Defiance Launches AT, the First* U.S.-Listed ETF Dedicated to Robotics Actuators

MIAMI, Sept. 15, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Defiance ETFs, a leader in thematic and income ETFs, today announced the launch of the Defiance Robotics Actuators ETF (Cboe: AT), the first U.S.-listed ETF dedicated to robotics actuators.* AT is designed to provide targeted exposure to the component layer of the humanoid robotics buildout: the companies that design and manufacture the actuator systems and precision motion components, from servo motors and harmonic drives to ball screws and encoders, that turn a robot’s instructions into movement.

Mechanically, a humanoid robot is a collection of actuators. Each joint needs a motor, a gearbox, an encoder, and a controller working as one unit, and a full-body humanoid carries dozens of them. McKinsey estimates that actuators account for 40% to 60% of a humanoid robot’s bill of materials, making them among the largest cost drivers and key performance differentiators and the primary performance differentiator in the machine, and notes that they depend on one of the least developed supplier ecosystems in the hardware stack. The compact strain-wave gearboxes used in humanoid joints remain concentrated among a small group of manufacturers, their production is precision-bound and capital-intensive, and McKinsey’s April 2026 analysis concluded that demand could outpace the speed at which suppliers can add qualified capacity as humanoid volumes rise. Defiance believes the companies that own that capacity sit at a chokepoint of the humanoid supply chain.

Volume is beginning to arrive. Tesla has converted the former Model S and Model X line at its Fremont factory to build Optimus, a robot McKinsey counts at 28 joint actuators in its body plus 50 more in its hands, and Tesla said on its first-quarter 2026 earnings call that Optimus production was slated to begin in late summer 2026. Schaeffler, the German bearings and motion technology group, has signed three humanoid actuator supply partnerships in five months and has said it expects up to 10% of group sales in 2035 to come from new sectors including humanoid robotics. TrendForce projects that China’s humanoid robot output will nearly double in 2026.

“Every conversation about humanoid robots is about the brain. The brain does not lift anything. The actuators do, and there are dozens of them in every robot, built by a short list of companies most investors have never owned. AT gives investors one ticker for that layer: the reducers, motors, screws, and motion components that every humanoid program, in every country, has to buy or build,” said Sylvia Jablonski, Chief Investment Officer of Defiance ETFs.

AT seeks to track the MarketVector Humanoid Actuator Index (the “Index”), a thematic index designed to track the performance of companies that are primarily involved in the design, development, manufacturing, and supply of actuator systems and precision motion components used in humanoid robotics and advanced automation applications. The Index is comprised of U.S. and non-U.S. companies that derive at least 50% of their revenues from actuator systems, motion control components, and related technologies that enable articulated movement in humanoid robots, collaborative robots, and next-generation automation systems.

Investment Objective

The Defiance Robotics Actuators ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to track the total return performance, before fees and expenses, of the MarketVector Humanoid Actuator Index (the “Index”).

Inside the Index

To be eligible for the Index, a company must derive at least 50% of its revenues from the design, development, manufacturing, or supply of actuator systems, motion control components, and related technologies that enable articulated movement in humanoid robots, collaborative robots, and next-generation automation systems. Eligible activities include:

• Servo motors and reducers. Development and manufacturing of servo motors, harmonic drives, and cycloidal reducers.
• Precision gearboxes. Production of precision gearboxes and motion transmission systems.
• Screws and linear actuators. Manufacturing of ball screws, linear actuators, and electromechanical drive systems.
• Motion control. Supply of motion control components, including controllers, encoders, and feedback systems.
• Bearings and motion assemblies. Design and production of high-precision bearings, couplings, and rotary and linear motion assemblies, excluding the automotive end market.
• Micro-actuation. Manufacturing of micro-actuation and electromechanical systems used in precision motion and robotic articulation.
• Integrated actuator modules. Production of integrated actuator modules and subsystems used in robotics platforms.
• Robot systems. Humanoid and consumer robot systems.
• Multi-axis movement. Supply of components enabling multi-axis movement and human-like kinematics in robotic systems.

Fund Details

AT carries an expense ratio of 0.69%. Defiance ETFs, LLC serves as the Fund’s investment adviser, and Penserra Capital Management LLC serves as sub-adviser. AT joins Defiance’s lineup of thematic ETFs spanning humanoid robotics, quantum computing, drones and modern warfare, AI infrastructure, and other next-generation technologies. For more information, including full holdings, visit www.defianceetfs.com/at.

About Defiance ETFs

Defiance is a leader in first-mover thematic ETFs designed to provide exposure to the emerging technology sectors defining the future.

