Simplify Propel Opportunities ETF

 

SURI

 

a series of Simplify Exchange Traded Funds

 

PROSPECTUS

 

November 1, 2023

 

  Advised by:
  Simplify Asset Management Inc.
  222 Broadway, 22nd Floor
  New York, NY 10038
   
  Sub-Advised by:
  Propel Bio Management, LLC
  1800 Avenue of the Stars
  Los Angeles CA 90067

 

www.simplify.us/etfs phone: 1 (855) 772-8488

 

This Prospectus provides important information about the Fund that you should know before investing. Please read it carefully and keep it for future reference.

 

These securities have not been approved or disapproved by the Securities and Exchange Commission nor has the Securities and Exchange Commission passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

Shares of the Fund are listed and traded on the NYSE Arca, Inc.

 

 

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

FUND SUMMARY – SIMPLIFY PROPEL OPPORTUNITIES ETF   1
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RELATED RISKS   9
Investment Objective   9
Principal Investment Strategies   9
Principal Investment Risks   11
Portfolio Holdings Disclosure   18
Cybersecurity   18
MANAGEMENT   18
Investment Adviser   18
Investment Sub-Adviser   19
Portfolio Managers   19
HOW SHARES ARE PRICED   20
HOW TO BUY AND SELL SHARES   21
FREQUENT PURCHASES AND REDEMPTIONS OF FUND SHARES   22
DISTRIBUTION AND SERVICE PLAN   22
DIVIDENDS, OTHER DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES   22
FUND SERVICE PROVIDERS   24
OTHER INFORMATION   24
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS   26

 

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FUND SUMMARY – SIMPLIFY PROPEL OPPORTUNITIES ETF

 

 

Investment Objective: The Simplify Propel Opportunities ETF (the “Fund” or “SURI”) seeks to provide long-term growth of capital.

 

Fees and Expenses of the Fund: This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund. Investors purchasing or selling shares of the Fund in the secondary market may be subject to costs (including customary brokerage commissions) charged by their broker. These costs are not included in the table and expense example below.

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
 
Management Fees(1) 2.75%
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees 0.00%
Other Expenses(2) 0.00%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses(3) 0.01%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 2.76%
Fee Waiver(4) (0.25)%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver 2.51%

 

(1) Estimated for the Fund’s initial fiscal year. The Fund has agreed to pay the adviser as compensation under a management agreement a monthly advisory fee (as a percentage of daily net assets) computed at the annual rate of 2.75% on assets up to $1 billion; 2.50% on assets over $1 billion and less than $5 billion; 2.00% on assets over $5 billion and less than $10 billion; and 1.00% on assets over $10 billion.
(2) Other Expenses are estimated for the Fund’s initial fiscal year.
(3) Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, which are estimated for the Fund’s initial fiscal year, are the indirect costs of investing in other investment companies. The operating expenses in this fee table will not correlate to the expense ratio in the Fund’s financial highlights because the financial statements include only the direct operating expenses incurred by the Fund.
(4) The adviser and sub-adviser have collectively agreed to waive 0.25% of the management and sub-advisory fee on an annualized basis through December 31, 2024. This waiver may be terminated by the Fund’s Board of Trustees on 60 days’ notice and terminates automatically if the management agreement or sub-advisory agreement is terminated.

 

Example: This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in mutual funds and other exchange traded funds.

 

The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The Example further assumes that the Fund’s operating expense limitation agreement will only be in place for the term specified above. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based upon these assumptions your costs would be:

 

1 Year 3 Years
$254 $833

 

Portfolio Turnover: The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the period February 8, 2023 (commencement of operations) through June 30, 2023, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 46% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

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Principal Investment Strategies: The Fund is an actively managed exchange-traded fund (“ETF”). The Fund’s investment adviser Simplify Asset Management Inc. (the “Adviser”) collaborates with the Fund’s sub-adviser, Propel Bio Management, LLC (the “Sub-Adviser”), to seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. The Fund concentrates its investments (i.e., invests more than 25% of its net assets) in the securities of issuers in the biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, healthcare technology, and life science tools and services industries. Each of these industries are commonly categorized within the healthcare sector because they share similar economic features and regulatory constraints. The Sub-Adviser employs an actively managed opportunistic multi-asset strategy that focuses on common stock, preferred stock, convertible bonds, structured notes, corporate notes and bonds, and ETFs that primarily invest in the preceding security types. The Adviser employs a derivatives strategy to partially protect or enhance Fund returns. The Sub-Adviser is responsible for security selection and the Adviser is responsible for trade execution, regulatory oversight of the Fund and the derivatives strategy.

 

The Fund invests without restriction as to security currency, issuer capitalization, or country and without restriction as to debt credit quality, maturity, structure, or issuer type. Lower quality corporate debt is commonly known as a “junk bond.” Junk bonds are generally rated lower than Baa3 by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or lower than BBB- by Standard and Poor’s Ratings Group or lower than BBB- by Fitch Ratings, Inc. The Fund is classified as a “non-diversified” fund under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, which means that the Fund may invest a higher percentage of its assets in a fewer number of issuers than is permissible for a “diversified” Fund.

 

Sub-Adviser’s Opportunistic Multi-Asset Strategy

 

The Sub-Adviser selects securities that it believes present attractive investment opportunities, which may include securities that the Sub-Adviser believes are neglected and overlooked investments and present significant opportunities for capital appreciation. The Sub-Adviser uses fundamental, bottom-up analysis to identify securities that present attractive investment opportunities, which may include securities that the Sub-Adviser determines to be undervalued or present opportunities for growth. The Sub-Adviser selects debt or equity exposure based on its estimation of expected relative returns. The Sub-Adviser sells a security when it believes it is no longer undervalued or when more attractive investments are identified.

 

Healthcare Sector Sub-Strategy

 

The Sub-Adviser employs individuals who possess significant scientific, technical, operational, regulatory and commercial expertise to evaluate the science and prospects of healthcare sector companies as well as individuals with significant experience and expertise in identifying securities that present attractive investment opportunities, which may include securities that the Sub-Adviser determines to be undervalued or present opportunities for growth. Healthcare sector companies that the Fund typically includes in the portfolio are small to medium capitalization companies that may be in various stages of maturity. These may include “early-stage companies” which include those that routinely develop new products or services or are in the process of conducting clinical trials and may not yet be consistently profitable. The Sub-Adviser’s evaluation ranks the expected returns and risk profile of each potential investment based upon an evaluation of: (i) the scientific proposition of the issuer, (ii) the probability that the science will lead to a product or treatment, and (iii) projected profits from each successful product or treatment.

 

Adviser’s Derivatives-Based Strategy

 

The Fund may invest up to 20% of the Fund’s portfolio in derivatives, measured at market value. Such derivatives include equity, treasury, commodity, and currency futures (derivative contracts that obligate the buyer or seller to transact at a set price and predetermined time) and exchange-traded and over the counter (“OTC”) put and call options on equities, treasuries, commodities, and currencies or futures. The derivatives strategy is a form of leveraged investing. When the Fund purchases a call option, the Fund has the right, but not the obligation, to buy an asset at a specified price (strike price) within a specific time period. When the Fund purchases a put option, the Fund has the right, but not the obligation, to sell an asset at a specified price (strike price) within a specific time period. The Fund may invest in total return swaps

 

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such as swaps on high yield debt instruments or high yield indexes or equity indexes as reference assets. A total return swap is a swap agreement in which one party makes payments based on a set rate, either fixed or variable, while the other party makes payments based on the return of an underlying asset. These are regulatory primarily by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission or the Securities and Exchange Commission, depending on the underlying asset.

 

The option overlay is a strategic, persistent exposure meant to partially hedge against market declines. If the market goes up, the Fund’s returns may outperform the market because the Adviser will sell or exercise the call options. If the market goes down, the Fund’s returns may fall less than the market because the Adviser will sell or exercise the put options.

 

The Adviser selects derivatives based upon its evaluation of relative value, based on cost, strike price (price that the option can be bought or sold by the option holder) and maturity (the last date the option contract is valid) and exercises or closes the options typically based on maturity. The Adviser anticipates purchasing and selling its derivatives on a monthly, quarterly, and annual basis, depending upon the Fund’s rebalancing requirements and expiration dates. However, the Adviser may rebalance the Fund’s derivative portfolio on a more frequent basis for a number of reasons such as when market volatility renders the protection provided by the derivative strategy ineffective or a derivative position has appreciated to the point that it is prudent to decrease the Fund’s exposure and realize gains for the Fund’s shareholders. While the use of derivatives is intended to improve the Fund’s performance, there is no guarantee that it will do so.

 

When using derivatives, the Fund is required to post collateral to assure its performance. The Fund will hold cash and cash-like instruments or high-quality short term fixed income securities (collectively, “Collateral”). The Collateral may consist of (1) U.S. Government securities, such as bills, notes and bonds issued by the U.S. Treasury; (2) money market funds; (3) fixed income ETFs; and/or (4) corporate debt securities, such as commercial paper and other short-term unsecured promissory notes issued by companies that are rated investment grade or of comparable quality. The Adviser considers an unrated security to be of comparable quality to a security rated investment grade if it believes it has a similar low risk of default.

 

The Fund may continue to hold a position in an oil pipeline limited partnership, but this is not part of the Fund’s active investment strategy.

 

Principal Investment Risks: As with all funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Fund. Many factors affect the Fund’s net asset value and price of shares and performance.

 

The following describes the risks the Fund bears with respect to its investments. As with any fund, there is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its goal.

 

Active Management Risk. The Fund is subject to the risk that the investment management strategies may not produce the intended results and may negatively impact Fund performance. The Adviser’s derivatives overlay strategy will not fully protect the Fund from declines in the market. The Sub-Adviser’s opportunistic multi-asset strategy may be ineffective.

 

Industry Concentration Risk. The Fund’s net asset value may fluctuate more than that of a fund that does not concentrate in a particular industry.

 

Biotechnology Industry Risk. The biotechnology industry can be significantly affected by patent considerations, including the termination of patent protections for products, intense competition both domestically and internationally, rapid technological change and obsolescence, government regulation and expensive insurance costs due to the risk of product liability lawsuits. In addition, the biotechnology industry is an emerging growth industry, and therefore biotechnology companies may be thinly capitalized and more volatile than companies with greater capitalizations. Biotechnology companies must contend with high development costs, which may be exacerbated by the inability to raise prices to cover costs because of managed care pressure, government regulation or price controls.

