Key Highlights
- Korea Investment Management will participate in SpaceX’s upcoming IPO.
- Allocated shares will be added to its space-focused ETF and defense fund.
- The firm plans to increase SpaceX exposure to as much as 25% after listing.
South Korean asset manager Korea Investment Management is preparing to increase investor exposure to SpaceX as the aerospace giant moves closer to its highly anticipated public market debut. The move comes amid growing institutional interest in the commercial space sector and rising demand for access to one of the world’s most valuable private companies.
On June 4, Korea Investment Management announced that it will participate in SpaceX’s initial public offering (IPO), scheduled for June 12. Shares allocated through the offering will be distributed to the firm’s ACE US Space Technology Active ETF and Korea Investment Global Space Technology & Defense Fund, both of which focus on the expanding space and defense industries.
Firm plans to expand SpaceX allocation
The asset manager said it intends to make additional purchases after the listing. As a result, SpaceX’s weighting within the ACE US Space Technology Active ETF could rise to as much as 25%.
Investors will be able to monitor the ETF’s SpaceX exposure through the ACE ETF website beginning June 13, while holdings within the Korea Investment Global Space Technology & Defense Fund will be disclosed later through official fund reports.
Kim Hyun-tae, Head of Global Quant Management at Korea Investment Management, said the active nature of both investment products allows the firm to react immediately following SpaceX’s market debut. “Since both funds are active types, immediate action is possible on the day of SpaceX’s listing,” Kim said.
He noted that passive investment products designed to replicate stock indexes often face delays in acquiring newly listed companies until they are formally added to benchmark indices.
EchoStar deployed as a valuation hedge
To insulate the portfolio against potential post-IPO volatility and retail FOMO, the fund group is maintaining a complementary position in satellite communications infrastructure firm EchoStar.
According to Kim, EchoStar could help mitigate risks if SpaceX experiences significant volatility after listing, particularly if strong investor demand pushes the stock sharply higher ahead of inclusion in major indexes such as the Nasdaq-100.
$1.45B stash attracts institutional capital
Investor interest in SpaceX extends beyond its leadership in the commercial space industry. In May 2026, the company disclosed in its S-1 filing that it holds 18,712 Bitcoins worth approximately $1.45 billion, making it one of the largest corporate Bitcoin holders globally.
The filing showed that SpaceX acquired the Bitcoin position in 2021 at a cost basis of roughly $661 million and has left the holdings untouched since then. The disclosure exceeded estimates from several on-chain tracking firms and further strengthened investor interest ahead of the IPO.
Demand for SpaceX shares has also been evident in the secondary market. Earlier in May, Tokyo-listed Bitcoin Japan announced that it had invested in SpaceX through its U.S. subsidiary via a private secondary market transaction. The company said the investment was aimed at gaining exposure to SpaceX before its public listing.
With institutional investors increasingly seeking access to SpaceX, Korea Investment Management’s latest move underscores the growing appeal of the company as it prepares to enter public markets. The IPO is expected to become one of the most closely watched listings of the year, attracting interest from both traditional finance and crypto-focused investors.
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