We build ETFs around areas that are moving beyond themes and becoming distinct investable categories, from quantum computing and AI infrastructure to modern warfare and other emerging sectors reshaping global markets.

Our approach is built around purity of exposure: identifying these categories early and creating ETFs that give investors targeted access.

Media Contact

Brenda Hentschel
Gregory Agency
bhentschel@gregoryagency.com
201.705.3758

IMPORTANT DISCLOSURES

Defiance ETFs, LLC is the Fund’s investment adviser. Penserra Capital Management LLC is the Fund’s sub-adviser. The Fund is a series of ETF Series Solutions and is distributed by Foreside Fund Services, LLC.

The Fund’s investment objective, risks, charges, and expenses must be considered carefully before investing. The prospectus and summary prospectus contain this and other important information about the investment company and can be obtained by visiting www.defianceetfs.com. Please read the prospectus and/or summary prospectus carefully before investing. Hard copies can be requested by calling 833.333.9383.

Investing involves risk. Principal loss is possible. As an ETF, the Fund may trade at a premium or discount to NAV. Shares are bought and sold at market price (not NAV) and are not individually redeemed from the Fund. There is no guarantee the Fund will achieve its investment objective, and an investor may lose some or all of its investment.

New Fund Risk. The Fund is a recently organized investment company with no operating history. As a result, prospective investors have no track record or history on which to base their investment decision.

Concentration Risk. The Fund’s investments will be concentrated in a particular industry or group of related industries to the extent that the Index is so concentrated, which may cause the value of Shares to rise and fall more than the value of shares of a fund that invests across a broader range of industries.

Robotics Actuator Companies Risk. Robotics Actuator Companies operate in rapidly evolving markets dependent on the adoption of robotics technologies, which may not develop as expected. Their performance is sensitive to capital spending cycles in industrial end markets, making them vulnerable to economic downturns. Robotics Actuator Companies also rely on complex global supply chains, which may be disrupted by shortages, geopolitical events, or cost increases. They face risks related to technological change, competition, product defects, system failures, and cybersecurity, and may be subject to future regulatory, safety, and product liability risks.

Machinery Industry Risk. Companies in the machinery industry may be subject to risks associated with cyclical demand, high capital intensity, and technological obsolescence, and face challenges from fluctuating commodity and energy costs, supply chain disruptions, and the availability of skilled labor. Rapid advances in technology and customer demand for automation, efficiency, and sustainability require continuous investment in research and development, which may not always generate successful products or adequate returns.

Sector Risk; Industrials Sector Risk. To the extent the Fund invests more heavily in particular sectors of the economy, its performance will be especially sensitive to developments that significantly affect those sectors. The industrials sector can be significantly affected by worldwide economic growth, supply and demand for specific products and services, rapid technological developments, international political and economic developments, environmental issues, tariffs and trade barriers, and tax and governmental regulatory policies.

Equity Market Risk. Common stocks are generally exposed to greater risk than other securities, such as preferred stock and debt obligations, because common stockholders generally have inferior rights to receive payment from issuers. The equity securities held in the Fund’s portfolio may experience sudden, unpredictable drops in value or long periods of decline, because of factors affecting securities markets generally or specific issuers, industries, or sectors.

Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in non-U.S. securities involve certain risks that may not be present with investments in U.S. securities, including risk of loss due to foreign currency fluctuations, the imposition of tariffs, or political or economic instability. There may be less information publicly available about a non-U.S. issuer than a U.S. issuer. Investments in non-U.S. securities also may be subject to withholding or other taxes and to additional trading, settlement, custodial, and operational risks.

Currency Exchange Rate Risk. The Fund may invest in investments denominated in non-U.S. currencies or in securities that provide exposure to such currencies. Changes in currency exchange rates and the relative value of non-U.S. currencies will affect the value of the Fund’s investments and the value of your Shares. Currency exchange rates can be very volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably.

Depositary Receipt Risk. Depositary receipts involve risks similar to those associated with investments in foreign securities. When the Fund invests in depositary receipts as a substitute for an investment directly in the underlying shares, the Fund is exposed to the risk that the depositary receipts may not provide a return that corresponds precisely with that of the underlying shares.

Emerging Markets Risk. The Fund may invest in companies organized in emerging market nations. Such investments can involve additional risks relating to global trade policy as well as political, economic, or regulatory conditions not associated with investments in U.S. securities or investments in more developed international markets.

