American Century Investments
American Century Investments is a privately held Kansas City-based asset manager founded in 1958, serving individual investors, financial advisors, and institutional clients via mutual funds, factor-based and active ETFs, target-date portfolios, and SMAs through its Avantis Investors subsidiary, managing over $340 billion in assets.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1958
- HeadquartersKansas City, United States
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What American Century Investments does
American Century Investments is a Kansas City-based investment management firm founded in 1958 that serves individual investors, financial advisors and registered investment advisors, institutional investors, and defined contribution plan sponsors. The firm offers a multi-product platform spanning mutual funds, actively managed ETFs (including factor-based and quality strategies), target-date portfolios (One Choice), collective investment trusts, separately managed accounts, private investments, and UCITS/offshore funds for non-U.S. investors. Distribution combines direct-to-consumer website sales, financial advisor and RIA channels, dedicated institutional sales, and ETF marketplace listings across the U.S., Europe, Canada, and Asia Pacific.
The firm's core investment capabilities are organized across global growth equity, global value equity, disciplined equity, global fixed income, multi-asset strategies, and systematic active strategies. The Avantis Investors subsidiary is the centerpiece of the systematic active franchise, employing factor-based processes that tilt toward cheaper, more profitable companies via proprietary rules-based indexes (Alpha Vee American Century Diversified International Equity Index, U.S. Quality Growth, and U.S. Quality Value). The firm also maintains both transparent and non-transparent active ETFs, supporting differentiation within the active ETF wrapper category.
The business model is a fee-based asset management franchise: management fees on mutual funds, ETFs, separately managed accounts, and CITs, scaled to AUM. ETF expense ratios are disclosed publicly and range roughly from 0.15% to 0.29%. The company is privately held and majority-owned by the Stowers Institute for Medical Research, which receives over 40% of annual dividends for biomedical research — an unusual ownership structure that shapes brand positioning ("Prosper with Purpose") but does not directly affect fee economics. As of June 2026, total AUM exceeds $340 billion across U.S., European (UCITS), Canadian (CIBC), and Asia Pacific operations; the firm ranks 4th among U.S. active ETF issuers by AUM.
American Century Investments firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- American Century Investments
- Legal name
- American Century Proprietary Holdings Inc.
- Website
- https://americancentury.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1958
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- American Century Investments is a privately held Kansas City-based asset manager founded in 1958, serving individual investors, financial advisors, and institutional clients via mutual funds, factor-based and active ETFs, target-date portfolios, and SMAs through its Avantis Investors subsidiary, managing over $340 billion in assets.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
American Century Investments industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Asset Management
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Open-End Investment Funds (525910), Other Financial Vehicles (52599), Other Investment Pools and Funds (5259)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Global/International & Emerging Markets Mutual Funds (FSAAAEAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Large-Cap Equity (Active) (FSAAAIAA), Institutional Consulting RIAs (OCIO/Endowments/Foundations/Pensions) (FSAAACAG), Real Assets & Infrastructure ETFs (REITs, Infrastructure, Natural Resources) (FSAAAFAH), Sector & Industry Equity ETFs (FSAAAFAC)
Keywords
Where American Century Investments is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kansas City
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
American Century Investments business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Investment Management Fees: American Century earns management fees from mutual funds, ETFs, and separately managed accounts based on assets under management. Fee structures vary by product type and share class, with expense ratios ranging from 0.15% to 0.50%+ depending on the fund strategy and vehicle.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | ETFs - Low cost active management |
| Subscription | Annual | Mutual Funds - Multiple share classes |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels4 records
American Century Investments product offering
Product offeringCore offering
American Century Investments is an investment manager that sells actively and passively managed mutual funds, ETFs (including the factor-based Avantis product family), target-date portfolios, separately managed accounts, collective investment trusts, UCITS/offshore funds, and private market strategies. Its subsidiaries — Avantis Investors and American Century Capital Portfolios — broaden its offerings across factor, fixed income, and multi-asset mandates. Revenue is generated primarily from management and advisory fees on assets under management.
Product overview
American Century Investments is an investment management firm offering a comprehensive suite of investment products across multiple channels. The core offerings include mutual funds, ETFs, and advisory solutions. The Avantis Investors sub-brand provides a diversified family of factor-based actively managed ETFs spanning U.S. equity (AVUV, AVUS, AVLV, AVMC, AVLC), international equity (AVDE, AVSD), emerging markets (AVEM, AVES), real estate (AVRE), and multi-equity markets (AVGV). The firm also offers UCITS ETFs for European investors (AVUS, AVEU, AVPE). Additional products include specialty ETFs like ASEC for securitized credit, QGRO for quality growth, and FDG for focused dynamic growth. Traditional offerings encompass mutual funds, target-date portfolios (One Choice), collective investment trusts, separately managed accounts, and private investments. The total assets under management exceed $340 billion as of 2026.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Avantis Investors: Global factor-based investment platform offering ETFs and strategies across U.S., international, and emerging markets equities, focusing on value and profitability factors.
- One Choice Target Date Portfolios
- Prosper with Purpose
Products and services
- American Century Mutual Funds Actively and passively managed mutual fund products spanning U.S. equity, international equity, fixed income, and multi-asset strategies for retail investors, advisors, and retirement plans.
- Avantis Investors ETFs Factor-based exchange-traded funds distributed through the Avantis Investors subsidiary for investors and advisors seeking systematic equity and fixed income strategies.
- One Choice Target Date Portfolios Target-date portfolio series for workplace retirement plans that automatically adjust asset allocation along a glidepath toward retirement.
- Separately Managed Accounts (SMAs) Direct ownership separately managed accounts providing customized portfolio management for advisors and individual investors.