 

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Pharmaceutical Industry Risk. Companies in the pharmaceutical industry are heavily dependent on patent protection. The expiration of patents may adversely affect the profitability of the companies. Pharmaceutical companies are also subject to extensive litigation based on product liability and other similar claims. Many new products are subject to approval of the Food and Drug Administration, a process that can be long and costly. Expanding international operations may lead to risks resulting from differences between U.S. and foreign legal, political and economic systems, regulatory regimes and market practices.

 

Healthcare Technology Industry Risk. To the extent the Fund focuses on the healthcare technology industry, the Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the healthcare technology industry than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. The profitability of companies in the healthcare technology industry may be adversely affected by the following factors, among others: extensive government regulations, restrictions on government reimbursement for medical expenses, rising costs of medical products and services, pricing pressure, an increased emphasis on outpatient services, changes in the demand for medical products and services, a limited number of products, industry innovation, changes in technologies and other market developments.

 

Life Science Tools and Services Industry Risk. Companies that manufacture or develop medical products, devices or services are subject to extensive regulation in the United States by the FDA and by comparable government agencies in other countries. The regulations govern the development, design, approval, manufacturing, labeling, importing and exporting and sale and marketing of many medical products. These regulations are also subject to future change. Failure to comply with applicable regulations and quality assurance guidelines could lead to manufacturing shutdowns, product shortages, delays in product manufacturing, product seizures, recalls, operating restrictions, withdrawal or suspension of required licenses, and prohibitions against exporting of products to, or importing products from, countries outside the United States. Medical product, device, and service companies could be required to expend significant financial and human resources to remediate failures to comply with applicable regulations and quality assurance guidelines.

 

Equity Risk. The net asset value of the Fund will fluctuate based on changes in the value of the equity securities held by the Fund. Equity prices can fall rapidly in response to developments affecting a specific company or industry, or to changing economic, political or market conditions.

 

Market and Geopolitical Risk. The increasing interconnectivity between global economies and financial markets increases the likelihood that events or conditions in one region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. Securities in the Fund’s portfolio may underperform due to inflation (or expectations for inflation), interest rates, global demand for particular products or resources, natural disasters, climate change or climate related events, pandemics, epidemics, terrorism, regulatory events and governmental or quasi-governmental actions. The occurrence of global events similar to those in recent years may result in market volatility and may have long term effects on both the U.S. and global financial markets. Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine, and corresponding events in late February 2022, have had, and could continue to have, severe adverse effects on regional and global economic markets for securities and commodities. The current novel coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic and the aggressive responses taken by many governments, including closing borders, restricting international and domestic travel, and the imposition of prolonged quarantines or similar restrictions, as well as the forced or voluntary closure of, or operational changes to, many retail and other businesses, has had negative impacts, and in many cases severe negative impacts, on markets worldwide. It is not known how long such impacts, or any future impacts of other significant events described above, will or would last, but there could be a prolonged period of global economic slowdown, which may impact your Fund investment.

 

Small and Medium Capitalization Risk. The earnings and prospects of small and medium sized companies are more volatile than larger companies and may experience higher failure rates than larger companies. Small and medium sized companies normally have a lower trading volume than larger companies, which may tend to make their market price fall more disproportionately than larger companies in response to selling pressures and may have limited markets, product lines, or financial resources and lack management experience. These risks are amplified for early stage companies.

 

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Commodity Risk. Investing in the commodities markets may subject the Fund to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities. Commodity prices may be influenced by unfavorable weather, animal and plant disease, geologic and environmental factors as well as changes in government regulation such as tariffs, embargoes or burdensome production rules and restrictions.

 

Convertible Bond Risk. Convertible bonds are hybrid securities that have characteristics of both bonds and common stocks and are subject to risks associated with both debt securities and equity securities. Convertible bonds that are rated below investment grade are subject to the risks associated with high-yield investments. The refence common stock of a convertible bond may fail to reach a price that makes the conversion feature valuable.

 

Derivatives Risk. The use of derivative instruments involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. These risks include (i) the risk that the counterparty to a derivative transaction may not fulfill its contractual obligations; (ii) risk of mispricing or improper valuation; and (iii) the risk that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index. Derivative prices are highly volatile and may fluctuate substantially during a short period of time. Such prices are influenced by numerous factors that affect the markets, including, but not limited to: changing supply and demand relationships; government programs and policies; national and international political and economic events, changes in interest rates, inflation and deflation and changes in supply and demand relationships. Trading derivative instruments involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities. Leverage inherent in derivatives will tend to magnify the Fund’s losses if the derivative strategy is ineffective.

 

Futures Contract Risk. The primary risks associated with the use of futures contracts are (a) the imperfect correlation between the change in market value of the instruments held by the Fund and the price of the futures contract; (b) possible lack of a liquid secondary market for a futures contract and the resulting inability to close a futures contract when desired; (c) investments in futures contracts involves leverage, which means a small percentage of assets in futures can have a disproportionately large impact on the Fund and the Fund can lose more than the principal amount invested; (d) losses caused by unanticipated market movements, which are potentially unlimited; and (e) the Adviser’s inability to predict correctly the direction of securities prices, interest rates, currency exchange rates and other economic factors.

 

Option Risk. As the buyer of a call or put option, the Fund risks losing the entire premium invested in the option if the Fund does not exercise the option.

 

Swap Risk. Swaps are subject to tracking risk because they may not be perfect substitutes for the instruments they are intended to hedge or replace. Over the counter swaps are subject to counterparty default. Leverage inherent in derivatives will tend to magnify the Fund’s losses if the hedge is ineffective or if the reference asset rises in price.

 

Foreign Securities Risk. The Fund’s investments in foreign securities can be riskier than U.S. securities investments. Investments in the securities of foreign issuers (including investments in ADRs) are subject to the risks associated with investing in those foreign markets, such as heightened risks of inflation or nationalization. The prices of foreign securities and the prices of U.S. securities have, at times, moved in opposite directions. In addition, securities of foreign issuers may lose value due to political, economic and geographic events affecting a foreign issuer or market.

 

Emerging Markets Risk. Investing in emerging markets involves not only the risks described below with respect to investing in foreign securities, but also other risks, including exposure to economic structures that are generally less diverse and mature, limited availability and reliability of information material to an investment decision, and exposure to political systems that can be expected to have less stability than those of developed countries. The market for the securities of issuers in emerging markets typically is small, and a low or nonexistent trading volume in those securities may result in a lack of liquidity and price volatility.

 

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Foreign Currency Risk. Currency derivative trading risks include market risk, credit risk and country risk. Market risk results from adverse changes in exchange rates in the currencies the Fund is long or short. Credit risk results because a currency-trade counterparty may default. Country risk arises because a government may interfere with transactions in its currency.

 

ADR Risk. ADRs may be subject to some of the same risks as direct investment in foreign companies, which includes international trade, currency, political, regulatory and diplomatic risks. Under an unsponsored ADR arrangement, the foreign issuer assumes no obligations and the depositary’s transaction fees are paid directly by the ADR holders. Unsponsored ADRs are organized without the cooperation of the issuer and information concerning the foreign issuer may not be as current as for sponsored ADRs and voting rights are not passed through.

 

Junk Bond Risk. Lower-quality bonds, known as “high yield” or “junk” bonds, present greater risk than bonds of higher quality, including an increased risk of default. An economic downturn or period of rising interest rates could adversely affect the market for these bonds and reduce the Fund’s ability to sell its bonds. Longer maturity and longer duration bond prices will decline more in response to rising interest rates. The lack of a liquid market for these bonds could decrease the Fund’s share price.

 

Limited History Risk. The Fund is a new ETF and has a limited history of operations for investors to evaluate.

 

Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk exists when particular investments of the Fund would be difficult to purchase or sell, possibly preventing the Fund from selling such illiquid securities at an advantageous time or price, or possibly requiring the Fund to dispose of other investments at unfavorable times or prices in order to satisfy its obligations.

 

Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund’s portfolio may focus on a limited number of investments and will be subject to potential for volatility than a diversified fund.

 

Oil Pipeline Limited Partnership Risk. Pipeline companies are subject to adverse regulatory burdens, terrorism, natural disasters, operating interruptions, environmental, supply and demand, and price volatility risks. Limited partnerships may become taxable at the entity level if they lose their partnership tax status.

 

Over-the-Counter Market Risk. Securities and derivatives traded in over-the-counter markets may trade less frequently and in limited volumes and thus exhibit more volatility and liquidity risk, and the prices paid by the Fund in over-the-counter transactions may include an undisclosed dealer markup. The Fund is also exposed to default by the over-the-counter option writer or swap counterparty who may be unwilling or unable to perform its contractual obligations to the Fund.

 

Preferred Stock Risk: The value of preferred stocks will fluctuate with changes in interest rates. Typically, a rise in interest rates causes a decline in the value of preferred stock. Preferred stocks are also subject to credit risk, which is the possibility that an issuer of preferred stock will fail to make its dividend payments. The refence common stock of a convertible preferred stock may fail to reach a price that makes the conversion feature valuable.

 

Structured Note Risk. Structured notes involve tracking risk, issuer default risk and may involve leverage risk.

 

Underlying Funds Risk. ETFs in which the Fund invests are subject to investment advisory and other expenses, which will be indirectly paid by the Fund. As a result, the cost of investing in the Fund will be higher than the cost of investing directly in the underlying ETFs and may be higher than other funds that invest directly in stocks and bonds. Each of the ETFs is subject to its own specific risks.

 

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Early Close/Trading Halt Risk. An exchange or market may close or issue trading halts on specific securities, or the ability to buy or sell certain securities or financial instruments may be restricted, which may prevent the Fund from buying or selling certain securities or financial instruments. In these circumstances, the Fund may be unable to rebalance its portfolio, may be unable to accurately price its investments and may incur substantial trading losses.

