Spotlight On: Cathie Wood, CEO and CIO, ARK Invest

Key points:

• • AI and emerging technologies are accelerating Tampa Bay’s rise as an innovation hub.
• • The convergence of AI and biotechnology is creating new opportunities in healthcare.
• • Businesses that embrace AI early will be better positioned to compete and grow.

August 2026 — In an interview with Invest:, Cathie Wood, CEO and CIO of ARK Invest, discussed Tampa Bay’s emergence as an innovation hub, the accelerating impact of AI, and the region’s opportunity to lead healthcare transformation. “We need to change that paradigm from sick care into prevention and healthcare,” Wood said.

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What changes over the past year have had the biggest impact on ARK, and how have they reshaped your long-term vision?

In ARK’s early days, most people thought our research was too far out and too long-term to be relevant, except for investors specifically looking for innovation exposure. That has changed because of how quickly AI is mushrooming.

A company like Anthropic had an annualized revenue run rate of $9 billion in December 2025. In the last four and a half months, it has gone north of $40 billion. That is how quickly AI is changing the world and changing companies. There is much more focus on our research and investing as a legitimate way to gain exposure to the transformation happening through AI, robotics, energy storage, blockchain technology, and multiomics.

We believe the Tampa Bay region has a real opportunity, especially around the convergence of multiomics technologies, artificial intelligence, and CRISPR gene editing. Bringing those technologies together can transform healthcare.

We contributed to what used to be the Tampa Bay Innovation Center, now Spark Labs, where we have taken more of a leadership role in partnership with the city and county. We are incubating 46 startups. Occupancy has gone from 25% less than a year ago to 100%, and there is a real buzz around Spark Labs driving innovation into the region.

Our analysts regularly visit for Ask Me Anything sessions because founders need community and support. We are building a fantastic ecosystem with aspirations to become Silicon Valley-like in some ways, while also building on what we launched with the Big Ideas Summit. Ultimately, we hope it becomes something like a World’s Fair where people can learn about technologies that are transforming the world.

What makes Tampa Bay stand out compared with other emerging innovation hubs?

One reason we are located here is that St. Petersburg is very open-minded to innovation. Tampa has also benefited from leadership and investment over the years.

After arriving, I discovered how interconnected the region’s innovation ecosystem really is. I knew MacDill Air Force Base was here, but I did not realize this was home to SOCOM and CENTCOM. Defense tech has exploded, and this region is uniquely positioned because innovation often moves through SOCOM into the Defense Department.

One of the companies in our portfolio is Palantir, which we think is the No. 1 software company in the AI space. I learned Tampa General Hospital was one of its most important customers and the first hospital system to operationalize AI through Palantir. John Couris has become a major evangelist for that work nationwide.

I also did not know about the Dali Museum before moving here. I joined the board because Dali had a deep fascination with technology and science, including DNA and the double helix. The museum is now building a digital art component, and we have spoken with Refik Anadol about potentially contributing to that vision and possibly to the Gas Plant District project as well.

I also discovered that USF is an R1 research institution and home to the National Academy of Inventors. I learned more about the connections between USF, Tampa General, SOCOM, Moffitt Cancer Center, and Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. Moffitt’s focus on integrating engineering into cancer research is especially important.

I think the region has a major opportunity to capitalize on the convergence of technologies in healthcare to diagnose disease earlier and cure disease. We need to change that paradigm from sick care into prevention and healthcare. I would like this region to become a driving force behind that opportunity.

How has your view of St. Petersburg changed since relocating to the region?

For 40 years in New York City, I used to say I would never move to Florida. St. Petersburg was once known as heaven’s waiting room. Clearly, I thought I would never move here, and now we are here.

It has transformed into an incredible innovation hub. The lifestyle here is heaven on earth.

Based on this year’s Big Ideas Summit, what are investors and leaders still underestimating about the pace of change ahead?

One thing I learned is that only 20% of small businesses are even using AI. The startups at Spark Labs are all using it, but many other businesses are not. This train is leaving the station very quickly, and companies that do not adapt are going to lose competitiveness.

Innovation is about becoming faster, cheaper, better, more productive, and more creative. That message came through clearly at the summit.

We had ARK analysts present many of the themes from our Big Ideas research. We also featured startups from Spark Labs. One example was Rovex, a robotics company helping hospitals move beds and patients more efficiently to address staffing shortages. BayCare became the first hospital system to adopt the technology.

One of the most exciting panels included Raymond James, Draper Venture Funds, and Plato AI, a Spark Labs company helping small businesses implement AI more effectively. ARK has taken an investment position in Plato AI because we want to improve our own operations through AI as well.

The summit concluded with a discussion featuring John Couris and leaders connected to Palantir. We also had Brian Cornell, executive chairman of Target, participating and mentoring startups within Spark Labs. That kind of mentorship and collaboration is helping build momentum throughout the ecosystem.

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