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Jacob Internet
Fund
Investor
Class Shares (JAMFX)
Jacob Small Cap Growth
Fund
Investor
Class Shares (JSCGX)
Institutional
Class Shares (JSIGX)
Jacob Discovery
Fund
Investor
Class Shares (JMCGX)
Institutional
Class Shares (JMIGX)
each,
a series of Jacob Funds Inc.
Prospectus
January 3,
2025
This
prospectus contains important information about the Funds.
For your own
benefit and protection, please read it before you invest, and keep it for future
reference.
Investment
Adviser
Jacob
Asset Management of New York LLC
The
United States Securities and Exchange Commission has not approved
or
disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of
the prospectus.
Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
JACOB
INTERNET FUND
Investment
Objectives
The
Fund’s primary investment objective is long-term growth of
capital. Current
income is a secondary objective.
Fees and
Expenses
This
table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell
shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and
other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and
the Example below.
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|
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|
| |
Shareholder
Fees
(fees
paid directly from your investment) |
Investor
Class |
Maximum
Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases |
None |
Maximum
Deferred Sales Charge (Load) |
None |
Redemption
Fee (as a percentage of amount redeemed or
exchanged
within 30 days of purchase) |
2.00% |
|
|
|
|
| |
Annual
Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses
paid each year as a percentage of the value of your
investment) |
Investor
Class |
Advisory
Fees |
1.25% |
Distribution
and/or Service (12b-1) Fees |
0.25%¹ |
Other
Expenses |
0.98% |
Total
Annual Fund Operating Expenses |
2.48% |
| |
| |
1On
October 25, 2024, the Board approved an amended and restated distribution
service plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, to reduce the Plan
related expenses on Investor Class shares from 0.35% to 0.25% of average daily
net assets on an annual basis.
Example:
This Example is intended to help you compare the
cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The
Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods
indicated and then redeem or hold 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.
Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on
these assumptions your costs would
be:
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| 1
Year |
3
Years |
5
Years |
10
Years |
Investor
Class |
$251 |
$773 |
$1,321 |
$2,816 |
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 most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was
42% of the average
value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment
Strategies
The
Fund seeks to achieve its investment objectives by investing, under normal
circumstances, at least 80% of its assets in securities of companies in Internet
and Internet-related industries. The Fund primarily invests in common stocks and
securities convertible into common stocks, but may invest up to 35% in fixed
income or debt securities. The Fund may invest without limitation in foreign
securities, including securities of emerging market countries (i.e.,
those that are in the early stages of their industrial cycles), so
that the Fund has the flexibility to take full advantage of investment
opportunities in Internet companies and companies in Internet-related
industries. The Adviser currently does not expect to invest more than 50% of the
Fund’s net assets in foreign companies. The Adviser selects
investments in companies that derive a substantial portion of their revenue from
Internet businesses and businesses in Internet-related industries or those that
are aggressively developing and expanding their Internet and Internet-related
business operations. Such investments generally will be selected from companies
in the following groups: media, e-commerce, computer software, internet service
providers, internet portals, wireless/broadband access, and
telecommunications.
The
Fund invests in companies that emphasize research and development with respect
to proprietary products and services for Internet users and businesses, because
the Adviser believes that these stocks have the greatest potential to rise in
value. Many Internet companies are newer and have small to medium market
capitalizations. The Adviser’s overall process of stock selection for the Fund
is not based on the capitalization of or size of the company but rather on an
assessment of the company’s fundamental prospects. The Fund generally seeks to
purchase securities as long-term investments, but when circumstances warrant,
securities may be sold without regard to the length of time they have been held
to reduce risk or volatility or to respond to changing fundamental information.
The
Fund intends to hold some cash, short-term debt obligations, government
securities or other high-quality investments for reserves to cover redemptions
and unanticipated expenses, to seek income, or to maintain liquidity while
seeking appropriate investments.
The
Fund may lend its portfolio securities to seek to generate additional
income.
Principal
Risks
Investing in a
mutual fund has inherent risks, which could cause you to lose
money. The principal risks of investing in the Fund, and the
circumstances that could adversely affect the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”) and
total return, are listed below.
•Common
Stock Risk: Common stock represents an ownership interest in a company. Holders
of common stock are generally subject to greater risk than holders of preferred
stocks and debt securities because common stockholders generally have inferior
rights to receive payments from issuers in comparison with the rights of
preferred stockholders, bondholders, and other creditors. Furthermore. common
stocks are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile
increases and decreases in value as market confidence in, and perceptions of,
their issuers change.
•Market
Risk:
The value of the securities in which the Fund invests may be adversely affected
by fluctuations in the financial markets, regardless of how well the companies
in which the Fund invests perform. The market as a whole may not favor the types
of investments the Fund makes. Also, there is the risk that the price(s) of one
or more of the securities or other instruments in the Fund’s portfolio will fall
or will fail to rise. Many factors can adversely affect a security’s
performance, including both general financial market conditions and factors
related to a specific company, government, industry, country, or geographic
region. Extraordinary events, including extreme economic or political
conditions, natural disasters, epidemics and pandemics, and other factors can
lead to volatility in local, regional, or global markets, which can result in
market losses that may be substantial. The impact of one of these types of
events may be more pronounced in certain regions,
sectors, industries, or asset classes in which the Fund invests, or it
may be pervasive across the global financial markets. The timing and occurrence
of future market disruptions cannot be predicted, nor can the impact that
government interventions, if any, adopted in response to such disruptions may
have on the investment strategies of the Fund or the markets in which the Fund
invests.
•Recent
Market Events Risk: U.S. and international markets have experienced significant volatility
in recent years and may continue to experience significant periods of volatility
due to a number of economic, political, and global macro factors including
uncertainty regarding inflation and central banks’ interest rate increases, the
possibility of a national or global recession, trade tensions, political events,
the war between Russia and Ukraine, armed conflict between Israel and Hamas in
the Middle East, and the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic.
The impact of COVID-19 may last for an extended period of time. Continuing
market volatility as a result of recent market conditions or other events may
have an adverse effect on the performance of the Fund.