 

ETF Structure Risks: The Fund is structured as an ETF and may also invest in underlying ETFs. As a result, the Fund is subject to special risks, including:

 

  Not Individually Redeemable. The Fund’s shares (“Shares”) are not redeemable by retail investors and may be redeemed only by authorized participants (“Authorized Participants”) at net asset value (“NAV”) and only in Creation Units. A retail investor generally incurs brokerage costs when selling shares.

 

  Trading Issues. Trading in Shares on the NYSE Arca, Inc. (the “Exchange”) may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in Shares inadvisable, such as extraordinary market volatility. There can be no assurance that Shares will continue to meet the listing requirements of the Exchange which may result in the Shares being delisted. An active trading market for the Shares may not be developed or maintained. If the Shares are traded outside a collateralized settlement system, the number of financial institutions that can act as Authorized Participants that can post collateral on an agency basis is limited, which may limit the market for the Shares.

 

  Market Price Variance Risk. The market prices of Shares will fluctuate in response to changes in NAV and supply and demand for Shares and will include a “bid-ask spread” charged by the exchange specialists, market makers or other participants that trade the Shares. There may be times when the market price and the NAV vary significantly. This means that Shares may trade at a discount to NAV.

 

  In times of market stress, market makers may step away from their role in market making in the Shares and in executing trades, which can lead to differences between the market value of the Shares and the Fund’s NAV.

 

  The market price of the Shares may deviate from the Fund’s NAV, particularly during times of market stress, with the result that investors may pay significantly more or significantly less for the Shares than the Fund’s NAV, which is reflected in the bid and ask price for the Shares or in the closing price.

 

  In stressed market conditions, the market for the Shares may become less liquid in response to the deteriorating liquidity of the Fund’s portfolio. This adverse effect on the liquidity of the Shares may, in turn, lead to differences between the market value of the Shares and the Fund’s NAV.

 

  When all or a portion of the Fund’s underlying securities trade in a market that is closed when the market for the Fund’s shares is open, there may be changes from the last quote of the closed market and the quote from the Fund’s domestic trading day, which could lead to differences between the market value of the Fund’s shares and the Fund’s net asset value.

 

  Authorized Participant Risk. Only an Authorized Participant may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Fund. The Fund has a limited number of institutions that may act as an Authorized Participant on an agency basis (i.e., on behalf of other market participants). To the extent that Authorized Participants exit the business or are unable to proceed with creation or redemption orders with respect to the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to create or redeem Creation Units, Fund shares may be more likely to trade at a premium or discount to net asset value and possibly face trading halts or delisting. Authorized Participant concentration risk may be heightened for securities or instruments that have lower trading volumes.

 

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Performance: Because the Fund has only recently commenced investment operations, no performance information is presented for the Fund at this time. In the future, performance information will be presented in this section of the Prospectus. Also, shareholder reports containing financial and performance information will be mailed to shareholder semi-annually. Updated performance information will be available at no cost by visiting www.simplify.us or by calling 1 (855) 772-8488.

 

Investment Adviser: Simplify Asset Management Inc.

 

Investment Sub-Adviser: Propel Bio Management, LLC

 

Portfolio Managers: Paul Kim, Chief Executive Officer of the Adviser; David Berns, Chief Investment Officer of the Adviser; Leen Kawas, Managing General Partner of the Sub-Adviser; Richard Kayne, Portfolio Manager of the Sub-Adviser; and Xue Hua, Portfolio Manager of the Sub-Adviser, have each served the Fund as a portfolio manager since December 2022. Mr. Kim, Mr. Berns, Ms. Kawas, Ms. Hua, and Mr. Kayne are jointly and primarily responsible for the management of the Fund.

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares: The Fund will issue and redeem Shares at NAV only in large blocks of 10,000 Shares (each block of Shares is called a “Creation Unit”). Creation Units are issued and redeemed primarily in-kind for securities but may include cash. Individual Shares may only be purchased and sold in secondary market transactions through brokers. Except when aggregated in Creation Units in transactions with Authorized Participants, the Shares are not redeemable securities of the Fund.

 

Shares of the Fund are listed for trading on the Exchange and trade at market prices rather than NAV. Shares of the Fund may trade at a price that is greater than, at, or less than NAV. An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the Fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the Fund (ask) when buying or selling shares in the secondary market. Recent information on Fund’s NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads is available at www.simplify.us/etfs.

 

Tax Information: The Fund’s distributions generally will be taxable as ordinary income or long-term capital gains. A sale of Shares may result in capital gain or loss.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries: If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RELATED RISKS

 

 

Investment Objective:

 

The Fund seeks to provide long-term growth of capital. The Fund’s investment objective may be changed by the Board of Trustees (“Board”) upon written notice to shareholders.

 

Principal Investment Strategies:

 

The Fund is an actively managed exchange-traded fund (“ETF”). The Fund’s investment adviser Simplify Asset Management Inc. (the “Adviser”) collaborates with the Fund’s sub-adviser, Propel Bio Management, LLC (the “Sub-Adviser”), to seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. The Fund concentrates its investments (i.e., invests more than 25% of its net assets) in the securities of issuers in the biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, healthcare technology, and life science tools and services industries. Each of these industries are commonly categorized within the healthcare sector because they share similar economic features and regulatory constraints. The Sub-Adviser employs an actively managed opportunistic multi-asset strategy that focuses on common stock, preferred stock, convertible bonds, structured notes, corporate notes and bonds, and ETFs that primarily invest in the preceding security types. The Adviser employs a derivatives strategy to partially protect or enhance Fund returns. The Sub-Adviser is responsible for security selection and the Adviser is responsible for trade execution, regulatory oversight of the Fund and the derivatives strategy.

 

The Fund invests without restriction as to security currency, issuer capitalization, or country and without restriction as to debt credit quality, maturity, structure, or issuer type. Lower quality corporate debt is commonly known as a “junk bond.” Junk bonds are generally rated lower than Baa3 by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or lower than BBB- by Standard and Poor’s Ratings Group or lower than BBB- by Fitch Ratings, Inc. The Fund is “non-diversified,” meaning it may invest a greater portion of its assets in fewer issuers than is permissible for a “diversified” Fund.

 

Sub-Adviser’s Opportunistic Multi-Asset Strategy

 

The Sub-Adviser selects securities that it believes present attractive investment opportunities, which may include securities that the Sub-Adviser believes are neglected and overlooked investments and present significant opportunities for capital appreciation. The Sub-Adviser uses fundamental, bottom-up analysis to identify securities that present attractive investment opportunities, which may include securities that the Sub-Adviser determines to be undervalued or present opportunities for growth. The Sub-Adviser selects debt or equity exposure based on its estimation of expected relative returns. The Sub-Adviser sells a security when it believes it is no longer undervalued or when more attractive investments are identified.

 

Healthcare Sector Sub-Strategy

 

The Sub-Adviser employs individuals who possess significant scientific, technical, operational, regulatory and commercial expertise to evaluate the science and prospects of healthcare sector companies as well as individuals with significant experience and expertise in identifying securities that present attractive investment opportunities, which may include securities that the Sub-Adviser determines to be undervalued or present opportunities for growth. Healthcare sector companies that the Fund will typically include in the portfolio will be small to medium capitalization companies that may be in various stages of maturity. These may include “early-stage companies” which include those that routinely develop new products or services or are in the process of conducting clinical trials and may not yet be consistently profitable. The Sub-Adviser’s evaluation ranks the expected returns and risk profile of each potential investment based upon an evaluation of: (i) the scientific proposition of the issuer, (ii) the probability that the science will lead to a product or treatment, and (iii) projected profits from each successful product or treatment. The Sub-Adviser evaluates all stages of a potential product including: preclinical development; clinical research and development; and product approval, launch and commercialization.

 

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Adviser’s Derivatives-Based Strategy

 

The Fund may invest up to 20% of the Fund’s portfolio in derivatives, measured at market value. Such derivatives include equity, treasury, commodity, and currency futures (derivative contracts that obligate the buyer or seller to transact at a set price and predetermined time) and exchange-traded and over the counter (“OTC”) put and call options on equities, treasuries, commodities, and currencies or futures. The derivatives strategy is a form of leveraged investing. When the Fund purchases a call option, the Fund has the right, but not the obligation, to buy an asset at a specified price (strike price) within a specific time period. When the Fund purchases a put option, the Fund has the right, but not the obligation, to sell an asset at a specified price (strike price) within a specific time period. The Fund may invest in total return swaps such as swaps on high yield debt instruments or high yield indexes or equity indexes as reference assets. A total return swap is a swap agreement in which one party makes payments based on a set rate, either fixed or variable, while the other party makes payments based on the return of an underlying asset. These are regulatory primarily by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission or the Securities and Exchange Commission, depending on the underlying asset.

 

The option overlay is a strategic, persistent exposure meant to partially hedge against market declines. If the market goes up, the Fund’s returns may outperform the market because the Adviser will sell or exercise the call options. If the market goes down, the Fund’s returns may fall less than the market because the Adviser will sell or exercise the put options.

 

The Adviser selects derivatives based upon its evaluation of relative value, such as, based on cost, strike price (price that the option can be bought or sold by the option holder) and maturity (the last date the option contract is valid) and will exercise or close the options typically based on maturity. The Adviser anticipates purchasing and selling its derivatives on a monthly, quarterly, and annual basis, depending upon the Fund’s rebalancing requirements and expiration dates. However, the Adviser may rebalance the Fund’s derivative portfolio on a more frequent basis for a number of reasons such as when market volatility renders the protection provided by the derivative strategy ineffective or a derivative position has appreciated to the point that it is prudent to decrease the Fund’s exposure and realize gains for the Fund’s shareholders. While the use of derivatives is intended to improve the Fund’s performance, there is no guarantee that it will do so.

 

When using derivatives, the Fund is required to post collateral to assure its performance. The Fund will hold cash and cash-like instruments or high-quality short term fixed income securities (collectively, “Collateral”). The Collateral may consist of (1) U.S. Government securities, such as bills, notes and bonds issued by the U.S. Treasury; (2) money market funds; (3) fixed income ETFs; and/or (4) corporate debt securities, such as commercial paper and other short-term unsecured promissory notes issued by companies that are rated investment grade or of comparable quality. The Adviser considers an unrated security to be of comparable quality to a security rated investment grade if it believes it has a similar low risk of default.

