner with Emerald to offer investors access to the dynamic growth potential of this crucial sector and look forward to developing additional products in the future to meet investors' needs," Morris states.

Sears adds that the new fund gives "investors access to some of the most cutting-edge developments in healthcare and biotechnology." And Garner notes that the new ETF "everages Emerald's proprietary 10-Step Research Process, combining fundamental analysis with hands-on research to identify companies that ... are at the forefront of life sciences innovation, where disruptive advancements push the boundaries of healthcare and can create long-term value for shareholders by capturing early growth opportunities."

"We say 'innovation starts small,' as small-cap companies are often first-movers, particularly in sectors like gene therapies and medical diagnostics, where they can be nimble and groundbreaking," Sears states. "Emerald's proprietary research-driven process focuses on identifying these high-potential firms early, leveraging our sector-specific investment team to capture the most promising life sciences opportunities, positioning the fund for potential long-term growth."

Rehr puts the launch of LFSC in the context of Emerald's "long history of identifying high-growth opportunities in emerging sectors." He adds that the move reflects the firm's "commitment to delivering innovative investment solutions that align with long-term growth trends."

"As we explored entering the active ETF space, it was crucial to find a partner with a proven history in ETF governance who understands the complexities involved," Rehr states. "That's why we chose to partner with The RBB Fund Complex. This partnership enables us to bring a new and innovative ETF to market backed by both Emerald’s rigorous research process and RBB’s operational experience."

LFSC's other service providers include: Cohen & Company, Ltd. as independent accounting firm; Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP as counsel; Quasar Distributors, LLC (part of ACA's Foreside) as distributor and underwriter; U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC (dba U.S. Bank Global Fund Services) as administrator, dividend disbursing agent, and transfer agent; and U.S. Bank, N.A. as custodian and securities lending agent. 

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