• Internet
and Internet-Related Industries Risk: The Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in Internet and
Internet-related industries and thus the value of the Fund’s shares may be
susceptible to factors affecting such industries, including factors affecting
the computer/Internet technology area generally, and may be susceptible to
greater risk and market fluctuation than an investment in a fund that invests in
a broader range of portfolio securities not concentrated in any particular area
or industry. Companies in Internet and Internet-related industries face special
risks associated with the rapidly changing field of computer/Internet
technology. For example, their products or services may not prove commercially
successful or may become obsolete quickly. The computer/Internet technology area
may be subject to greater governmental regulation than many other areas and
changes in governmental policies and the need for regulatory approvals may have
a material adverse effect on these areas. Additionally, companies in these areas
may be subject to risks of developing technologies, competitive pressures and
other factors and are dependent upon consumer and business acceptance as new
technologies evolve. Many Internet and Internet-related companies incur large
losses in the hope of capturing market share and generating future revenues, but
may never be profitable.
• Smaller
Capitalized or Unseasoned Company Risk: The Adviser believes that smaller capitalized or
unseasoned companies generally have greater earnings and sales growth potential
than larger capitalized companies. However, investments in smaller capitalized
or unseasoned companies may involve greater risks, in part because they have
limited product lines, markets and financial or managerial resources. In
addition, less frequently-traded securities may be subject to more abrupt price
movements than securities of larger capitalized companies.
• Convertible
Securities Risk: The market value of convertible securities tends to
decline as interest rates increase and, conversely, to increase as interest
rates decline. In addition, convertible securities generally offer lower
interest or dividend yields than non-convertible securities of similar
quality.
• Foreign
and Emerging Market Risk: The
risks of investing in foreign companies, including those located in emerging
market countries, can increase the potential for losses in the Fund and may
include currency fluctuations, political and economic instability, less
government regulation, less publicly available information, limited trading
markets, differences in financial reporting standards, including recordkeeping
standards and less stringent regulation of securities markets. Foreign
securities markets generally have less volume than U.S. securities exchanges and
securities of some foreign companies are less liquid and more volatile than
securities of comparable U.S. companies. Additional risks include future
political and economic developments, the possibility that a foreign jurisdiction
might impose or increase withholding taxes on income payable with respect to
foreign securities, the possible seizure, nationalization or expropriation of
the foreign issuer or foreign deposits (in which the Fund could lose its entire
investment in a certain market) and
the possible adoption of foreign governmental restrictions such as
exchange controls. These risks are typically greater in emerging markets
countries.
• Fixed
Income Risk: Yields and principal values of fixed income securities (bonds) will
fluctuate. Generally, values of fixed income securities change inversely with
interest rates. As interest rates go up, the value of debt securities tends to
go down. As a result, to the extent the Fund holds fixed income investments, the
value of the Fund may go down.
•
Geographic
Focus Risk:
If the Fund invests a significant portion of its total assets in certain issuers
within the same country or geographic region, an adverse economic, business or
political development affecting that country or region may affect the value of
the Fund’s investments more, and the Fund’s investments may be more volatile,
than if its investments were not so concentrated in such country or
region.
•
Securities
Lending Risk:
When the Fund lends its portfolio securities, the Fund is subject to the risk
that the borrower may fail to return the securities in a timely manner or at
all, resulting in a loss to the Fund and/or a delay in recovering the loaned
securities. The Fund could also lose money in connection with securities lending
transactions if it does not recover the loaned securities and/or the value of
the collateral falls, including the value of investments made with cash
collateral. Securities lending also may have certain adverse tax consequences.
The Fund is not obligated to engage in securities lending, and may discontinue
its securities lending activities at any time.
Performance
Information
The performance information that follows gives some indication
of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows the
Fund’s performance from year to year, and the table compares the Fund’s average
annual returns with those of a broad measure of market performance, an index
with characteristics relevant to the Fund, and an index of Internet stocks for
the last calendar year. Please note that
the Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an
indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated
performance information is available on the Fund’s website at www.jacobmutualfunds.com.
Annual Total Returns through
December 31 (Investor Class)
|
| |
|
|
Best
Quarter |
|
Q2 2020 |
57.91% |
|
Worst
Quarter |
|
Q2 2022 |
-40.65% |
|
Average Annual Total
Returns through December 31, 2024
|
|
|
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|
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|
| |
| 1
Year |
5
Years |
10
Years |
Jacob
Internet Fund – Investor Class |
|
| |
Return Before
Taxes |
14.31% |
9.41% |
11.61% |
Return After
Taxes on Distributions |
14.31% |
8.54% |
9.87% |
Return After
Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares |
8.47% |
7.68% |
9.21% |
S&P
500 TR Index
(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or
taxes) |
25.02% |
14.53% |
13.10% |
NASDAQ
Composite Index
(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or
taxes) |
29.57% |
17.49% |
16.20% |
NASDAQ
Internet Index
(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or
taxes) |
30.01% |
11.11% |
13.92% |
After-tax
returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal
income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local
taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax
situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax
returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through
tax-advantaged arrangements such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement
accounts.
Fund
Management
Jacob
Asset Management of New York LLC serves as the Adviser.
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| |
Portfolio
Manager |
Title
with the Adviser |
Length
of Service with the Fund |
Ryan
I. Jacob |
Lead
Portfolio Manager |
Since
Inception (1999) |
Darren
Chervitz |
Co-Portfolio
Manager |
Since
2012 |
Francis
J. Alexander |
Co-Portfolio
Manager |
Since
Inception (1999) |
Purchase
and Sale of Fund Shares
To
purchase Investor Class shares, you need to invest at least $2,500 initially.
Investments made under the Uniform Gifts and Transfers to Minors Act, an IRA
account, 401(k) plan, other retirement accounts, or when establishing an
Automatic Investment Plan need to invest only $1,000 to start. Once you have an
account with the Fund, you may make additional investments in amounts as low as
$100.