 

The Fund may continue to hold a position in an oil pipeline limited partnership, but this is not part of the Fund’s active investment strategy.

 

Temporary Defensive Positions

 

From time to time, the Fund may take temporary defensive positions, which are inconsistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategies, in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political, or other conditions. For example, the Fund may hold all or a portion of their respective assets in money market instruments, including cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities, other investment grade fixed income securities, certificates of deposit, bankers acceptances, commercial paper, money market funds and repurchase agreements. While the Fund is in a defensive position, the opportunity to achieve its investment objective will be limited. If the Fund invests in a money market fund, the shareholders of the Fund generally will be subject to duplicative management fees. Although the Fund would do this only in seeking to avoid losses, the Fund will be unable to pursue its investment objective during that time, and it could reduce the benefit from any upswing in the market.

 

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Manager-of-Managers Order

 

The Trust and the Adviser have received an exemptive order from the SEC that permits the Adviser, with the Board approval, to enter into sub-advisory agreements with one or more sub-advisers without obtaining shareholder approval. The exemptive order permits the Adviser, subject to the approval of the Board, to replace sub-advisers or amend sub-advisory agreements, including fees, without shareholder approval if the Adviser and the Board believe such action will benefit the Fund and its shareholders.

 

PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT RISKS:

 

The following describes the risks born by the Fund with respect to its investments.

 

Active Management Risk. The Fund is subject to the risk that its investment management strategy may not produce the intended results. There can be no assurance that the securities selected by the Adviser will produce positive returns. The Adviser’s derivatives overlay strategy will not fully protect the Fund from declines in the market. The Sub-Adviser’s opportunistic multi-asset strategy may be ineffective.

 

Industry Concentration Risk. The Fund’s net asset value may fluctuate more than that of a fund that does not concentrate in a particular industry. Internet companies are subject to rapid changes in competition, technology, obsolescence of products and services, industry protocol standards and new product and service introductions. Competitive price cutting, technological innovation, and the ability to attract and retain skilled employees, can adversely affect internet company profits. Changing domestic and international demand, research and development costs, and product obsolescence also can erode profitability. Retail focused internet companies that provide retail services primarily on the internet, through mail order and TV home shopping retailers are especially reliant on consumer disposable income and spending and are subject to changing consumer tastes and preferences and consumer demographics. Legislative or regulatory changes and increased government oversight also may affect companies in this industry.

 

Biotechnology Industry Risk. The biotechnology industry can be significantly affected by patent considerations, including the termination of patent protections for products, intense competition both domestically and internationally, rapid technological change and obsolescence, government regulation and expensive insurance costs due to the risk of product liability lawsuits. In addition, the biotechnology industry is an emerging growth industry, and therefore biotechnology companies may be thinly capitalized and more volatile than companies with greater capitalizations. Biotechnology companies must contend with high development costs, which may be exacerbated by the inability to raise prices to cover costs because of managed care pressure, government regulation or price controls.

 

Pharmaceutical Industry Risk. Companies in the pharmaceutical industry are heavily dependent on patent protection. The expiration of patents may adversely affect the profitability of the companies. Pharmaceutical companies are also subject to extensive litigation based on product liability and other similar claims. Many new products are subject to approval of the Food and Drug Administration, a process that can be long and costly. Expanding international operations may lead to risks resulting from differences between U.S. and foreign legal, political and economic systems, regulatory regimes and market practices.

 

Healthcare Technology Industry Risk. To the extent the Fund focuses on the healthcare technology industry, the Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the healthcare technology industry than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated industries. The profitability of companies in the healthcare technology industry may be adversely affected by the following factors, among others: extensive government regulations, restrictions on government reimbursement for medical expenses, rising costs of medical products and services, pricing pressure, an increased emphasis on outpatient services, changes in the demand for medical products and services, a limited number of products, industry innovation, changes in technologies and other market developments. A number of issuers in the healthcare

 

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technology industry have recently merged or otherwise experienced consolidation. The effects of this trend toward consolidation are unknown and may be far-reaching. Many healthcare companies are heavily dependent on patent protection. The expiration of a company’s patents may adversely affect that company’s profitability. Many healthcare technology companies are subject to extensive litigation based on product liability and similar claims. Healthcare technology companies are subject to competitive forces that may make it difficult to raise prices and, in fact, may result in price discounting. Many new products in the healthcare technology industry may be subject to regulatory approvals. The process of obtaining such approvals may be long and costly, and such efforts ultimately may be unsuccessful. Companies in the healthcare technology industry may be thinly capitalized and may be susceptible to product obsolescence. In addition, a number of legislative proposals concerning healthcare have been considered by the U.S. Congress in recent years. It is unclear what proposals will ultimately be enacted, if any, and what effect they may have on companies in the healthcare technology industry.

 

Life Science Tools and Services Industry Risk. Companies that manufacture or develop medical products, devices, or services are subject to extensive regulation in the United States by the FDA and by comparable government agencies in other countries. The regulations govern the development, design, approval, manufacturing, labeling, importing and exporting and sale and marketing of many medical products and services. These regulations are also subject to future change. Failure to comply with applicable regulations and quality assurance guidelines could lead to manufacturing shutdowns, product shortages, delays in product manufacturing, product seizures, recalls, operating restrictions, withdrawal or suspension of required licenses, and prohibitions against exporting of products to, or importing products from, countries outside the United States. Medical product, medical device, and services companies could be required to expend significant financial and human resources to remediate failures to comply with applicable regulations and quality assurance guidelines.

 

Equity Risk. Equity securities are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value. The equity securities held by the Fund may experience sudden, unpredictable drops in value or long periods of decline in value. This may occur because of factors affecting securities markets generally, the equity securities of a particular sector, or a particular company.

 

Market and Geopolitical Risk. The increasing interconnectivity between global economies and financial markets increases the likelihood that events or conditions in one region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. Securities in the Fund’s portfolio may underperform due to inflation (or expectations for inflation), interest rates, global demand for particular products or resources, natural disasters, climate change or climate related events, pandemics, epidemics, terrorism, regulatory events and governmental or quasi-governmental actions. The occurrence of global events similar to those in recent years may result in market volatility and may have long term effects on both the U.S. and global financial markets. Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine, and corresponding events in late February 2022, have had, and could continue to have, severe adverse effects on regional and global economic markets for securities and commodities. Following Russia’s actions, various governments, including the United States, have issued broad-ranging economic sanctions against Russia, including, among other actions, a prohibition on doing business with certain Russian companies, large financial institutions, officials and oligarchs; the removal by certain countries and the European Union of selected Russian banks from the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications (“SWIFT”), the electronic banking network that connects banks globally; and restrictive measures to prevent the Russian Central Bank from undermining the impact of the sanctions. The current novel coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic and the aggressive responses taken by many governments, including closing borders, restricting international and domestic travel, and the imposition of prolonged quarantines or similar restrictions, as well as the forced or voluntary closure of, or operational changes to, many retail and other businesses, has had negative impacts, and in many cases severe negative impacts, on markets worldwide. It is not known how long such impacts, or any future impacts of other significant events described above, will or would last, but there could be a prolonged period of global economic slowdown, which may impact your investment.

 

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Small and Medium Capitalization Risk. The stocks of small and medium capitalization companies involve substantial risk. These companies may have limited product lines, markets or financial resources, and they may be dependent on a limited management group. Stocks of these companies may be subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements than those of larger, more established companies or the market averages in general. These risks are amplified for early stage companies.

 

Commodity Risk. Investing in the commodities markets may subject the Fund to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities. The value of commodity-linked derivative instruments may be influenced by unfavorable weather, animal and plant disease, geologic and environmental factors as well as changes in government regulation such as tariffs, embargoes or burdensome production rules and restrictions, changes in overall market movements, commodity index volatility, changes in interest rates, or sectors affecting a particular industry or commodity.

 

Convertible Bond Risk. Convertible bonds are hybrid securities that have characteristics of both bonds and common stocks and are subject to risks associated with both debt securities and equity securities. Because convertible bonds may be exchanged for a predetermined number of shares of common stock, they exhibit risks associated with the underlying equity securities especially when their conversion value is the same as the value of the bond. Convertible bonds are similar to fixed-income debt securities because they usually pay a fixed interest rate (or dividend) and are obligated to repay principal on a given date in the future. They are particularly sensitive to changes in interest rates when their conversion value is lower than the value of the bond. If a convertible bond held by the Fund is called for redemption, the Fund will be required to surrender the security for redemption, convert it into the issuing company’s common stock or cash or sell it to a third party at a time that may be unfavorable to the Fund. Convertible bonds that are rated below investment grade are subject to the risks associated with high-yield investments. The refence common stock of a convertible bond may fail to reach a price that makes the conversion feature valuable.

 

Derivatives Risk. The Fund’s use of derivative instruments involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. These risks include (i) the risk that the counterparty to a derivative transaction may not fulfill its contractual obligations; (ii) risk of mispricing or improper valuation; and (iii) the risk that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index. Derivative prices are highly volatile and may fluctuate substantially during a short period of time. Such prices are influenced by numerous factors that affect the markets, including, but not limited to: changing supply and demand relationships; government programs and policies; national and international political and economic events, changes in interest rates, inflation and deflation and changes in supply and demand relationships. Trading derivative instruments involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities. Leverage inherent in derivatives will tend to magnify the Fund’s losses if the derivative strategy is ineffective.

 

Futures Contract Risk. The primary risks associated with the use of futures contracts are (a) the imperfect correlation between the change in market value of the instruments held by the Fund and the price of the futures contract; (b) possible lack of a liquid secondary market for a futures contract and the resulting inability to close a futures contract when desired; (c) investments in futures contracts involves leverage, which means a small percentage of assets in futures can have a disproportionately large impact on the Fund and the Fund can lose more than the principal amount invested; (d) losses caused by unanticipated market movements, which are potentially unlimited; (e) the Adviser’s inability to predict correctly the direction of securities prices, interest rates, currency exchange rates and other economic factors; (f) the possibility that the counterparty will default in the performance of its obligations; and (g) if the Fund has insufficient cash, it may have to sell securities from its portfolio to meet daily variation margin requirements, and the Fund may have to sell securities at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so.

 

Options Risk. As the buyer of a call or put option, the Fund risks losing the entire premium invested in the option if the Fund does not exercise the option.

