Empowered Funds
Empowered Funds operates ETF Architect, a white-label ETF platform enabling RIAs, family offices, and asset managers to launch, convert, and manage exchange-traded funds, currently overseeing $36.5B+ in AUM across 107 ETFs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersNewtown Square, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Empowered Funds does
Empowered Funds operates ETF Architect, a white-label ETF platform and registered investment adviser headquartered in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania. Founded in 2013 and led by Wes Gray (PhD, University of Chicago; former Marine Corps Captain), the firm provides end-to-end infrastructure for fund managers, RIAs, family offices, mutual funds, and hedge funds to launch, convert, and manage exchange-traded funds under the EA Series Trust vehicle. The platform supports new strategy launches, SMA-to-ETF conversions, mutual fund-to-ETF conversions, and hedge fund-to-ETF conversions, including the first-ever tax-free hedge fund-to-ETF conversion for Upholdings in 2020. Empowered Funds has scaled to manage 107 ETFs with $36.5B+ in AUM as of May 2026, with an average new ETF launch time of under four months and claimed cost savings of more than 50% versus alternative providers. The proprietary 351 Architect™ software manages legal, compliance, tax, and diversification requirements for tax-free exchanges.
The firm's revenue model is anchored in ETF management fees generated from sponsored products, including the Freedom 100 Emerging Markets ETF (FRDM, scaled from $5M to over $400M), the MarketDesk Focused U.S. Momentum ETF (FMTM, $242.86M AUM), three pending Bitcoin futures ETFs filed under the Ark Invest and 21Shares brands, and a broad portfolio of partner-branded ETFs distributed via major U.S. exchanges (NYSE, Nasdaq, CBOE) through PINE Distributors LLC. Empowered Funds is veteran-owned and operated, with a lean staff of 11-50 employees supporting vertical integration across product development, launch, and ongoing management.
Recent strategic activity includes the July 2026 filing of Bitcoin futures ETFs in partnership with Ark Invest/21Shares, the March 2025 launch of FMTM with MarketDesk Indices, and the March 2026 liquidation of Strive International Developed Markets ETF and Strive Mid-Cap ETF, reflecting both active product expansion and selective portfolio pruning.
Empowered Funds firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Empowered Funds
- Legal name
- EMPOWERED FUNDS
- Website
- https://etfarchitect.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Empowered Funds operates ETF Architect, a white-label ETF platform enabling RIAs, family offices, and asset managers to launch, convert, and manage exchange-traded funds, currently overseeing $36.5B+ in AUM across 107 ETFs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Empowered Funds is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Newtown Square
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Empowered Funds business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- ETF Management Fees: Empowered Funds generates revenue through management fees from ETF products it sponsors and manages, including Bitcoin futures ETFs and equity ETFs.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels2 records
Empowered Funds product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Empowered Funds, operating through its ETF Architect brand, is an SEC-registered investment adviser and white-label ETF platform that helps asset managers, RIAs, family offices, hedge funds, and mutual fund firms build, launch, and manage exchange-traded funds. The firm also directly sponsors and manages its own ETFs (including the Freedom 100 Emerging Markets ETF and MarketDesk Focused U.S. Momentum ETF) and uses its proprietary 351 Architect™ software to execute tax-free conversions of separately managed accounts, mutual funds, and hedge funds into the ETF wrapper.
Product overview
Empowered Funds LLC is an ETF sponsor managing a focused portfolio of exchange-traded funds. The company's flagship products include the Freedom 100 Emerging Markets ETF (FRDM), which uses a proprietary freedom-weighted indexing approach, and the MarketDesk Focused U.S. Momentum ETF (FMTM), a momentum-focused domestic equity product. Empowered Funds has also filed for Bitcoin futures ETFs in partnership with Ark and 21Shares. The firm previously managed Strive-branded ETFs including International Developed Markets and Mid-Cap products, which were liquidated in March 2026.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- ETF Architect White-Label ETF Platform End-to-end white-label ETF sponsorship, operations, compliance, and distribution platform for independent RIAs, family offices, hedge funds, mutual fund managers, banks, and brokers seeking to launch or convert investment strategies into ETFs.
- Freedom 100 Emerging Markets ETF (FRDM) Emerging markets ETF that tracks a freedom-weighted proprietary index, excluding autocracies and state-owned enterprises while emphasizing countries with high civil, political, and economic freedom scores; scaled from $5mm to over $400mm AUM.