You
may redeem your shares on any day the Fund is open for business (generally the
same days that the New York Stock Exchange is open for business) 1) by mail by
sending written redemption requests to Jacob Internet Fund c/o U.S. Bank Global
Fund Services, P.O. Box 701, Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701; 2) by telephone by
calling 1-888-JACOB-FX if you are set up to perform telephone transactions; or
3) by internet through the Fund’s website at www.jacobmutualfunds.com if you are
set up to perform Internet transactions.
Tax
Information
The
Fund’s distributions generally are taxable, and will be taxed as ordinary
income, capital gains, or some combination of both, unless you are investing
through a tax-advantaged arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an IRA, in which
case your distributions generally may be taxed as ordinary income when withdrawn
from the tax-advantaged account.
Payments
to Brokers-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If
you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial
intermediary, 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.
JACOB
SMALL CAP GROWTH FUND
Investment
Objective
The
Fund’s investment objective is long-term growth of
capital.
Fees and
Expenses
This
table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell
shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and
other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and
the Example below.
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|
|
| |
Shareholder
Fees
(fees
paid directly from your investment) |
Investor
Class |
| Institutional Class |
Maximum
Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases |
None |
| None |
Maximum
Deferred Sales Charge (Load) |
None |
| None |
Redemption
Fee (as a percentage of amount redeemed or exchanged
within
30 days of purchase) |
2.00% |
| 2.00% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Annual
Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses
paid each year as a percentage of the value of your
investment) |
Investor
Class |
| Institutional Class |
Advisory
Fees |
0.80% |
| 0.80% |
Distribution
and/or Service (12b-1) Fees |
0.25%¹ |
| 0.00% |
Other
Expenses |
3.12% |
| 3.12% |
Total
Annual Fund Operating Expenses |
4.17% |
| 3.92% |
Fee
Waiver/Reimbursement2 |
-0.80% |
| -0.80% |
Total
Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver/Reimbursement |
3.37% |
| 3.12% |
1 On October 25,
2024, the Board approved an amended and restated distribution service plan
pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, to reduce the Plan related expenses
on Investor Class shares from 0.35% to 0.25% of average daily net assets on an
annual basis.
2 The Adviser has
contractually agreed, through at least January 5, 2026, to waive up to 100% of its
advisory fees to the extent that the Fund’s Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(excluding any taxes, interest, brokerage fees, acquired fund fees and expenses)
exceed 2.25% or 1.95% for Investor Class shares and Institutional Class shares,
respectively, of each class’ average daily net assets. Please note that the
maximum waiver is 0.80%, which means that the Fund’s overall expenses could
exceed 2.25% for Investor Class shares or 1.95% for Institutional Class shares.
This waiver agreement may only be terminated by the
Board.
Example:
This Example is intended to help you compare the
cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The
Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods
indicated and then redeem or hold 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 reflects
adjustments made to the Fund’s operating expenses due to the fee waiver by the
Adviser for the 1 Year numbers and for the first year of the 3, 5, and 10 Year
numbers only. Although your
actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would
be:
|
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| 1
Year |
3
Years |
5
Years |
10
Years |
Investor
Class |
$340 |
$1,194 |
$2,063 |
$4,299 |
Institutional
Class |
$315 |
$1,122 |
$1,947 |
$4,089 |
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 most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was
54% of the average
value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment
Strategies
The
Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing, under normal
circumstances, at least 80% of its assets in small capitalization companies.
Small capitalization companies are defined as those companies with market
capitalizations (share price multiplied by number of shares outstanding) within
the capitalization range of the Russell 2000®
Growth Index at the time of purchase. As of August 31, 2024, the market
capitalization of the largest company in the Russell 2000®
Growth Index was approximately $12.18 billion, and the weighted average and
median market capitalizations of the Russell 2000®
Growth Index were approximately $4.04 billion and $1.20 billion,
respectively.
The
Fund maintains a diversified portfolio of investments consisting primarily of
common stocks. The Fund may also invest in other equity securities, such as
preferred stocks, rights, or warrants. The Adviser expects to select investments
for the Fund in companies across various industry groups.
The
Adviser manages the Fund’s portfolio in an aggressive growth style. The Adviser
believes that investments in small capitalization companies can have greater
earnings and sales growth potential than larger capitalized companies and can
offer substantial opportunities for long-term growth of capital. The Adviser’s
overall stock selections are based on its qualitative and quantitative
assessment of a company’s fundamental prospects and whether it has an
above-average potential for long-term growth of capital.
The
Adviser expects to invest the Fund’s net assets primarily in U.S. companies, but
may gain exposure to foreign markets, including emerging markets, through the
global operations of U.S. companies, by purchasing depositary receipts or
securities of foreign companies traded on U.S. exchanges, or through direct
investment in foreign companies. The Adviser will not
invest more than 25% of the Fund’s net assets directly in foreign
companies. The Fund may have significant exposure to the health
care sector.
The
Fund intends to hold some cash, short-term debt obligations, government
securities or other high-quality investments for reserves to cover redemptions
and unanticipated expenses, or to maintain liquidity while seeking appropriate
investments.
The
Fund may lend its portfolio securities to seek to generate additional
income.
Principal
Risks
Investing in a
mutual fund has inherent risks, which could cause you to lose
money. The principal risks of investing in the Fund, and the
circumstances that could adversely affect the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”) and
total return, are listed below.
•Common
Stock Risk: Common stock represents an ownership interest in a company. Holders
of common stock are generally subject to greater risk than holders of preferred
stocks and debt securities because common stockholders generally have inferior
rights to receive payments from issuers in comparison with the rights of
preferred stockholders, bondholders, and other creditors. Furthermore. common
stocks are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile
increases and decreases in value as market confidence in, and perceptions of,
their issuers change.