 

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Swaps Risk. The Fund may use swaps to enhance returns and manage risk. The Fund’s use of swaps involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. These risks include (i) the risk that the counterparty to a derivative transaction may not fulfil its contractual obligations; (ii) risk of mispricing or improper valuation; and (iii) the risk that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index. Derivative prices are highly volatile and may fluctuate substantially during a short period of time. Such prices are influenced by numerous factors that affect the markets, including, but not limited to: changing supply and demand relationships; government programs and policies; national and international political and economic events, changes in interest rates, inflation and deflation and changes in supply and demand relationships. Trading derivative instruments involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities. Derivative contracts ordinarily have leverage inherent in their terms. The low margin deposits normally required in trading derivatives, including futures contracts, permit a high degree of leverage. Accordingly, a relatively small price movement may result in an immediate and substantial loss to the Fund. The use of leverage may also cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it would not be advantageous to do so in order to satisfy its obligations or to meet collateral segregation requirements. The use of leveraged derivatives can magnify the Fund’s potential for loss and, therefore, amplify the effects of market volatility on the Fund’s share price.

 

Foreign Securities Risk. Investment in the securities of foreign issuers involves risks beyond those associated with investments in U.S. securities. These additional risks include greater market volatility, the availability of less reliable financial information, higher transactional and custody costs, taxation by foreign governments, decreased market liquidity and political instability. Because many foreign securities markets may be limited in size, the prices of securities that trade in such markets may be influenced by large traders. Certain foreign markets that have historically been considered relatively stable may become volatile in response to changed conditions or new developments. Increased interconnectivity of world economies and financial markets increases the possibility that adverse developments and conditions in one country or region will affect the stability of economies and financial markets in other countries or regions. Foreign issuers are often subject to less stringent requirements regarding accounting, auditing, financial reporting and record keeping than are U.S. issuers, and therefore, not all material information may be available or reliable. Securities exchanges or foreign governments may adopt rules or regulations that may negatively impact the Fund’s ability to invest in foreign securities or may prevent the Fund from repatriating its investments. In addition, the Fund may not receive shareholder communications or be permitted to vote the securities that it holds, as the issuers may be under no legal obligation to distribute shareholder communications.

 

Emerging Markets Risk. The Fund may invest in countries with newly organized or less developed securities markets. Investments in emerging markets typically involves greater risks than investing in more developed markets. Generally, economic structures in these countries are less diverse and mature than those in developed countries and their political systems tend to be less stable. Emerging market countries may have different regulatory, accounting, auditing, and financial reporting and record keeping standards and may have material limitations on PCAOB inspection, investigation, and enforcement. Therefore, the availability and reliability of information, particularly financial information, material to an investment decision in emerging market companies may be limited in scope and reliability as compared to information provided by U.S. companies. Emerging market economies may be based on only a few industries. As a result, security issuers, including governments, may be more susceptible to economic weakness and more likely to default. Emerging market countries also may have relatively unstable governments, weaker economies, and less-developed legal systems with fewer security holder rights. Investments in emerging markets countries may be affected by government policies that restrict foreign investment in certain issuers or industries. The potentially smaller size of securities markets in emerging market countries and lower trading volumes can make investments relatively illiquid and potentially more volatile than investments in developed countries, and such securities may be subject to abrupt and severe price declines. Due to this relative lack of liquidity, the Fund may have to accept a lower price or may not be able to sell a portfolio security at all. An inability to sell a portfolio position can adversely affect the Fund’s value or prevent the Fund from being able to meet cash obligations or take advantage of other investment opportunities.

 

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Foreign Currency Risk. Currency trading through derivatives involves significant risks, including market risk, interest rate risk, country risk, counterparty credit risk and short sale risk. Market risk results from the price movement of foreign currency values in response to shifting market supply and demand. Since exchange rate changes can readily move in one direction, a currency position carried overnight or over a number of days may involve greater risk than one carried a few minutes or hours. Interest rate risk arises whenever a country changes its stated interest rate target associated with its currency. Country risk arises because virtually every country has interfered with international transactions in its currency. Interference has taken the form of regulation of the local exchange market, restrictions on foreign investment by residents or limits on inflows of investment funds from abroad. Restrictions on the exchange market or on international transactions are intended to affect the level or movement of the exchange rate. This risk could include the country issuing a new currency, effectively making the “old” currency worthless.

 

ADR Risk. ADRs may be subject to some of the same risks as direct investment in foreign companies, which includes international trade, currency, political, regulatory and diplomatic risks. In a sponsored ADR arrangement, the foreign issuer assumes the obligation to pay some or all of the depositary’s transaction fees. Under an unsponsored ADR arrangement, the foreign issuer assumes no obligations and the depositary’s transaction fees are paid directly by the ADR holders. Because unsponsored ADR arrangements are organized independently and without the cooperation of the issuer of the underlying securities, available information concerning the foreign issuer may not be as current as for sponsored ADRs and voting rights with respect to the deposited securities are not passed through.

 

Junk Bond Risk. Lower-quality bonds, known as “high yield” or “junk” bonds, present a significant risk for loss of principal and interest. These bonds offer the potential for higher return, but also involve greater risk than bonds of higher quality, including an increased possibility that the bond’s issuer, obligor or guarantor may not be able to make its payments of interest and principal (credit quality risk). If that happens, the value of the bond may decrease, and the Fund’s share price may decrease and its income distribution may be reduced. An economic downturn or period of rising interest rates (interest rate risk) could adversely affect the market for these bonds and reduce the Fund’s ability to sell its bonds (liquidity risk). Such securities may also include “Rule 144A” securities, which are subject to resale restrictions. The lack of a liquid market for these bonds could decrease the Fund’s share price.

 

Limited History of Operations. The Fund is a new ETF and has a limited history of operations for investors to evaluate. Investors in the Fund bear the risk that the Fund may not be successful in implementing its investment strategies, may be unable to implement certain of its investment strategies or may fail to attract sufficient assets, any of which could result in the Fund being liquidated and terminated at any time without shareholder approval and at a time that may not be favorable for all shareholders. Such a liquidation could have negative tax consequences for shareholders and will cause shareholders to incur expenses of liquidation. The Adviser may not achieve its intended result in managing the Fund.

 

Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk exists when particular investments of the Fund would be difficult to purchase or sell, possibly preventing the Fund from selling such illiquid securities at an advantageous time or price, or possibly requiring the Fund to dispose of other investments at unfavorable times or prices in order to satisfy its obligations. Certain investments may have limited market makers and potential purchasers may be restricted based upon regulatory minimum asset thresholds.

 

Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is non-diversified. This means that it may invest a larger portion of its assets in a limited number of companies than a diversified fund. Because a relatively high percentage of the Fund’s assets may be invested in the securities of a limited number of companies that could be in the same or related economic sectors, the Fund’s portfolio may be more susceptible to any single economic, technological or regulatory occurrence than the portfolio of a diversified fund.

 

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Oil Pipeline Limited Partnership Risk. Pipeline companies are subject to adverse regulatory burdens, terrorism, natural disasters, operating interruptions, environmental, supply and demand, and price volatility risks. If a limited partnership does not meet current legal requirements to maintain partnership status, or if it is unable to do so because of tax law changes, it would be treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In that case, the limited partnership would be obligated to pay income tax at the entity level and distributions received by the Fund generally would be taxed as dividend income. As a result, there could be a material reduction in the Fund’s NAV. Furthermore, limited partnership interests may not be as liquid as other more commonly traded equity securities.

 

Over-the-Counter Market Risk. Securities and options traded in over-the-counter markets may trade less frequently and in limited volumes and thus exhibit more volatility and liquidity risk, and the prices paid by the Fund in over-the-counter transactions may include an undisclosed dealer markup. The Fund is also exposed to default by the over-the-counter option writer who may be unwilling or unable to perform its contractual obligations to the Fund.

 

Preferred Stock Risk. Preferred stocks are subject not only to issuer-specific and market risks generally applicable to equity securities, but also risks associated with fixed-income securities, such as interest rate risk. A company’s preferred stock, which may pay fixed or variable rates of return, generally pays dividends only after the company makes required payments to creditors, including vendors, depositors, counterparties, holders of its bonds and other fixed-income securities. As a result, the value of a company’s preferred stock will react more strongly than bonds and other debt to actual or perceived changes in the company’s financial condition or prospects. Preferred stock may be less liquid than many other types of securities, such as common stock, and generally has limited or no voting rights. In addition, preferred stock is subject to the risks that a company may defer or not pay dividends, and, in certain situations, may call or redeem its preferred stock or convert it to common stock. The refence common stock of a convertible preferred stock may fail to reach a price that makes the conversion feature valuable.

 

Structured Note Risk. The Fund may seek investment exposure to issuers or sectors through structured notes that may be exchange traded or may trade in the over the counter market. These notes are typically issued by banks or brokerage firms, and have interest and/or principal payments which are linked to changes in the price level of certain assets or to the price performance of certain indices. The value of a structured note will be influenced by time to maturity, level of supply and demand for this type of note, interest rate and market volatility, changes in the issuer’s credit quality rating, and economic, legal, political, or events that affect the industry. In addition, there may be a lag between a change in the value of the underlying reference asset and the value of the structured note. Structured notes may also be subject to counterparty risk. The Fund may also be exposed to increased transaction costs when it seeks to sell such notes in the secondary market.

 

Underlying Funds Risk. ETFs in which the Fund invests are subject to investment advisory and other expenses, which will be indirectly paid by the Fund. As a result, the cost of investing in the Fund will be higher than the cost of investing directly in the underlying ETFs and may be higher than other funds that invest directly in stocks and bonds. Each of the ETFs is subject to its own specific risks.

 

Early Close/Trading Halt Risk. An exchange or market may close or issue trading halts on specific securities, or the ability to buy or sell certain securities or financial instruments may be restricted, which may prevent the Fund from buying or selling certain securities or financial instruments. In these circumstances, the Fund may be unable to rebalance its portfolio, may be unable to accurately price its investments and may incur substantial trading losses.