- MarketDesk Focused U.S. Momentum ETF (FMTM) U.S. equity momentum ETF that invests in momentum stocks across diversified sectors of U.S. equity markets, managed by Empowered Funds LLC with MarketDesk Indices LLC as co-manager.
- Bitcoin Futures ETFs (Ark and 21Shares brands) SEC-filed Bitcoin futures ETFs sponsored by Empowered Funds under the Ark and 21Shares brands, providing regulated, futures-based institutional access to digital asset strategies.
Companies that use Empowered Funds
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Empowered Funds technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Empowered Funds partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Ark Invest / 21SharescoreEmpowered Funds recently filed for three Bitcoin futures ETFs under the Ark and 21Shares brands, expanding institutional access beyond spot products. This partnership brings together Ark Invest's crypto expertise with Empowered Funds' ETF sponsorship capabilities.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Empowered Funds competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- WisdomTree: Established mid-to-large ETF sponsor with broad product coverage including equity, fixed income, and alternatives. Represents the broader incumbent set Empowered Funds competes with for asset raiser mandates and distribution.
- BlackRock iShares: Largest global ETF sponsor and dominant incumbent. Comparable industry segment but vastly larger scale; iShares represents the cost-competitive incumbent that compresses fees for the entire ETF industry.
- Vanguard: Major incumbent ETF sponsor with industry-leading low-cost products. Competes for the same end-investor dollars and shapes fee expectations across the asset management landscape.
Others
- Bridgeway Capital Management: Mutual fund firm that converted several funds (BBLU, BSVO, $1B+ in assets) into ETFs via Empowered Funds' platform. Comparable as a customer and as a peer in the actively-managed ETF space.
- PINE Distributors LLC: Distribution partner disclosed on ETF Architect's site for Empowered Funds' ETFs. An ecosystem enabler comparable as a third-party distributor serving the same ETF sponsor ecosystem.
Direct peers
- Tidal Investments: Tidal Financial Group operates a white-label ETF platform similar to ETF Architect, supporting fund launches, active ETFs, and crypto-related products. Competes directly for sponsor mandates and ETF conversions.
- Alpha Architect: Sister firm to Empowered Funds with shared leadership (Wes Gray); operates quantitative equity ETF products including factor and custom-strategy funds. Highly comparable business model and product overlap, including custom indexing and ETF sponsorship.
- Exchange Traded Concepts: One of the largest independent white-label ETF platforms, providing turnkey ETF launches, conversions, and management services. Closest direct competitor to Empowered Funds/ETF Architect in serving RIAs, hedge funds, and asset managers seeking ETF wrappers.
- InfraCap: Niche ETF sponsor leveraging white-label partners to launch specialized ETFs (REITs, preferreds, MLP, etc.). Comparable as a small sponsor relying on white-label platforms for product launches and operations.
Emerging players
- ARK Invest: Large thematic ETF issuer and one of Empowered Funds' named partners (with 21Shares). Comparable in the ETF space, though operating its own products; represents both a customer and a peer on the sponsor side.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks4 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Empowered Funds social profiles
Digital presenceEmpowered Funds financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Empowered Funds leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Empowered Funds funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Empowered Funds M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Empowered Funds
What does Empowered Funds do?
Empowered Funds, operating through its ETF Architect brand, is an SEC-registered investment adviser and white-label ETF platform that helps asset managers, RIAs, family offices, hedge funds, and mutual fund firms build, launch, and manage exchange-traded funds. The firm also directly sponsors and manages its own ETFs (including the Freedom 100 Emerging Markets ETF and MarketDesk Focused U.S. Momentum ETF) and uses its proprietary 351 Architect™ software to execute tax-free conversions of separately managed accounts, mutual funds, and hedge funds into the ETF wrapper.
Is Empowered Funds a public or private company?
Empowered Funds is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Empowered Funds founded?
Empowered Funds was founded in 2013. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Empowered Funds based?
Empowered Funds is headquartered in Newtown Square, United States, in the North America region.
How does Empowered Funds make money?
One revenue line is on record: ETF Management Fees.
Who are Empowered Funds's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are WisdomTree, BlackRock iShares and Vanguard. Others are Bridgeway Capital Management and PINE Distributors LLC. Direct peers are Tidal Investments, Alpha Architect, Exchange Traded Concepts and InfraCap. ARK Invest is listed as an emerging player.
Does Empowered Funds have an API?
No public API is recorded for Empowered Funds.