ARK Invest buys $52M in SpaceX ahead of Starship Test 13

ARK Invest deployed $52.1 million into SpaceX across multiple exchange-traded funds during the week ended July 10, adding to its largest private-company holding as the Elon Musk-led company prepared for its 13th Starship launch, according to daily trade disclosures published by the firm.

The purchase, spread across four ARK funds including the flagship ARKK and the ARK Space Exploration & Innovation ETF, reflects the firm's conviction in commercial space as SpaceX prepares to fly its next Starship prototype from its Boca Chica, Texas, facility on July 16. The test mission will carry the first V3 Starlink satellites, marking a milestone in the company's satellite internet expansion as it seeks to boost network capacity and reduce latency for end users. SpaceX has completed 12 prior Starship tests since April 2023, with each successive flight achieving longer duration and more complex objectives.

ARK also added shares of Eli Lilly, Meta Platforms, X-Energy, Coinbase Global and Circle Internet Group during the same period, while reducing positions in Advanced Micro Devices, Roku and Robinhood Markets, according to the Foreign Policy Journal, which first reported the weekly trade data. The firm cut its genomics holdings across Natera, Illumina, Twist Bioscience, 10x Genomics and BioNTech, paring exposure to a sector that has underperformed broader markets this year. The ARK Genomic Revolution ETF has fallen about 6% year-to-date, trailing the S&P 500.

The portfolio rotation shifts capital toward space, artificial intelligence platforms and digital finance — sectors that align with ARK's long-held thematic investment framework. SpaceX, valued at roughly $350 billion in secondary market transactions, remains the firm's largest private-market bet. ARK first acquired SpaceX shares in 2021 and has added to the position in subsequent rounds as the company's valuation has grown from about $100 billion, according to prior disclosures.

The Starship program is central to SpaceX's growth narrative. The fully reusable rocket, the largest ever built at 120 meters tall, is designed to carry payloads and crew to orbit, the moon and Mars. Flight 13 follows an April test that achieved a controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean after a suborbital trajectory. Thursday's launch will test upgraded heat shield tiles and the V3 satellite deployment mechanism, both critical for operational missions planned for later this year. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration issued the launch license for Flight 13 on July 14.

ARK's $52.1 million SpaceX purchase represents one of its largest weekly allocations to a single name this year. The firm's ARKK flagship fund has returned roughly 12% year-to-date, outperforming the S&P 500's 8% gain, driven by holdings in Tesla, Coinbase and Roku. The fund has about $15 billion in assets under management, according to the latest available data.

The second-quarter earnings season, which begins this week, will test whether ARK's rotation into space and digital assets and away from semiconductors and genomics pays off. SpaceX does not report quarterly earnings as a private company, but its Starlink division has been generating positive cash flow since late 2024, according to published reports. The division's subscriber base has grown to more than 4 million users globally, providing a recurring revenue stream that supports the broader Starship development program. For ARK, the bet is that SpaceX's increasing launch cadence and Starlink's expanding revenue base will justify the premium valuation as the company edges closer to an eventual public listing.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.