 

ETF Structure Risk: The Fund is structured as an ETF. As a result, the Fund is subject to special risks, including:

 

  Not Individually Redeemable. The Fund’s Shares (“Shares”) are not redeemable by retail investors and may be redeemed only by the authorized participant (“Authorized Participant”) at net asset value (“NAV”) and only in Creation Units. A retail investor generally incurs brokerage costs when selling shares.

 

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  Trading Issues. Trading in Shares on the Exchange may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in Shares inadvisable, such as extraordinary market volatility. There can be no assurance that Shares will continue to meet the listing requirements of the Exchange, which may result in the Fund’s shares being delisted. An active trading market for the Shares may not be developed or maintained. If the Shares are traded outside a collateralized settlement system, the number of financial institutions that can act as Authorized Participants that can post collateral on an agency basis is limited, which may limit the market for the Shares.

 

  Market Price Variance Risk. Individual Shares of the Fund that are listed for trading on the Exchange can be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. The market prices of Shares will fluctuate in response to changes in NAV and supply and demand for Shares. There may be times when the market price and the NAV vary significantly and you may pay more than NAV when buying Shares on the secondary market, and you may receive less than NAV when you sell those Shares. The market price of Shares, like the price of any exchange-traded security, includes a “bid-ask spread” charged by the exchange specialists, market makers or other participants that trade the particular security. In times of severe market disruption, the bid-ask spread often increases significantly. This means that Shares may trade at a discount to NAV and the discount is likely to be greatest when the price of Shares is falling fastest, which may be the time that you most want to sell your Shares. The Fund’s investment results are measured based upon the daily NAV of the Fund over a period of time. Investors purchasing and selling Shares in the secondary market may not experience investment results consistent with those experienced by those Authorized Participants creating and redeeming directly with the Fund.

 

  In times of market stress, market makers may step away from their role in market making in shares of ETFs and in executing trades, which can lead to differences between the market value of Shares and the Fund’s NAV.

 

  The market price for the Shares may deviate from the Fund’s NAV, particularly during times of market stress, with the result that investors may pay significantly more or significantly less for Shares than the Fund’s NAV, which is reflected in the bid and ask price for Fund shares or in the closing price.

 

  In stressed market conditions, the market for the Shares may become less liquid in response to the deteriorating liquidity of the Fund’s portfolio. This adverse effect on the liquidity of the Shares may, in turn, lead to differences between the market value of the Shares and the Fund’s NAV.

 

  When all or a portion of the Fund’s underlying securities trade in a market that is closed when the market for the Fund’s shares is open, there may be changes from the last quote of the closed market and the quote from the Fund’s domestic trading day, which could lead to differences between the market value of the Fund’s shares and the Fund’s net asset value.

 

  Authorized Participant Risk. Only an Authorized Participant may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Fund. The Fund has a limited number of institutions that may act as an Authorized Participant on an agency basis (i.e., on behalf of other market participants). To the extent that Authorized Participants exit the business or are unable to proceed with creation or redemption orders with respect to the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to create or redeem Creation Units, the Fund’s shares may be more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts or delisting. Authorized Participant concentration risk may be heightened for securities or instruments that have lower trading volumes.

 

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Portfolio Holdings Disclosure: A description of the Fund’s policies and procedures regarding the release of portfolio holdings information is available in the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”).

 

Cybersecurity: The computer systems, networks and devices used by the Fund and its service providers to carry out routine business operations employ a variety of protections designed to prevent damage or interruption from computer viruses, network failures, computer and telecommunication failures, infiltration by unauthorized persons and security breaches. Despite the various protections utilized by the Fund and its service providers, systems, networks, or devices potentially can be breached. The Fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result of a cybersecurity breach.

 

Cybersecurity breaches can include unauthorized access to systems, networks, or devices; infection from computer viruses or other malicious software code; and attacks that shut down, disable, slow, or otherwise disrupt operations, business processes, or website access or functionality. Cybersecurity breaches may cause disruptions and impact the Fund’s business operations, potentially resulting in financial losses; interference with the Fund’s ability to calculate its NAV; impediments to trading; the inability of the Fund, the Adviser, and other service providers to transact business; violations of applicable privacy and other laws; regulatory fines, penalties, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs, or additional compliance costs; as well as the inadvertent release of confidential information.

 

Similar adverse consequences could result from cybersecurity breaches affecting issuers of securities in which the Fund invests; counterparties with which the Fund engages in transactions; governmental and other regulatory authorities; exchange and other financial market operators, banks, brokers, dealers, insurance companies, and other financial institutions (including financial intermediaries and service providers for the Fund’s shareholders); and other parties. In addition, substantial costs may be incurred by these entities in order to prevent any cybersecurity breaches in the future.

 

MANAGEMENT

 

 

Investment Adviser: Simplify Asset Management Inc., located at 222 Broadway, 22nd Floor, New York, NY 10038, serves as the Fund’s investment adviser (the “Adviser”). The Adviser is registered with the SEC as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended and manages only investment companies.

 

Subject to the oversight of the Board of Trustees, the Adviser is responsible for managing the Fund’s investments, placing trade orders and providing related administrative services and facilities under an advisory agreement between the Fund and the Adviser.

 

The Adviser is paid a monthly management fee at an annual rate (stated as a percentage of the average daily net assets of the Fund) computed at the annual rate of 2.75% on assets up to $1 billion; 2.50% on assets over $1 billion and less than $5 billion; 2.00% on assets over $5 billion and less than $10 billion; and 1.00% on assets over $10 billion. The management agreement between the Fund and the Adviser provides that the Adviser will pay all operating expenses of the Fund, except for any interest expenses, taxes, brokerage expenses, future Rule 12b-1 fees (if any), acquired fund fees and expenses, expenses incidental to a meeting of the Fund’s shareholders. The Adviser has agreed to waive 0.25% of its fee on an annualized basis through December 31, 2024. This waiver may be terminated by the Fund’s Board of Trustees on 60 days’ notice and terminates automatically if the management agreement or sub-advisory agreement is terminated.

 

A discussion regarding the Board’s approval of the Adviser’s and Sub-Adviser’s management agreement will be available in the Fund’s semi-annual report to shareholders dated December 31, 2023.

 

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Investment SUB-Adviser: Propel Bio Management, LLC (the “Sub-Adviser”), located at 1800 Avenue of the Stars, Los Angeles, CA 90067, serves as sub-adviser to the Fund. Subject to the oversight of the Board, the Sub-Adviser is responsible for management of the Fund’s equity portfolio. The Sub-Adviser was established in 2022 for the purpose of managing investment companies. The Sub-Adviser is paid by the Adviser, not the Fund. The Sub-Adviser has agreed to waive 0.25% of its fee on an annualized basis through December 31, 2024. This waiver may be terminated by the Fund’s Board of Trustees on 60 days’ notice and terminates automatically if the management agreement or sub-advisory agreement is terminated.

 

Portfolio Managers:

 

Paul Kim is the chief executive officer and co-founder of the Adviser. Prior to co-founding the Adviser in 2020, he was a portfolio manager and managing director at Principal Global Investors from 2015 to 2020, where he founded and led Principal’s ETF business segment. Mr. Kim has a Bachelors degree from Dartmouth and a Master in Business Administration in Finance from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

 

David Berns, PhD, is the chief investment officer and co-founder of the Adviser. Prior to co-founding the Adviser in 2020, he founded Portfolio Designer, LLC, a company that specializes in portfolio design and from 2018 to 2019 was a managing director at Nasdaq Dorsey Wright. Prior to joining Nasdaq Dorsey Wright, Inc., he founded and developed a company that specializes in proprietary trading. He has specialized in developing asset allocation, portfolio management, and risk management systems for managing private and institutional wealth. Mr. Berns has a PhD in Physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the field of Quantum Computation.

 

Leen Kawas, PhD, has served as Managing General Partner of the Sub-Adviser since January 2022. Previously, Ms. Kawas was CEO and President of Athira Pharma, Inc. from 2014 to 2021 and Vice President of Research from 2011 to 2014.

 

Xue Hua, PhD, has served as a Portfolio Manager of the Sub-Adviser since July 2022. Ms. Hua, previously served as the Vice President of Clinical Development, Research at Athira Pharma from 2015 to 2022.

 

Richard Kayne, has served as a Portfolio Manager of the Sub-Adviser since January 2022. Mr. Kayne is also founder and Co-Chairman of Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors, L.P., a position held from 1984 to present.

 

Mr. Kim, Mr. Berns, Ms. Kawas, Ms. Hua, and Mr. Kayne, and are jointly and primarily responsible for the management of the Fund.

 

The SAI provides additional information about the Portfolio Managers’ compensation, other accounts managed and ownership of Fund shares.

 

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST RELATED TO THE ADVISER AND SUB-ADVISER

 

In addition to serving as Portfolio Manager of the Sub-Adviser with respect to the Fund, Mr. Kayne owns non-voting preferred shares of the Adviser and is, indirectly, the Fund’s seed investor. Mr. Kayne is also a majority owner in Propel Bio Partners, LLC (the “General Partner”), a Delaware limited liability company, which serves as the general partner to the Propel Bio Partners, L.P. (the “Private Fund”). The Private Fund is a pooled investment vehicle that is exempt from registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the Securities Act of 1933. The Sub-Adviser has been retained by the General Partner to serve as the investment adviser to the Private Fund. Mr. Kayne’s part ownership and commitment to indirectly provide seed capital to the Fund presents a potential conflict of interest on the part of the Adviser in selecting the Sub-Adviser, as Mr. Kayne will indirectly benefit due to serving as Portfolio Manager at the Sub-Adviser. These relationships between Mr. Kayne and each of the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser were fully disclosed to, discussed with and considered by the Board in approving the appointment of the Sub-Adviser.

 

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HOW SHARES ARE PRICED

 

 

The NAV of the Fund is determined at the close of regular trading (normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time) on each day the Exchange is open for business. NAV is computed by determining, the aggregate market value of all assets of the Fund, less its liabilities, divided by the total number of shares outstanding ((assets-liabilities)/number of shares = NAV). The Exchange is closed on weekends and New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day (“Exchange Close”). The NAV takes into account, the expenses and fees of the Fund, including management and any distribution fees, which are accrued daily. The determination of NAV for the Fund for a particular day is applicable to all applications for the purchase of shares, as well as all requests for the redemption of Creation Units, received by the Fund (or an authorized broker or agent, or its authorized designee) before the close of trading on the Exchange on that day.

