Cathie Wood Invests Millions in Tempus AI and George Soros-Backed Autonomous Firm After Major Announcement

ARK Invest CEO Cathie Wood is renowned for backing disruptive sectors such as AI, genome development, space exploration, cryptocurrency, and autonomous robotics. Her investment philosophy revolves around supporting innovations that are shaping the future, often leading her to make bold trades that many institutional investors tend to avoid. Wood's approach garnered widespread attention during the COVID-19 pandemic, when her ETFs surged over 100% at their peak in 2020.

According to ARK ETF's daily trades tracker, Wood's firm made significant investments in AI companies on Tuesday.

Boosts Stake in Tempus AI

Disclosures revealed that Ark Invest purchased 32,627 shares of Tempus AI (Nasdaq: TEM) through the ARK Genomic Revolution ETF and 195,999 shares via the ARK Innovation ETF. The total of 228,626 shares is valued at approximately $15.8 million (£11.7 million), based on Tuesday's closing price of $69.54 (£51.55) per share.

Tempus AI specialises in integrating AI into diagnostic systems to analyse clinical and molecular data, facilitating earlier disease diagnosis, forecasting treatment efficacy, and enabling researchers and physicians to make data-driven decisions that improve patient outcomes.

The company's shares have already risen more than 17% this year, and over 70% in the past year.

This investment occurs amid growing interest in Tempus AI. Recently, the company achieved key milestones, including a collaboration with the Institute for Follicular Lymphoma Innovation to combat Follicular Lymphoma, a type of blood cancer. Additionally, in 2025, Tempus launched Olivia, an AI-powered personal health concierge app that organises patients' health data and offers practical clinical recommendations using AI.

Investing in George Soros-Backed AI Company

Ark Invest also disclosed increased holdings in Kodiak AI (Nasdaq: KDK), according to the daily trade tracker.

Wood's firm bought 39,296 shares of the autonomous vehicle technology platform, backed by George Soros. The purchase was valued at around $381,171 (£282,542), based on Tuesday's closing price of $9.70 (£7.19) per share.

Kodiak AI is a major player in the driverless truck industry, aligning with Ark's focus on disruptive technologies. The trade came a day after Kodiak announced a collaboration with Bosch to develop a production-grade platform that integrates hardware, firmware, and software to bring Kodiak's AI-powered driver to autonomous trucks at scale.

Recently, the company also refinanced its debt, increasing commitments to $30 million (£22.2 million) with a maturity date extended to 2030 from 2026. The new debt facility with Horizon Technology Finance (Nasdaq: HRZN) also reduces interest rates by 200 basis points, which is expected to improve Kodiak's liquidity position and support its strategic objectives.

Other Significant Trades

In a notable move, Ark Invest sold 109,254 shares of Roku (Nasdaq: ROKU), worth over $10 million (£7.4 million). The sale follows ongoing legal challenges faced by Roku, including lawsuits over the unauthorised collection and sale of children's personal data, as well as patent infringement claims.

Additionally, Wood reduced her stake in Shopify (Nasdaq: SHOP) by 24,447 shares, valued at nearly $4 million (£2.9 million). Despite recent product launches, such as the Winter 2026 Edition with expanded AI, checkout, marketing, and merchant tools, Ark Invest has been gradually trimming its holdings in Shopify over recent months.

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