VEGX ETF: World’s second vegan-friendly and climate-conscious stock investing fund launches in Sept 2026, expanding beyond the US
Following VEGN, the world's first vegan-friendly ETF, VEGX now extends cruelty-free and environmentally conscious investing to international markets
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| VEGX ETF: World’s second vegan-friendly and climate-conscious stock investing fund launches in Sept 2026, expanding beyond the US |
- The International Vegan Climate ETF (Ticker: VEGX) launches in September 2026, giving investors access to developed markets outside the US while applying vegan-friendly and climate-conscious screening criteria.
- VEGX tracks Beyond Investing's International Vegan Climate Index (VEGANX), which includes large- and mid-cap companies across developed markets and screens out businesses engaged in activities such as animal exploitation, fossil fuels, environmental damage, tobacco, armaments, and human rights concerns.
- The fund provides international exposure that covers markets including Japan, Germany, Canada, Singapore and the UK, across sectors such as technology, industrials, communications services and financials.
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The world’s first vegan-friendly ETF, the US Vegan Climate ETF (Ticker: VEGN), was launched by Beyond Investing back in 2019.
The VEGN fund was created around an investment approach that screens out companies engaged in excluded activities, including animal exploitation, fossil fuels, weapons, single-use plastics, and human rights concerns.
Beyond Investing is now preparing the next part of its investment strategy, having filed for an international version ETF (Ticker: VEGX) earlier this year.
VEGX offers a different geographic and sector mix
The International Vegan Climate ETF (VEGX) is set for launch in September 2026 on the Chicago Board Options Exchange (Cboe) BZX, a major US exchange operator.
The fund will track the Beyond Investing International Vegan Climate Index (VEGANX), a rules-based index developed in 2022 benchmarked to the MSCI World ex-US Index.
An index is essentially a rules-based basket used as a benchmark for an investment strategy. In VEGX’s case, the index starts with large- and mid-cap companies from developed markets before applying Beyond Investing’s screening rules.
VEGX takes VEGN’s vegan-friendly and climate-conscious approach beyond the US
Beyond Investing says the international VEGX fund can sit alongside VEGN because it excludes US companies, so investors could potentially combine both funds rather than simply buying two portfolios filled with the same companies.
“If you are in the original [VEGN] fund, you can add this [VEGX] to create a global portfolio,” ETF Express quotes Claire Smith, Chief Executive of Beyond Investing, as saying.
So the geographic distinction separates VEGX from VEGN. And because VEGX excludes US companies, the two funds can be held together without simply duplicating the same US holdings.
“These two funds are highly complementary to each other,” Smith says, “with no concern of portfolio replication because the international version screens out US stocks,” she added.
Both funds' index screening methodology remains the same, as it is intended to avoid companies involved in activities that Beyond Investing identifies as contributing to animal suffering, environmental destruction and climate change. Its stated exclusions also cover fossil fuels, animal-derived products, military and defense activities, human rights abuses, and other environmentally damaging activities.
VEGANX Index screens out animal exploitation, fossil fuels, environmental damage, tobacco and armaments
The VEGANX Index excludes both US and Australian companies before applying its additional Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) screening criteria. It covers developed markets including Japan, Germany, Canada, Singapore and the UK, among others.
The index is benchmarked against the MSCI World ex-US Index, providing a reference point for developed-market equities outside the US. Its starting universe is derived from the Solactive GBS Developed Markets Large & Mid Cap Index, comprising approximately 1,400 of the largest companies in the Developed Markets large- and mid-cap segments, before US and Australian companies are removed and additional screening rules are applied.
VEGX ETF international stock market exposure
Though VEGX is somewhat tech-heavy, at least for now, before any possible sector rotations, the international portfolio is expected to have meaningful exposure to the industrials, communications services, and financial sectors as well.
The fund’s exposure to international markets doesn’t match the US market’s sector mix, as countries like Germany and Japan have larger industrial sectors than the US.
The fund's current top 10 holdings out of 279 include ASML, Recruit, Hitachi, Advantest, SAP, Shopify, Schneider Electric, Tokyo Electron, ABB, and Murata. These holdings and weightings, however, may change over time as the index is reconstituted and rebalanced, with the index reviewed semi-annually in June and December.
The fund has an expense ratio of 0.75%, which is relatively high compared with some established ETFs. However, newer ETFs can have higher costs while they build assets, with expenses potentially declining as the fund grows. As of Sept 16, 2026, VEGX had about US$610,000 in assets under management (AUM).
International Vegan Climate ETF (VEGX): Prospectus, risks, fees, investment strategy, and other fund information
The International Vegan Climate Index (VEGANX) has been running since June 1, 2022. Beyond Investing reports that the index had an annualized excess return of 2.37% against its MSCI World ex-US benchmark through June 30, 2026. This is the index performance, not the performance of the VEGX ETF itself, which had not yet begun trading during that measurement period.
As with other international equity investments, VEGX ETF also carries risks, including market volatility, currency fluctuations, geographic exposure, sector concentration, and liquidity risk. The fund may also perform differently from broader market benchmarks because of its specific screening methodology.
For investors interested in learning more about the VEGX ETF details, the fund also publishes its formal details in its prospectus, including its investment strategy, methodology, fees, risk statement, portfolio holdings, distributor, and additional information on the VEGX ETF website and with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
On a personal note, I’m also particularly excited about the upcoming launch of VEGX, which I'm adding to my investment portfolio alongside VEGN, which I started investing in about 4 years ago.
Moreover, the SEC prospectus confirms that the international index was developed in 2022 and uses large- and mid-cap developed-market companies as its starting pool.
Beyond Investing’s strategy may expand beyond just the two ETFs; possible European ETF next
The US and international ETF funds may not be the final step. Beyond Investing has also received investor interest for a European UCITS ETF that tracks the Europe Vegan Climate Index (VEGANE), though a launch date and fund details have yet to be confirmed.
Smith says the firm wants to grow at a pace supported by its own cash flow rather than launch several funds at once.
“Because we are growing organically, we can’t throw out tons of different funds at once. We need cash flow to support the second fund before we do it, but the next fund will be a UCITS ETF,” the Beyond Investing Chief Executive said.
For a small fund manager competing against some of the world’s largest ETF providers, this is a prudent and lower-risk approach.
Beyond Investing’s investment strategy has proven that you can exclude many industries that aren’t animal- or environment-friendly and still achieve strong and profitable returns with a portfolio full of companies that are doing very well, if not better, among the very best.
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Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only. It should not be considered Financial or Legal Advice. Past performance doesn't guarantee future results. The value of investments can rise or fall, and investors may lose some or all of their principal. Holdings and portfolio weightings are subject to change. Investors should read the fund's prospectus and conduct their own due diligence before making major financial and investment decisions.
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