 

Generally, the Fund’s portfolio securities, including securities issued by ETFs, are valued each day at the last quoted sales price on each security’s primary exchange. Securities traded or dealt in upon one or more securities exchanges (whether domestic or foreign) for which market quotations are readily available and not subject to restrictions against resale shall be valued at the last quoted sales price on the primary exchange or, in the absence of a sale on the primary exchange, at the mean between the current bid and ask prices on such exchange. Securities primarily traded in the National Association of Securities Dealers’ Automated Quotation System (“NASDAQ”) National Market System for which market quotations are readily available shall be valued using the NASDAQ Official Closing Price. Securities that are not traded on any securities exchange (whether domestic or foreign) and for which over-the-counter market quotations are readily available generally shall be valued at the last sale price or, in the absence of a sale, at the mean between the current bid and ask price on such over-the-counter market.

 

If market quotations are not readily available, securities will be valued at their fair market value as determined by the Adviser as the Board’s “valuation designee” using the “fair value” procedures approved by the Board and the Adviser. Debt securities not traded on an exchange may be valued at prices supplied by a pricing agent(s) based on broker or dealer supplied valuations or matrix pricing, a method of valuing securities by reference to the value of other securities with similar characteristics, such as rating, interest rate and maturity. Fair value pricing involves subjective judgments and it is possible that the fair value determined for a security may be materially different than the value that could be realized upon the sale of that security. The fair value prices can differ from market prices when they become available or when a price becomes available. The Board has delegated execution of fair value pricing to the Adviser as valuation designee. The Adviser may also enlist third party consultants such as an audit firm or financial officer of a security issuer on an as-needed basis to assist in determining a security-specific fair value. The Board reviews the execution of this process at least annually to assure the process produces reliable results.

 

The Adviser may use independent pricing services to assist in calculating the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities. In addition, market prices for foreign securities are not determined at the same time of day as the NAV for the Fund.

 

In computing the NAV, the Fund values foreign securities held by the Fund at the latest closing price on the exchange in which they are traded immediately prior to closing of the Exchange. Prices of foreign securities quoted in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars at current rates. If events materially affecting the value of a security in the Fund’s portfolio, particularly foreign securities, occur after the close of trading on a foreign market but before the Fund prices its shares, the security will be valued at fair value as determined by the Adviser as valuation designee. For example, if trading in a portfolio security is halted and does not resume before the Fund calculates its NAV, the Adviser may need to price the security using its fair value pricing guidelines. Without a fair value price, short-term traders could take advantage of the arbitrage opportunity and dilute the NAV of long-term investors. Fair valuation of the Fund’s portfolio securities can serve to reduce arbitrage opportunities available to short-term traders, but there is no assurance that fair value pricing policies will prevent dilution of the Fund’s NAV by short term traders. The determination of fair value involves subjective judgments. As a result, using fair value to price a security may result in a price materially different from the prices used by other mutual funds to determine NAV, or from the price that may be realized upon the actual sale of the security.

 

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HOW TO BUY AND SELL SHARES

 

 

Shares of the Fund are listed for trading on the Exchange under the symbol SURI. Share prices are reported in dollars and cents per Share. Shares can be bought and sold on the secondary market throughout the trading day like other publicly traded shares, and Shares typically trade in blocks of less than a Creation Unit. There is no minimum investment required. Shares may only be purchased and sold on the secondary market when the Exchange is open for trading. The Exchange is open for trading Monday through Friday and is closed on weekends and the following holidays, as observed: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

 

When buying or selling Shares through a broker, you will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges, and you may pay some or all of the spread between the bid and the offered price in the secondary market on each leg of a round trip (purchase and sale) transaction.

 

Authorized Participants that have entered into a contract with the Fund’s distributor may acquire Shares from the Fund, and Authorized Participants may tender their Shares for redemption directly to the Fund, at NAV per Share only in large blocks, or Creation Units, of 10,000 Shares. Purchases and redemptions directly with the Fund must follow the Fund’s procedures, which are described in the SAI.

 

The Fund may liquidate and terminate at any time without shareholder approval.

 

Share Trading Prices

 

The approximate value of Shares, an amount representing on a per share basis the sum of the current market price of the securities accepted by the Fund in exchange for Shares and an estimated cash component may be disseminated every 15 seconds throughout the trading day through the facilities of the Consolidated Tape Association. This approximate value should not be viewed as a “real-time” update of the NAV per Share because the approximate value may not be calculated in the same manner as the NAV, which is computed once a day, generally at the end of the business day. The Fund is not involved in, or responsible for, the calculation or dissemination of the approximate value of the Shares, and the Fund does not make any warranty as to the accuracy of these values.

 

Book Entry

 

Shares are held in book entry form, which means that no stock certificates are issued. The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) or its nominee is the record owner of all outstanding Shares and is recognized as the owner of all Shares for all purposes.

 

Investors owning Shares are beneficial owners as shown on the records of DTC or its participants. DTC serves as the securities depository for all Shares. Participants in DTC include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and other institutions that directly or indirectly maintain a custodial relationship with DTC. As a beneficial owner of Shares, you are not entitled to receive physical delivery of stock certificates or to have Shares registered in your name, and you are not considered a registered owner of Shares. Therefore, to exercise any right as an owner of Shares, you must rely upon the procedures of DTC and its participants. These procedures are the same as those that apply to any other securities that you hold in book entry or “street name” form.

 

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FREQUENT PURCHASES AND REDEMPTIONS OF FUND SHARES

 

 

Shares can only be purchased and redeemed directly from the Fund in Creation Units by Authorized Participants that have entered into a contract with the Fund’s distributor. The vast majority of trading in Shares occurs on the secondary market. Because the secondary market trades do not directly involve the Fund, it is unlikely those trades would cause the harmful effects of market timing, including dilution, disruption of portfolio management, increases in the Fund’s trading costs and the realization of capital gains. With regard to the purchase or redemption of Creation Units directly with the Fund, to the extent effected in-kind (i.e., for securities), those trades do not cause the harmful effects that may result from frequent cash trades. To the extent trades are effected in whole or in part in cash, those trades could result in dilution to the Fund and increased transaction costs, which could negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. However, direct trading by Authorized Participants is critical to ensuring that Shares trade at or close to NAV. The Fund also employs fair valuation pricing to minimize potential dilution from market timing. In addition, the Fund imposes transaction fees on purchases and redemptions of Shares to cover the custodial and other costs incurred by the Fund in effecting trades. These fees increase if an investor substitutes cash in part or in whole for securities, reflecting the fact that the Fund’s trading costs increase in those circumstances. Given this structure, the Trust has determined that it is not necessary to adopt policies and procedures to detect and deter market timing of the Shares.

 

DISTRIBUTION AND SERVICE PLAN

 

 

The Fund has adopted a distribution and service plan (“Plan”) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940. Under the Plan, the Fund is authorized to pay distribution fees to the distributor and other firms that provide distribution and shareholder services (“Service Providers”). If a Service Provider provides these services, the Fund may pay fees at an annual rate not to exceed 0.25% of average daily net assets, pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the1940 Act.

 

No distribution or service fees are currently paid by the Fund and will not be paid by the Fund unless authorized by the Board. There are no current plans to impose these fees. In the event Rule 12b-1 fees were charged, over time they would increase the cost of an investment in the Fund.

 

DIVIDENDS, OTHER DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES

 

 

Shares are traded throughout the day in the secondary market on a national securities exchange on an intra-day basis and are created and redeemed in-kind and/or for cash in Creation Units at each day’s next calculated NAV. In-kind arrangements are designed to protect ongoing shareholders from the adverse effects on the Fund’s portfolio that could arise from frequent cash redemption transactions. In a conventional mutual fund, redemptions can have an adverse tax impact on taxable shareholders if the mutual fund needs to sell portfolio securities to obtain cash to meet net fund redemptions. These sales may generate taxable gains for the ongoing shareholders of the mutual fund, whereas the Shares’ in-kind redemption mechanism generally will not lead to a tax event for the Fund or its ongoing shareholders.

 

Ordinarily, dividends from net investment income, if any, are declared and paid quarterly by the Fund. The Fund distributes its net realized capital gains, if any, to shareholders annually. The Fund may also pay a special distribution at the end of a calendar year to comply with federal tax requirements.

 

No dividend reinvestment service is provided by the Fund. Broker-dealers may make available the DTC book-entry Dividend Reinvestment Service for use by beneficial owners of the Fund for reinvestment of their dividend distributions. Beneficial owners should contact their broker to determine the availability and costs of the service and the details of participation therein. Brokers may require beneficial owners to adhere to specific procedures and timetables. If this service is available and used, dividend distributions of both income and realized gains will be automatically reinvested in additional whole shares of the Fund purchased in the secondary market.

 

Distributions in cash may be reinvested automatically in additional whole Shares only if the broker through whom you purchased Shares makes such option available.

 

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Taxes

 

As with any investment, you should consider how your investment in Shares will be taxed. The tax information in this Prospectus is provided as general information. You should consult your own tax professional about the tax consequences of an investment in Shares.

 

Unless your investment in Shares is made through a tax-exempt entity or tax-deferred retirement account, such as an individual retirement account, you need to be aware of the possible tax consequences when:

 

  The Fund makes distributions,

 

  You sell your Shares listed on the Exchange, and

 

  You purchase or redeem Creation Units.

 

Taxes on Distributions

 

Distributions from the Fund’s net investment income, including net short-term capital gains, if any, are taxable to you as ordinary income, except that the Fund’s dividends attributable to its “qualified dividend income” (i.e., dividends received on stock of most domestic and certain foreign corporations with respect to which the Fund satisfies certain holding period and other restrictions), if any, generally are subject to federal income tax for non-corporate shareholders who satisfy those restrictions with respect to their Shares at the rate for net capital gain. A part of the Fund’s dividends also may be eligible for the dividends-received deduction allowed to corporations -- the eligible portion may not exceed the aggregate dividends the Fund receives from domestic corporations subject to federal income tax (excluding Real Estate Investment Trusts) and excludes dividends from foreign corporations -- subject to similar restrictions. However, dividends a corporate shareholder deducts pursuant to that deduction are subject indirectly to the federal alternative minimum tax.