•Market
Risk: The value of the securities in which the Fund invests may be
adversely affected by fluctuations in the financial markets, regardless of how
well the companies in which the Fund invests perform. The market as a whole may
not favor the types of investments the Fund makes. Also, there is the risk that
the price(s) of one or more of the securities or other instruments in the Fund’s
portfolio will fall or will fail to rise. Many factors can adversely affect a
security’s performance, including both general financial market conditions and
factors related to a specific company, government, industry, country, or
geographic region. Extraordinary events, including extreme economic or political
conditions, natural disasters, epidemics and pandemics, and other factors can
lead to volatility in local, regional, or global markets, which can result in
market losses that may be substantial. The impact of one of these types of
events may be more pronounced in certain regions, sectors, industries, or asset
classes in which the Fund invests, or it may be pervasive across the global
financial markets. The timing and occurrence of future market disruptions cannot
be predicted, nor can the impact that government interventions, if any, adopted
in response to such disruptions may have on the investment strategies of the
Fund or the markets in which the Fund invests.
•Recent
Market Events Risk: U.S. and international markets have experienced significant
volatility in recent years and may continue to experience significant periods of
volatility due to a number of economic, political, and global macro factors
including uncertainty regarding inflation and central banks’ interest rate
increases, the possibility of a national or global recession, trade tensions,
political events, the war between Russia and Ukraine, armed conflict between
Israel and Hamas in the Middle East, and the impact of the coronavirus
(COVID-19) global pandemic. The impact of COVID-19 may last for an extended
period of time. Continuing market volatility as a result of recent market
conditions or other events may have an adverse effect on the performance of the
Fund.
•Smaller
Capitalized or Unseasoned Company Risk: The Adviser believes that smaller capitalized or
unseasoned companies generally have greater earnings and sales growth potential
than larger capitalized companies. However, investments in smaller capitalized
or unseasoned companies may involve greater risks, in part because they have
limited product lines, markets and financial or managerial resources. In
addition, less frequently-traded securities may be subject to more abrupt price
movements than securities of larger capitalized companies.
•Growth
Companies Risk: Growth companies are expected to increase their earnings at a
certain rate. When these expectations are not met, the prices of these stocks
may go down, even if earnings showed an absolute increase. Growth company stocks
also typically lack the dividend yield that can cushion stock prices in market
downturns. Different investment styles tend to shift in and out of favor,
depending on market conditions and investor sentiment. The Fund’s growth style
may cause the Fund to underperform funds that have a broader investment
style.
•Sector
Risk:
Sector risk is the possibility that securities within the same group of
industries will decline in price due to sector-specific market or economic
developments. If the Fund invests more heavily in a particular sector, the value
of its shares may be especially sensitive to factors and economic risks that
specifically affect that sector. As a result, the Fund’s share price may
fluctuate more widely than the value of shares of a fund that invests in a
broader range of industries.
◦Healthcare
Sector Risk:
To the extent the Fund focuses on the healthcare sector, the Fund may be more
susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the healthcare
sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated
sectors. The profitability of companies in the healthcare sector 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.
•
Science
and Technology Risk: The Fund’s investments in science and technology companies expose
the Fund to special risks. For example, rapid advances in science and technology
might cause existing products to become obsolete, and the Fund’s returns could
suffer to the extent it holds an affected company’s shares. Companies in a
number of science and technology industries are also subject to more government
regulations and approval processes than many other industries. This fact may
affect a company’s overall profitability and cause its stock price to be more
volatile. Additionally, science and technology companies are dependent upon
consumer and business acceptance as new technologies evolve.
•
Foreign
and Emerging Market Risk: The risks of investing in foreign companies, including
those located in emerging market countries, can increase the potential for
losses in the Fund and may include currency fluctuations, political and economic
instability, less government regulation, less publicly available information,
limited trading markets, differences in financial reporting standards, including
recordkeeping standards and less stringent regulation of securities markets.
Foreign securities markets generally have less volume than U.S. securities
exchanges and securities of some foreign companies are less liquid and more
volatile than securities of comparable U.S. companies. Additional risks include
future political and economic developments, the possibility that a foreign
jurisdiction might impose or increase withholding taxes on income payable with
respect to foreign securities, the possible seizure, nationalization or
expropriation of the foreign issuer or foreign deposits (in which the Fund could
lose its entire investment in a certain market) and the possible adoption of
foreign governmental restrictions such as exchange controls. These risks are
typically greater in emerging markets countries.
•
Geographic
Focus Risk:
If the Fund invests a significant portion of its total assets in certain issuers
within the same country or geographic region, an adverse economic, business or
political development affecting that country or region may affect the value of
the Fund’s investments more, and the Fund’s investments may be more volatile,
than if its investments were not so concentrated in such country or
region.
•
Securities
Lending Risk:
When the Fund lends its portfolio securities, the Fund is subject to the risk
that the borrower may fail to return the securities in a timely manner or at
all, resulting in a loss to the Fund and/or a delay in recovering the loaned
securities. The Fund could also lose money in connection with securities lending
transactions if it does not recover the loaned securities and/or the value of
the collateral falls, including the value of investments made with cash
collateral. Securities lending also may have certain adverse tax consequences.
The Fund is not obligated to engage in securities lending, and may discontinue
its securities lending activities at any time.
Performance
Information
The performance information that follows gives some indication
of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows the
Fund’s performance from year to year, and the table compares the Fund’s average
annual returns with those of an index with characteristics relevant to the Fund
and a broad measure of market peformance for the last calendar year.
Please
note that the Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not
necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the
future. Updated performance information is available on the
Fund’s website at www.jacobmutualfunds.com.
Annual Total Returns through
December 31 (Investor Class)
|
| |
|
|
Best
Quarter |
|
Q2 2020 |
44.09% |
|
Worst
Quarter |
|
Q2 2022 |
-39.03% |
|
Average Annual Total
Returns through December 31, 2024
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| 1
Year |
5
Years |
10
Years |
|
Jacob
Small Cap Growth Fund – Investor Class |
|
|
| |
Return Before
Taxes |
12.89% |
1.30% |
4.43% |
|
Return After
Taxes on Distributions |
12.89% |
-0.47% |
3.37% |
|
Return After
Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares |
7.63% |
1.04% |
3.49% |
|
|
|
|
| |
Jacob
Small Cap Growth Fund – Institutional Class |
|
|
| |
Return Before
Taxes |
13.18% |
1.59% |
4.72% |
|
Russell
2000®
Growth Index
(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or
taxes) |
15.15% |
6.86% |
8.09% |
|
S&P
500 TR Index
(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or
taxes) |
25.02% |
14.53% |
13.10% |
|
After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest
individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of
state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an
investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold
their Fund shares through tax-advantaged arrangements such as 401(k) plans or
individual retirement accounts. After-tax returns are shown for Investor Class shares only and
after-tax returns for Institutional Class shares will
vary.
