On Wednesday, Defiance ETFs launched the Big Data ETF ($BIGY). Listed on the New York Stock Exchange, BIGY will give investors exposure to data science and analytics companies.
BIGY offers liquid, transparent, and low-cost access to globally-listed companies that derive most of their revenue or operating activity from solutions focused on: database management, data platforms, dev-ops, big data analytics, or API management. Its methodology zones in on the companies positioned best to reflect the developments in the Big Data space.
“Big Data, big potential opportunity. Data science is an emerging trend that has already taken hold. The race is on to extract actionable data from Big Data, thereby releasing business value and opening up previously unimagined capabilities. The companies at the heart of this process are at the heart of BIGY,” says Sylvia Jablonski, Co-founder and Chief Investment Officer of Defiance ETFs.
Data science is an increasingly popular trend. Jablonski states: “Utilizing new and existing data and discovering new ways to use new data to make a difference in the business operations of many companies across various sectors including healthcare, manufacturing, infrastructure, agriculture to name a few. It is such a popular topic because business owners have figured out that the analysis of this data can change the way that they work to deliver the utmost efficiency, whether that be selling goods, manufacturing goods, or ideal storage atmospheres, all of these improvements ultimately lead to better products, saved costs and really targeting good and services to what consumers ultimately need. It is also very popular because it is the key to artificial intelligence. It is the key to forming conclusions on years’ worth of data that has been untapped. When analyzed, the data can reveal helpful patterns, trends, or probabilities on outcomes.”
Jablonski continues: “One great example is in the medical field. Big data can be collected from years of manual entries, epic system entries, doctors’ notes, patient files, and x-rays to create a database of symptoms, treatments, and outcomes. Doctors can then research a current case and have this other level of information available to help support their diagnosis and optimize a treatment plan. Another level of that is also robots assisting surgeries based on data from past procedures. The positive impact to our society could be endless if big data is properly collected, stored, and analyzed for practical use.”
A BIGY Sector Focus
Jablonski explains that: “BIGY give investors a very unique and direct exposure to companies involved in the various aspects that go into the big data topic. BIGY will provide exposure to companies that derive at least half of their revenues from big data-related tasks.” This includes:
Companies involved in managing volume – “You have all of this data in various forms structured and unstructured data- text messages, video, photo – all of these things are stored somewhere. Every day we generate more and more and more.. all of this needs to live somewhere, so there are companies in this index that are addressing that volume concern and storage.”
Companies involved in providing speed, efficiency, or velocity – “How quickly data is being generated, but also how quickly it is accessible is a major factor in making big data usable– can you access it with a delay or real-time- companies in the index that are addressing data availability and integration.”
Companies that can take data from different types of programs, databases, languages, and manage variety – “Data was once collected from one place and delivered in one format. Once taking the shape of database files – such as Excel, CSV, and access – it is now being presented in non-traditional forms, like video, text, pdf, and graphics on social media and via tech such as wearable devices. Although this data is beneficial to us, it does create more work and requires more analytical skills to decipher this incoming data, make it manageable and allow it to work. For example, you have Data that is being stored on an oracle database vs. SQL. It’s been challenging for those companies to talk to each other and use that data as one.. so other companies are figuring out how to combine and access this data.”
When looking at the possibility of volatility, Jablonski adds: “As is the case with investing in the market generally, volatility could impact the performance experience, particularly for short-term trades. We view this as part of the fourth industrial revolution. This is innovation at its core, the future of technology. If you think about where FANG was ten years ago, this feels like that group of companies and a subset of opportunities. These are investments for the next decade. The next generation, if you will, of tech could come in the form of 5G, Big Data, and Machine Learning/Quantum Computing.”
Finally, to speak to the goals of BIGY, Jablonski notes that “BIGY will continue to seek to provide exposure to investors, to the listed companies who are most deeply invested in making big data deeply practical for small and large businesses and across all sectors.”
For more information, visit defianceetfs.com.