 

In general, your distributions are subject to federal income tax when they are paid, whether you take them in cash or reinvest them in the Fund (if that option is available). Distributions reinvested in additional Shares through the means of a dividend reinvestment service, if available, will be taxable to shareholders acquiring the additional Shares to the same extent as if such distributions had been received in cash. Distributions of net long-term capital gains, if any, in excess of net short-term capital losses are taxable as long-term capital gains, regardless of how long you have held the Shares.

 

Distributions in excess of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits are treated as a tax-free return of capital to the extent of your basis in the Shares and as capital gain thereafter. A distribution will reduce the Fund’s NAV per Share and may be taxable to you as ordinary income or capital gain (as described above) even though, from an investment standpoint, the distribution may constitute a return of capital.

 

By law, the Fund is required to withhold 28% of your distributions and redemption proceeds if you have not provided the Fund with a correct Social Security number or other taxpayer identification number and in certain other situations.

 

Taxes on Exchange-Listed Share Sales

 

Any capital gain or loss realized upon a sale of Shares is generally treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the Shares have been held for more than one year and as short-term capital gain or loss if the Shares have been held for one year or less. The ability to deduct capital losses from sales of Shares may be limited.

 

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Taxes on Purchase and Redemption of Creation Units

 

An Authorized Participant that exchanges securities for Creation Units generally will recognize a gain or a loss equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Units at the time of the exchange and the sum of the exchanger’s aggregate basis in the securities surrendered plus any Cash Component it pays. An Authorized Participant that exchanges Creation Units for securities will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the exchanger’s basis in the Creation Units and the sum of the aggregate market value of the securities received plus any cash equal to the difference between the NAV of the Shares being redeemed and the value of the securities. The Internal Revenue Service (“Service”), however, may assert that a loss realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units cannot be deducted currently under the rules governing “wash sales” or for other reasons. Persons exchanging securities should consult their own tax advisor with respect to whether wash sale rules apply and when a loss might be deductible.

 

Any capital gain or loss realized upon redemption of Creation Units is generally treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the Shares have been held for more than one year and as short-term capital gain or loss if the Shares have been held for one year or less.

 

If you purchase or redeem Creation Units, you will be sent a confirmation statement showing how many Shares you purchased or sold and at what price. See “Tax Status” in the SAI for a description of the newly effective requirement regarding basis determination methods applicable to Share redemptions and the Fund’s obligation to report basis information to the Service.

 

The foregoing discussion summarizes some of the possible consequences under current federal tax law of an investment in the Fund. It is not a substitute for personal tax advice. Consult your personal tax advisor about the potential tax consequences of an investment in the Shares under all applicable tax laws. See “Tax Status” in the SAI for more information.

 

FUND SERVICE PROVIDERS

 

 

Bank of New York Mellon is the Fund’s administrator, transfer agent, custodian and fund accountant. It has its principal office at 240 Greenwich St., New York, NY 10286, and is primarily in the business of providing administrative, fund accounting and transfer agent services to retail and institutional mutual funds.

 

Foreside Financial Services, LLC (the “Distributor”), located at Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101, is the distributor for the shares of the Fund. The Distributor is a registered broker-dealer and member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”).

 

Thompson Hine LLP, 41 South High Street, 17th Floor, Columbus, Ohio 43215, serves as legal counsel to the Trust.

 

Cohen & Company, Ltd., located at 1350 Euclid Ave., Suite 800, Cleveland, OH 44115, serves as the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm. The independent registered public accounting firm is responsible for auditing the annual financial statements of the Fund.

 

OTHER INFORMATION

 

 

Continuous Offering

 

The method by which Creation Units of Shares are created and traded may raise certain issues under applicable securities laws. Because new Creation Units of Shares are issued and sold by the Fund on an ongoing basis, a “distribution,” as such term is used in the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), may occur at any point. Broker-dealers and other persons are cautioned that some activities on their part may, depending on the circumstances, result in their being deemed participants in a distribution in a manner which could render them statutory underwriters and subject them to the prospectus delivery requirement and liability provisions of the Securities Act.

 

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For example, a broker-dealer firm or its client may be deemed a statutory underwriter if it takes Creation Units after placing an order with the Distributor, breaks them down into constituent Shares and sells the Shares directly to customers or if it chooses to couple the creation of a supply of new Shares with an active selling effort involving solicitation of secondary market demand for Shares. A determination of whether one is an underwriter for purposes of the Securities Act must take into account all the facts and circumstances pertaining to the activities of the broker-dealer or its client in the particular case, and the examples mentioned above should not be considered a complete description of all the activities that could lead to a characterization as an underwriter.

 

Broker dealers who are not “underwriters” but are participating in a distribution (as contrasted to ordinary secondary trading transactions), and thus dealing with Shares that are part of an “unsold allotment” within the meaning of Section 4(3)(C) of the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Securities Act”), would be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(3) of the Securities Act. This is because the prospectus delivery exemption in Section 4(3) of the Securities Act is not available in respect of such transactions as a result of Section 24(d) of the 1940 Act. As a result, broker dealer firms should note that dealers who are not underwriters but are participating in a distribution (as contrasted with ordinary secondary market transactions) and thus dealing with Shares that are part of an overallotment within the meaning of Section 4(3)(A) of the Securities Act would be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(3) of the Securities Act. Firms that incur a prospectus delivery obligation with respect to Shares are reminded that, under Rule 153 of the Securities Act, a prospectus delivery obligation under Section 5(b)(2) of the Securities Act owed to an exchange member in connection with a sale on the Exchange is satisfied by the fact that the prospectus is available at the Exchange upon request. The prospectus delivery mechanism provided in Rule 153 is only available with respect to transactions on an exchange.

 

Dealers effecting transactions in the Shares, whether or not participating in this distribution, are generally required to deliver a Prospectus. This is in addition to any obligation of dealers to deliver a Prospectus when acting as underwriters.

 

Householding: To reduce expenses, you may elect to have the Fund mail only one copy of the prospectus and each annual and semi-annual report to those addresses shared by two or more accounts. If you wish to receive individual copies of these documents, please contact your financial institution.

 

Certain Conditions on Certain Shareholder Legal Actions

 

Pursuant to the Trust’s primary governing document, the Agreement and Declaration of Trust, shareholders wishing to pursue a derivative action (a suit brought by a shareholder on behalf of a fund) are subject to various conditions including: (i) Trustees must have a reasonable amount of time to assess a request for action, (ii) at least 10% of shareholders must participate in the action, (iii) expenses of a failed action are borne by the complaining shareholders. However, these provisions do not apply to actions brought under federal securities laws. In addition, all shareholder legal complaints must be brought in courts of the State of Delaware sitting in Kent County and the United States District Court for the District of Delaware, which may be inconvenient for some shareholders.

 

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FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

 

 

The following financial highlights are intended to help you understand the financial history of a Fund for the past five years, or since inception, if the life of the Fund is shorter. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns in this table represent the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions). The information for the period February 8, 2023 (commencement of operations) through June 30, 2023 has been audited by Cohen & Company, Ltd., the Fund’s Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm, whose reports, along with the Fund’s financial statements, are included in the June 30, 2023 Annual Report of the Trust, which is available free of charge, upon request.

 

Simplify Propel Opportunities ETF
Selected Per Share Data
  Period Ended
June 30,
2023
(a)
 
Net Asset Value, beginning of period   $ 25.00  
Income (loss) from investment operations:        
Net investment income (loss)(b)     (0.04 )
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)     (1.36 )
Total from investment operations     (1.40 )
Less distributions from:        
Net investment income     (0.87 )
Return of capital     (0.81 )
Total distributions     (1.68 )
Net Asset Value, end of period   $ 21.92  
Total Return (%)     (4.97 )(c) 
Ratios to Average Net Assets and Supplemental Data        
Net Assets, end of period ($ millions)   $ 100  
Ratio of expenses before fee waiver (%)     2.75 (d)(f) 
Ratio of expenses after fee waiver (%)     2.50 (d)(f) 
Ratio of net investment income (loss) (%)     (0.50 )(d) 
Portfolio turnover rate (%)(e)     46 (c) 

 

(a) For the period February 8, 2023 (commencement of operations) through June 30, 2023.
(b) Per share numbers have been calculated using the average shares method.
(c) Not annualized.
(d) Annualized.
(e) Excludes the impact of in-kind transactions related to the processing of capital share transactions in Creation Units.
(f) The Fund invests in other ETFs and indirectly bears its proportionate shares of fees and expenses incurred by the Underlying Funds in which the Fund is invested. This ratio does not include these indirect fees and expenses.

 

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Adviser

 

Simplify Asset Management Inc.

222 Broadway, 22nd Floor

New York, NY 10038

 

Sub-Adviser

 

Propel Bio Management, LLC

1800 Avenue of the Stars

Los Angeles CA 90067

 

Custodian,
Administrator &
Transfer Agent

 

Bank of New York Mellon

240 Greenwich St.

New York, NY 10286

 

Legal
Counsel

 

Thompson Hine LLP

41 South High Street, Suite 1700

Columbus, OH 43215

 

Independent
Registered Public
Accounting Firm

 

Cohen & Company, Ltd.

1350 Euclid Ave., Suite 800,

Cleveland, OH 44115

 

Distributor

 

Foreside Financial Services, LLC

Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100,

Portland, ME 04101

 

 

Additional information about the Fund is included in the Fund’s SAI dated November 1, 2023. The SAI is incorporated into this Prospectus by reference (i.e., legally made a part of this Prospectus). The SAI provides more details about the Fund’s policies and management. Additional information about the Fund’s investments is also available in the Fund’s Annual and Semi-Annual Reports to Shareholders. In the Fund’s Annual Report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during the last fiscal year.

 

To obtain a free copy of the SAI and the Annual and Semi-Annual Reports to Shareholders, or other information about the Fund, or to make shareholder inquiries about the Fund, please call 1 (855) 772-8488. You may also write to:

 

Simplify Exchange Traded Funds

222 Broadway, 22nd Floor

NY, NY 10038

 

Reports and other information about the Fund are available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s Internet site at http://www.sec.gov.

 

Investment Company Act File # 811-23570

 

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