Geographic Investment Risk. The Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in the securities of companies in a single country and, as a result, is more likely to be impacted by events or conditions affecting that country. Investments in Chinese issuers, including issuers that trade on an exchange in Hong Kong, subject the Fund to risks specific to China and Hong Kong, including considerable degrees of economic, political, and social instability, governmental influence, and a lack of publicly available information. For purposes of raising capital offshore, many Chinese-based operating companies are structured as variable interest entities, which provide exposure to the underlying operating company only through contractual arrangements and involve the risk that such arrangements are not recognized or enforceable under Chinese law. The Japanese economy may be subject to considerable degrees of economic, political, and social instability, relatively low growth, and the risk of natural disasters such as earthquakes, volcanoes, typhoons, and tsunamis.

Capital Controls and Sanctions Risk. Economic conditions, political events, military action, and other conditions may, without prior warning, lead to foreign government intervention and the imposition of capital controls and/or sanctions, including retaliatory actions such as seizure of assets. These may impact the Fund’s ability to buy, sell, or otherwise transfer securities or currency, negatively impact the value and/or liquidity of such instruments, adversely affect the trading market and price for Shares, and cause the Fund to decline in value.

Geopolitical Risk. Some countries and regions in which the Fund invests have experienced security concerns, war or threats of war and aggression, terrorism, economic uncertainty, natural and environmental disasters, and/or systemic market dislocations that may lead to increased short-term market volatility and may have adverse long-term effects on the U.S. and world economies and markets generally.

ETF Risks. As an ETF, the Fund is exposed to risks including a limited number of Authorized Participants, market makers, and liquidity providers; the costs of buying or selling Shares, including brokerage commissions and bid-ask spreads; the risk that Shares may trade at prices other than NAV, particularly during market volatility or periods of limited secondary market activity; and the risk that Shares may not trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange. Because securities held by the Fund may trade on foreign exchanges that are closed when the Fund’s primary listing exchange is open, premiums and discounts may be greater than those experienced by domestic ETFs.

Index Methodology Risk. The Index may not include all Robotics Actuator Companies because the Index includes only those companies meeting the Index criteria. Companies that would otherwise be included might be excluded if they are limited partnerships or do not otherwise meet the Index’s screening criteria based on free-float, market capitalization, or trading volume.

Index Provider Risk. There is no assurance that the Index Provider, or any agents acting on its behalf, will compile the Index accurately, or that the Index will be determined, maintained, constructed, reconstituted, rebalanced, composed, calculated, or disseminated accurately. Any losses or costs associated with errors made by the Index Provider or its agents generally will be borne by the Fund and its shareholders.

Passive Investment Risk. The Fund is not actively managed and invests in the securities included in, or representative of, the Index regardless of their investment merit. The Fund does not attempt to outperform the Index or take defensive positions in declining markets, so its performance may be adversely affected by a general decline in the market segments relating to the Index.

Tracking Error Risk. The performance of the Fund and its Index may differ for a variety of reasons. The Fund incurs operating expenses and portfolio transaction costs not incurred by the Index, and may not be fully invested in Index securities at all times or may hold securities not included in the Index.

Market Capitalization Risk. The Fund may invest in large-, mid-, and small-capitalization companies. Securities of mid- and small-capitalization companies may be more vulnerable to adverse issuer, market, political, or economic developments, generally trade in lower volumes, and are subject to greater and more unpredictable price changes than larger-capitalization stocks or the stock market as a whole.

IPO Risk and SPAC-Derived Companies Risk. The Fund may invest in companies that have recently completed an IPO or that are derived from a SPAC. These companies may be unseasoned, lacking a trading history, a track record of reporting to investors, and widely available research coverage, and are often subject to extreme price volatility and speculative trading. They may share similar illiquidity risks of private equity and venture capital, and share prices may face downward pressure when lock-up restrictions are released.

Non-Diversification Risk. Because the Fund is non-diversified, it may invest a greater percentage of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than a diversified fund. As a result, a decline in the value of an investment in a single issuer could cause the Fund’s overall value to decline to a greater degree.

Please see the prospectus for a complete description of the principal risks.

*As of September 11, 2026, based on a review of SEC EDGAR filings and publicly available ETF issuer, index provider, and exchange listings, Defiance ETFs has identified no U.S.-listed exchange-traded fund, current or historical, whose name, underlying index, or stated principal investment strategy is dedicated to robotics actuator companies, and accordingly believes the Defiance Robotics Actuators ETF (Cboe: AT) is the first U.S.-listed ETF dedicated to robotics actuators. Broad robotics and automation ETFs hold actuator and motion component manufacturers alongside industrial robot makers, automation software, and semiconductor companies; humanoid robotics ETFs span robot manufacturers, artificial intelligence and compute, sensing, and critical materials in addition to actuation; and China robotics ETFs are country-focused. The claim is subject to change.

Brokerage commissions may be charged on trades.

Distributed by Foreside Fund Services, LLC.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d538a114-6712-43d6-bcb3-99c1524a1f8a

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