A decade is a long time in markets. Trends that look small today can become mainstream.
Technologies that feel early can become essential. And companies that dominate one niche can end up shaping entire industries.
That is why some thematic ASX exchange traded funds (ETFs) can be interesting for patient investors. They will not move smoothly every year, but they can provide exposure to structural changes that may still have a long way to run.
Here are three ASX ETFs that could be worth buying and holding for the next 10 years.
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Betashares S&P/ASX Australian Technology ETF (ASX: ATEC)
The Betashares S&P/ASX Australian Technology ETF offers a way to back the ASX companies trying to modernise old industries.
This is not just a fund full of tech stocks in the narrow sense. It includes businesses reshaping how cars are sold, how medical images are read, how freight moves around the world, how companies manage data, and how households interact with digital services.
Among its holdings are Computershare Ltd (ASX: CPU), Nextdc Ltd (ASX: NXT), and Xero Ltd (ASX: XRO). These are very different businesses, but each is tied to the broader shift toward more digital, automated, and data-rich operations
The ASX tech sector can be volatile, and the fund has been hit by weaker sentiment toward growth shares. But that weakness could be part of the opportunity for investors who believe Australia's best technology companies still have room to scale. It was recently recommended by the team at Betashares.
Betashares Global Cybersecurity ETF (ASX: HACK)
The Betashares Global Cybersecurity ETF is focused on one of the less glamorous but most important parts of the digital economy.
Every new app, cloud platform, connected device, payment system, and artificial intelligence (AI) tool creates more data and more potential points of attack. That makes cybersecurity less of an optional IT expense and more like digital insurance.
This fund gives investors exposure to global specialists such as CrowdStrike (NASDAQ: CRWD), Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ: PANW), and Fortinet (NASDAQ: FTNT).
The good news for its holdings is that cyber security risk is unlikely to disappear. If anything, it will become more complex as businesses grow more dependent on cloud computing, automation, and remote access.
Individual cybersecurity companies can be difficult to pick because threats, products, and customer needs evolve quickly. This ASX ETF spreads exposure across a group of companies working on different parts of the security stack.
Betashares Global Robotics and Artificial Intelligence ETF (ASX: RBTZ)
Finally, the Betashares Global Robotics and Artificial Intelligence ETF is a way to invest in machines doing more of the heavy lifting.
That does not just mean humanoid robots or futuristic factories. It includes sensors, automation equipment, surgical systems, industrial controls, and the chips that help machines process more information.
Key holdings include Keyence, ABB (SWX: ABBN), and FANUC (TYO: 6954).
This gives the fund a different flavour from many AI-focused investments. Rather than being only about software, it has exposure to the physical side of automation.
That could be important over the next decade as companies try to improve productivity, manage labour shortages, and make supply chains more efficient.
It was also recently recommended by the team at Betashares.