- Collective Investment Trusts (CITs) Bank-maintained collective investment trusts providing institutional share class access to American Century strategies for retirement plans.
- UCITS and Offshore Funds Internationally registered fund vehicles offering non-U.S. retail and institutional investors access to American Century investment strategies.
- Private Investments Platform Private market investment vehicles giving qualified investors access to private equity, private credit, and venture strategies managed or sponsored by the firm.
Quantifiable outcome
- Avantis U.S. Small Cap Value ETF (AVUV) returned 82% over five years compared to IWM's 33% return
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use American Century Investments
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
American Century Investments technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
American Century Investments partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.
- CIBC Asset ManagementmajorCIBC Asset Management announced a strategic alliance with Avantis Investors to launch eight new ETFs in Canada. The partnership brings Avantis factor-based investment strategies to Canadian investors through the Toronto Stock Exchange. The first ETFs launched in February-March 2026, including Canadian and U.S. equity mandates, with additional emerging markets, international, and global small cap value offerings following.
- CIBC Asset ManagementmajorAvantis Investors launched eight Avantis CIBC ETFs in Canada, including Canadian Equity ETF, U.S. Equity ETF, Emerging Markets ETF, International Equity ETF, and Global Small Cap Value ETF. The partnership expands Avantis global footprint into the Canadian market.
- NomuracoreNomura is identified as a strategic partner of American Century Investments. The partnership includes regulatory entities in multiple jurisdictions including American Century Investment Management (UK) Limited, American Century Investment Management (Asia Pacific) Limited in Hong Kong, American Century Investments (EU) GmbH in Germany, and American Century Investment Management (AU) Pty Limited in Australia.
- NBC Sports (American Century Championship)minorAmerican Century Investments sponsors the American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament, an annual event organized with NBC Sports that benefits community organizations and local charities. The 2025 event distributed $115,000 to area non-profits.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights6 records
American Century Investments competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- T. Rowe Price: Global traditional active asset manager with a comparable product shelf (mutual funds, ETFs, SMAs, target-date) and strong distribution through advisor and institutional channels. Overlaps most directly with American Century's equity, multi-asset, and retirement-focused strategies.
- Franklin Templeton: Multi-affiliate global asset manager offering mutual funds, ETFs, and institutional strategies. Similar in scale and product breadth to American Century, with overlapping equity and multi-asset strategies plus a comparable institutional and intermediary distribution footprint.
- Invesco: Global investment manager with a strong ETF franchise (Invesco QQQ) and an active-ETF lineup that directly competes with Avantis for advisor wallet share. Similar product mix across active ETFs, mutual funds, and institutional mandates.
- Dimensional Fund Advisors: Acclaimed factor-based asset manager with an academic and empirical heritage most analogous to Avantis's value/profitability/quality tilts. Direct competitor for advisor and institutional factor-tilt mandates and the closest strategic analog to the Avantis franchise.
- Victory Capital: Multi-franchise active asset manager with a strong ETF and mutual fund lineup that includes factor and systematic strategies analogous to Avantis. Comparable scale, product breadth, and intermediary distribution emphasis.
Broad incumbents
- Fidelity Investments: One of the largest U.S. asset managers with a deep mutual fund and ETF lineup and a comparable focus on individual investors, advisors, and retirement plans. Competes with American Century across retail fund families, target-date, and 401(k) QDIA mandates.
- BlackRock: Largest global asset manager and dominant ETF issuer (iShares). Overlaps with American Century's active ETF and institutional subadvisory businesses and is a benchmark for scale and distribution in the firm's segment.
- Vanguard: Low-cost passive leader that pressures fee levels across the industry, including American Century's active mutual fund book. Vanguard's target-date and balanced strategies are competing QDIA options in DC plans where American Century also competes.
- State Street Global Advisors: Major asset manager anchored by the SPDR ETF franchise, with active and factor strategies that compete for advisor and institutional wallet share. Comparable scale and global institutional footprint.
Emerging players
- WisdomTree: ETF-led asset manager known for factor-based and fundamentally weighted strategies. Smaller scale than American Century/Avantis but a direct competitor for factor-tilt ETF allocations in advisor portfolios.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
American Century Investments social profiles
Digital presenceAmerican Century Investments financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
American Century Investments leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
American Century Investments subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries6 records
American Century Investments funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
American Century Investments M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments6 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about American Century Investments
What does American Century Investments do?
American Century Investments is an investment manager that sells actively and passively managed mutual funds, ETFs (including the factor-based Avantis product family), target-date portfolios, separately managed accounts, collective investment trusts, UCITS/offshore funds, and private market strategies. Its subsidiaries — Avantis Investors and American Century Capital Portfolios — broaden its offerings across factor, fixed income, and multi-asset mandates. Revenue is generated primarily from management and advisory fees on assets under management.
Is American Century Investments a public or private company?
American Century Investments is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was American Century Investments founded?
American Century Investments was founded in 1958. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is American Century Investments based?
American Century Investments is headquartered in Kansas City, United States, in the North America region.
How does American Century Investments make money?
One revenue line is on record: investment Management Fees.
Who are American Century Investments's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are T. Rowe Price, Franklin Templeton, Invesco, Dimensional Fund Advisors and Victory Capital. Broad incumbents are Fidelity Investments, BlackRock, Vanguard and State Street Global Advisors. WisdomTree is listed as an emerging player.
Does American Century Investments have an API?
No public API is recorded for American Century Investments.
What industry is American Century Investments in?
American Century Investments's product category is Asset Management. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAAAEAK, Global/International & Emerging Markets Mutual Funds, with a secondary code of FSAAAIAA, Large-Cap Equity (Active). Its NAICS code is 523940 and its SIC code is 6282.