Fund
Management
Jacob
Asset Management of New York LLC serves as the Adviser.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Portfolio
Manager |
Title
with the Adviser |
Length
of Service with the Fund |
Ryan
I. Jacob |
Lead
Portfolio Manager |
Since
Inception (2010) |
Darren
Chervitz |
Co-Portfolio
Manager |
Since
2012 |
Purchase
and Sale of Fund Shares
To
purchase Investor Class shares, you need to invest at least $2,500 initially.
Investments made under the Uniform Gifts and Transfers to Minors Act, an IRA
account, 401(k) plan, other retirement accounts, or when establishing an
Automatic Investment Plan need to invest only $1,000 to start. Once you have an
account with the Fund, you may make additional investments in amounts as low as
$100.
To
purchase Institutional Class shares, you need to invest at least $100,000
initially. Once you have an account with the Fund, you may make additional
investments in Institutional Class shares in amounts as low as
$100.
You
may redeem your shares on any day the Fund is open for business (generally the
same days that the New York Stock Exchange is open for business) 1) by mail by
sending written redemption requests to Jacob Small Cap Growth Fund c/o U.S. Bank
Global Fund Services, P.O. Box 701, Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701; 2) by telephone by
calling 1-888-JACOB-FX if you are set up to perform telephone transactions; or
3) by internet through the Fund’s website at www.jacobmutualfunds.com if you are
set up to perform Internet transactions.
Tax
Information
The
Fund’s distributions generally are taxable, and will be taxed as ordinary
income, capital gains, or some combination of both, unless you are investing
through a tax-advantaged arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an IRA, in which
case your distributions generally may be taxed as ordinary income when withdrawn
from the tax-advantaged account.
Payments
to Brokers-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If
you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial
intermediary, 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.
JACOB
DISCOVERY FUND
Investment
Objective
The
Fund’s investment objective is long-term growth of
capital.
Fees and
Expenses
This
table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell
shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and
other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and
the Example below.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Shareholder
Fees
(fees
paid directly from your investment) |
Investor
Class |
| Institutional
Class |
Maximum
Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases |
None |
| None |
Maximum
Deferred Sales Charge (Load) |
None |
| None |
Redemption
Fee (as a percentage of amount redeemed or
exchanged
within 30 days of purchase) |
2.00% |
| 2.00% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Annual
Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses
paid each year as a percentage of the value of your
investment) |
Investor
Class |
| Institutional
Class |
Advisory
Fees |
1.10% |
| 1.10% |
Distribution
and/or Service (12b-1) Fees |
0.25%¹ |
| 0.00% |
Other
Expenses |
1.58% |
| 1.58% |
Total
Annual Fund Operating Expenses |
2.93% |
| 2.68% |
Fee
Waiver/Reimbursement2 |
-0.63% |
| -0.68% |
Total
Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver/Reimbursement |
2.30% |
| 2.00% |
1.On
October 25, 2024, the Board approved an amended and restated distribution
service plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, to reduce the Plan
related expenses on Investor Class shares from 0.35% to 0.25% of average daily
net assets on an annual basis.
2.The
Adviser has contractually agreed, through at least January 5, 2026, to waive up to 100% of
its advisory fees to the extent that the Fund’s Total Annual Fund Operating
Expenses (excluding any taxes, interest, brokerage fees, acquired fund fees and
expenses) exceed 2.30% or 2.00% for Investor Class shares and Institutional
Class shares, respectively, of each class’ average daily net assets. Please note
that the maximum waiver is 1.10%, which means that the Fund’s overall expenses
could exceed 2.30% for Investor Class shares or 2.00% for Institutional Class
shares. This waiver agreement may only be terminated by the
Board.
Example:
This Example is intended to help you compare the
cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The
Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods
indicated and then redeem or hold 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 reflects
adjustments made to the Fund’s operating expenses due to the fee waiver by the
Adviser for the 1 Year numbers and for the first year of the 3, 5, and 10 Year
numbers only. Although your
actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would
be:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| 1
Year |
3
Years |
5
Years |
10
Years |
Investor
Class |
$233 |
$847 |
$1,487 |
$3,207 |
Institutional
Class |
$203 |
$768 |
$1,359 |
$2,962 |
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 most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was
20% of the average
value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment
Strategies
The
Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing, under normal
circumstances, at least 80% of its assets in micro capitalization companies.
Micro capitalization companies are defined as those companies with market
capitalizations (share price multiplied by number of shares outstanding) of (1)
less than or equal to $600 million; or (2) within the capitalization range
of the Russell Micro Cap®
Growth Index at the time of purchase. As of August 31, 2024, the market
capitalization of the largest company in the Russell Micro Cap® Growth Index was
approximately $2.20 billion, and the weighted average and median market
capitalizations of the Russell Micro Cap® Growth Index were approximately $759
million and $182 million, respectively.
The
Fund maintains a diversified portfolio of investments consisting primarily of
common stocks. The Fund may also invest in other equity securities, such as
preferred stocks, rights, or warrants. The Adviser expects to select investments
for the Fund in companies across various industry
groups.
The
Adviser manages the Fund’s portfolio in an aggressive growth style. The Adviser
believes that investments in micro capitalization companies can have greater
earnings and sales growth potential than larger capitalized companies and can
offer substantial opportunities for long-term growth of capital. The Adviser’s
overall stock selections are based on its qualitative and quantitative
assessment of a company’s fundamental prospects and whether it has an
above-average potential for long-term growth of capital.
The
Adviser expects to invest the Fund’s net assets primarily in U.S. companies, but
may gain exposure to foreign markets, including emerging markets, through the
global operations of U.S. companies, by purchasing depositary receipts or
securities of foreign companies traded on U.S. exchanges, or through direct
investment in foreign companies. The Adviser will not
invest more than 25% of the Fund’s net assets directly in foreign
companies. The Fund may have significant exposure to the health
care sector.
The
Fund intends to hold some cash, short-term debt obligations, government
securities or other high-quality investments for reserves to cover redemptions
and unanticipated expenses, or to maintain liquidity while seeking appropriate
investments.
The
Fund may lend its portfolio securities to seek to generate additional
income.
Principal
Risks
Investing in a
mutual fund has inherent risks, which could cause you to lose
money. The principal risks of investing in the Fund, and the
circumstances that could adversely affect the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”) and
total return, are listed below.
•Common
Stock Risk: Common stock represents an ownership interest in a company. Holders
of common stock are generally subject to greater risk than holders of preferred
stocks and debt securities because common stockholders generally have inferior
rights to receive payments from issuers in comparison with the rights of
preferred stockholders, bondholders, and other creditors. Furthermore. common
stocks are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile
increases and decreases in value as market confidence in, and perceptions of,
their issuers change.
•Market
Risk: The value of the securities in which the Fund invests may be
adversely affected by fluctuations in the financial markets, regardless of how
well the companies in which the Fund invests perform. The market as a whole may
not favor the types of investments the Fund makes. Also, there is the risk that
the price(s) of one or more of the securities or other instruments in the Fund’s
portfolio will fall or will fail to rise. Many factors can adversely affect a
security’s performance, including both general financial market conditions and
factors related to a specific company, government, industry, country, or
geographic region. Extraordinary events, including extreme economic or political
conditions, natural disasters, epidemics and pandemics, and other factors can
lead to volatility in local, regional, or global markets, which can result in
market losses that may be substantial. The impact of one of these types of
events may be more pronounced in certain regions, sectors, industries, or asset
classes in which the Fund invests, or it may be pervasive across the global
financial markets. The timing and occurrence of future market disruptions cannot
be predicted, nor can the impact that government interventions, if any, adopted
in response to such disruptions may have on the investment strategies of the
Fund or the markets in which the Fund invests.
•Recent
Market Events Risk: U.S.
and international markets have experienced significant volatility in recent
years and may continue to experience significant periods of volatility due to a
number of economic, political, and global macro factors including uncertainty
regarding inflation and central banks’ interest rate increases, the possibility
of a national or global recession, trade tensions, political events, the war
between Russia and Ukraine, armed conflict between Israel and Hamas in the
Middle East, and the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. The
impact of COVID-19 may last for an extended period of time. Continuing
market volatility as a result of recent market conditions or other
events may have an adverse effect on the performance of the
Fund.
•Micro-Capitalized
Company Risk: Investments in micro capitalization companies may involve greater
risks, as these companies tend to have limited product lines, markets and
financial or managerial resources. Micro cap stocks often also have a more
limited trading market, such that the Adviser may not be able to sell stocks at
an optimal time or price. In addition, less frequently-traded securities may be
subject to more abrupt price movements than securities of larger capitalized
companies.
•Growth
Companies Risk: Growth companies are expected to increase their earnings at a
certain rate. When these expectations are not met, the prices of these stocks
may go down, even if earnings showed an absolute increase. Growth company stocks
also typically lack the dividend yield that can cushion stock prices in market
downturns. Different investment styles tend to shift in and out of favor,
depending on market conditions and investor sentiment. The Fund’s growth style
may cause the Fund to underperform funds that have a broader investment
style.
•Sector
Risk:
Sector risk is the possibility that securities within the same group of
industries will decline in price due to sector-specific market or economic
developments. If the Fund invests more heavily in a particular sector, the value
of its shares may be especially sensitive to factors and economic risks that
specifically affect that sector. As a result, the Fund’s share price may
fluctuate more widely than the value of shares of a fund that invests in a
broader range of industries.
◦Healthcare
Sector Risk:
To the extent the Fund focuses on the healthcare sector, the Fund may be more
susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the healthcare
sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated
sectors. The profitability of companies in the healthcare sector 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.
•
Science
and Technology Risk: The Fund’s investments in science and technology companies expose
the Fund to special risks. For example, rapid advances in science and technology
might cause existing products to become obsolete, and the Fund’s returns could
suffer to the extent it holds an affected company’s shares. Companies in a
number of science and technology industries are also subject to more government
regulations and approval processes than many other industries. This fact may
affect a company’s overall profitability and cause its stock price to be more
volatile. Additionally, science and technology companies are dependent upon
consumer and business acceptance as new technologies evolve.
• Foreign
and Emerging Market Risk: The risks of investing in foreign companies, including
those located in emerging market countries, can increase the potential for
losses in the Fund and may include currency fluctuations, political and economic
instability, less government regulation, less publicly available information,
limited trading markets, differences in financial reporting standards, including
recordkeeping standards and less stringent regulation of securities markets.
Foreign securities markets generally have less volume than U.S. securities
exchanges and securities of some foreign companies are less liquid and more
volatile than securities of comparable U.S. companies. Additional risks include
future political and economic developments, the possibility that a foreign
jurisdiction might impose or increase withholding taxes on income payable with
respect to foreign securities, the possible seizure, nationalization or
expropriation of the foreign issuer or foreign deposits (in which the Fund could
lose its entire investment in a certain market) and the possible adoption of
foreign governmental restrictions such as exchange controls. These risks are
typically greater in emerging markets countries.
• Geographic
Focus Risk:
If the Fund invests a significant portion of its total assets in certain issuers
within the same country or geographic region, an adverse economic, business or
political development affecting that country or region may affect the value of
the Fund’s investments more, and the Fund’s investments may be more volatile,
than if its investments were not so concentrated in such country or
region.
• Securities
Lending Risk:
When the Fund lends its portfolio securities, the Fund is subject to the risk
that the borrower may fail to return the securities in a timely manner or at
all, resulting in a loss to the Fund and/or a delay in recovering the loaned
securities. The Fund could also lose money in connection with securities lending
transactions if it does not recover the loaned securities and/or the value of
the collateral falls, including the value of investments made with cash
collateral. Securities lending also may have certain adverse tax consequences.
The Fund is not obligated to engage in securities lending, and may discontinue
its securities lending activities at any time.
Performance
Information
The performance information that follows gives some indication
of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows the
Fund’s performance from year to year, and the table compares the Fund’s average
annual returns with those of indexes with characteristics relevant to the Fund
and a broad measure of market performance for the last calendar year.
Please note that the Fund’s past performance (before and after
taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the
future. Updated performance information is available on the
Fund’s website at www.jacobmutualfunds.com.
Annual Total Returns through
December 31 (Investor Class)
|
|
|
|
| |
Best
Quarter |
Worst
Quarter |
|
Q2 2020 |
Q2 2022 |
44.00% |
-30.33% |
Average Annual Total
Returns through December 31, 2024
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| 1
Year |
5
Years |
10
Years |
Jacob
Discovery Fund – Investor Class |
|
| |
Return Before
Taxes |
10.37% |
5.84% |
8.12% |
Return After
Taxes on Distributions |
10.37% |
5.31% |
7.01% |
Return After
Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares |
6.14% |
4.60% |
6.13% |
Jacob
Discovery Fund – Institutional Class |
|
| |
Return Before
Taxes |
10.64% |
6.13% |
8.41% |
Russell
Microcap Growth Index
(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or
taxes) |
21.90% |
5.72% |
5.30% |
Russell
2000®
Growth Index
(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or
taxes) |
15.15% |
6.86% |
8.09% |
S&P
500 TR Index
(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or
taxes) |
25.02% |
14.53% |
13.10% |
After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest
individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of
state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an
investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold
their Fund shares through tax-advantaged arrangements such as 401(k) plans or
individual retirement accounts. After-tax returns are shown for Investor Class shares only and
after-tax returns for Institutional Class shares will
vary.
Fund
Management
Jacob
Asset Management of New York LLC serves as the Adviser.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Portfolio
Manager |
Title
with the Adviser |
Length
of Service with the Fund |
Darren
Chervitz |
Lead
Portfolio Manager |
Since
Inception (2012) |
Ryan
I. Jacob |
Co-Portfolio
Manager |
Since
Inception (2012) |
Purchase
and Sale of Fund Shares
To
purchase Investor Class shares, you need to invest at least $2,500 initially.
Investments made under the Uniform Gifts and Transfers to Minors Act, an IRA
account, 401(k) plan, other retirement accounts, or when establishing an
Automatic Investment Plan need to invest only $1,000 to start. Once you have an
account with the Fund, you may make additional investments in amounts as low as
$100.
To
purchase Institutional Class shares, you need to invest at least $100,000
initially. Once you have an account with the Fund, you may make additional
investments in Institutional Class shares in amounts as low as
$100.
You
may redeem your shares on any day the Fund is open for business (generally the
same days that the New York Stock Exchange is open for business) 1) by mail by
sending written redemption requests to Jacob Discovery Fund c/o U.S. Bank Global
Fund Services, P.O. Box 701, Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701; 2) by telephone by
calling 1-888-JACOB-FX if you are set up to perform telephone transactions; or
3) by internet through the Fund’s website at www.jacobmutualfunds.com if you are
set up to perform Internet transactions.
Tax
Information
The
Fund’s distributions generally are taxable, and will be taxed as ordinary
income, capital gains, or some combination of both, unless you are investing
through a tax-advantaged arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an IRA, in which
case your distributions generally may be taxed as ordinary income when withdrawn
from the tax-advantaged account.
Payments
to Brokers-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If
you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial
intermediary, 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.
INVESTMENT
OBJECTIVES, PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISKS:
JACOB
INTERNET FUND
Investment
Objectives
The
Fund’s primary investment objective is long-term growth of capital. Current
income is a secondary objective. There is no assurance that the Fund will
achieve its investment objectives. The Fund’s investment objective may be
changed without shareholder approval. The Fund will provide shareholders with
notice of any such change.
Principal
Investment Strategies
The
Fund seeks to achieve its investment objectives by investing, under normal
circumstances, at least 80% of its assets in securities of companies in Internet
and Internet-related industries. For purposes of such 80% policy, the term
“assets” means the Fund’s net assets, including any borrowings for investment
purposes, consistent with the SEC’s requirements. The Fund does not, however,
intend to borrow money for the purpose of making investments.
The
Fund primarily invests in common stocks and securities convertible into common
stocks, but may invest up to 35% in fixed income or debt securities. The Fund
may invest without limitation in foreign securities, including securities of
emerging market countries (i.e.,
those that are in the early stages of their industrial cycles), so that the Fund
has the flexibility to take full advantage of investment opportunities in
Internet companies and companies in Internet-related industries. However, the
Adviser currently does not expect to invest more than 50% of the Fund’s net
assets in foreign companies. The Adviser selects investments in companies that
derive a substantial portion of their revenue from Internet businesses and
businesses in Internet-related industries or those that are aggressively
developing and expanding their Internet and Internet-related business
operations.
The
Adviser believes that Internet-related companies offer favorable investment
opportunities. Accordingly, the Fund invests in companies that emphasize
research and development with respect to proprietary products and services for
Internet users and businesses because the Adviser believes that these stocks
have the greatest potential to rise in value.
The
Adviser believes that because of rapid advances in the breadth and scope of
products and services offered over the Internet, an investment in companies with
business operations in this industry will offer substantial opportunities for
long-term growth of capital. Prices of common stocks of even the best managed,
most profitable corporations are subject to market risk, which means their stock
prices can decline. In addition, swings in investor psychology or significant
trading by large institutional investors can result in price
fluctuations.
The
Internet has continued to demonstrate rapid growth, both through increasing
demand for existing products and services and the broadening of the Internet
market. The Adviser believes that established businesses will continue to be
disrupted by the sustained development of the Internet, while some may also
stand to benefit, realizing gains in efficiency, scale and speed. Newly
developed companies that leverage the Internet are continuously emerging and may
have small to medium market capitalizations. Identifying the advantaged business
models that are sustainable and supported by strong financial metrics warrant
the Adviser’s investment consideration. As a result, the Fund’s investment
policy is not limited to any minimum capitalization requirement and the Fund may
hold securities without regard to the capitalization of the company. The
Adviser’s overall process of stock selection for the Fund is not based on the
capitalization or size of the company but rather on an assessment of the
company’s fundamental prospects.
Portfolio
securities generally will be selected from companies in the following
groups:
• Media: Companies
that provide information and entertainment services over the Internet, supported
by subscriptions, advertising and/or transactional revenues.
• E-Commerce: Companies
that derive a substantial portion of their revenue from sales of products and
services conducted via the Internet.
• Computer
Software:
Companies that produce, manufacture and develop tools to access the Internet,
enable Internet users to enhance the speed, integrity and storage of data on the
Internet, facilitate information distribution and gathering on the Internet, and
secure Internet-based transactions.
• Internet
Service Providers:
Companies that provide users with access to the Internet.
• Internet
Portals:
Companies that provide users with search-engine services to access various sites
by category on the Internet.
• Wireless/Broadband
Access:
Companies that provide the infrastructure to enable high-speed and wireless
communication of data via the Internet.
• Telecommunications:
Companies that are primarily engaged in the development of the
telecommunications transmission lines and software technologies that enhance the
reach and bandwidth of Internet users.
The
Fund may invest directly in foreign companies or may invest in foreign companies
by purchasing depositary receipts or securities of foreign companies traded on
U.S. exchanges. Depositary receipts are certificates normally issued by
U.S. banks that evidence the ownership of shares of a foreign
issuer.
Buy/Sell
Decisions.
The Adviser considers the following factors when buying and selling securities
for the Fund: (i) the value of individual securities relative to other
investment alternatives, (ii) trends in the determinants of corporate
profits, (iii) corporate cash flow, (iv) balance sheet changes,
(v) management capability and practices and (vi) the economic and
political outlook. The Fund generally seeks to purchase securities as long-term
investments, but when circumstances warrant, securities may be sold without
regard to the length of time they have been held to reduce risk or volatility or
to respond to changing fundamental information.
Temporary
Investments.
In response to unfavorable market, economic, political or other conditions, the
Fund may invest up to 100% of its assets in U.S. and foreign short-term
money market instruments as a temporary, defensive strategy. The Fund may invest
up to 20% of its assets in these securities under normal circumstances to
maintain liquidity or to earn income while seeking appropriate investments. Some
of the short-term money instruments in which the Fund may invest
include:
• commercial
paper;
• certificates
of deposit, demand and time deposits and banker’s acceptances;
• U.S. government
securities; and
• repurchase
agreements.
To
the extent the Fund engages in a temporary, defensive strategy, the Fund may not
achieve its investment objectives and, instead, will focus on preserving your
investment. The Statement of Additional Information contains more information
about the Fund and the types of securities in which it may invest.
The
Fund may lend its portfolio securities to seek to generate additional
income.
Principal
Risks
Investing
in a mutual fund has inherent risks, which could cause you to lose money. The
principal risks of investing in the Fund, and the circumstances that could
adversely affect the Fund’s NAV and total return, are listed below.
•Common
Stock Risk:
Common stock represents an ownership interest in a company. Holders of common
stock are generally subject to greater risk than holders of preferred stocks and
debt securities because common stockholders generally have inferior rights to
receive payments from issuers in comparison with the rights of preferred
stockholders, bondholders, and other creditors. Furthermore. common stocks are
susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile increases and
decreases in value as market confidence in, and perceptions of, their issuers
change.
•Market
Risk:
The value of the securities in which the Fund invests may be adversely affected
by fluctuations in the financial markets, regardless of how well the companies
in which the Fund invests perform. The market as a whole may not favor the types
of investments the Fund makes. Also, there is the risk that the price(s) of one
or more of the securities or other instruments in the Fund’s portfolio will fall
or will fail to rise. Many factors can adversely affect a security’s
performance, including both general financial market conditions and factors
related to a specific company, government, industry, country, or geographic
region. Extraordinary events, including extreme economic or political
conditions, natural disasters, epidemics and pandemics, and other factors can
lead to volatility in local, regional, or global markets, which can result in
market losses that may be substantial. The impact of one of these types of
events may be more pronounced in certain regions, sectors, industries, or asset
classes in which the Fund invests, or it may be pervasive across the global
financial markets. The timing and occurrence of future market disruptions cannot
be predicted, nor can the impact that government interventions, if any, adopted
in response to such disruptions may have on the investment strategies of the
Fund or the markets in which the Fund invests.
•Recent
Market Events Risk:
U.S. and international markets have experienced significant volatility in recent
years and may continue to experience significant periods of volatility due to a
number of economic, political, and global macro factors including uncertainty
regarding inflation and central banks’ interest rate increases, the possibility
of a national or global recession, trade tensions, political events, the war
between Russia and Ukraine, armed conflict between Israel and Hamas in the
Middle East, and the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. The
impact of COVID-19 may last for an extended period of time. Continuing market
volatility as a result of recent market conditions or other events may have an
adverse effect on the performance of the Fund.
• Internet
and Internet-Related Industries Risk:
The Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in Internet and
Internet-related industries and thus the value of the Fund’s shares may be
susceptible to factors affecting such industries, including factors affecting
the computer/Internet technology area generally, and may be susceptible to
greater risk and market fluctuation than an investment in a fund that invests in
a broader range of portfolio securities not concentrated in any particular area
or industry. Companies in Internet and Internet-related industries face special
risks associated with the rapidly changing field of computer/Internet
technology. For example, their products or services may not prove commercially
successful or may become obsolete quickly. The computer/Internet technology area
may be subject to greater governmental regulation than many other areas and
changes in governmental policies and the need for regulatory approvals may have
a material adverse effect on these areas. Additionally, companies in these areas
may be subject to risks of developing technologies, competitive pressures and
other factors and are dependent upon consumer and business acceptance as new
technologies evolve. Many Internet and Internet-related companies incur large
losses in the hope of capturing market share and generating future revenues, but
may never be profitable.
• Smaller
Capitalized or Unseasoned Company Risk: The
Adviser believes that smaller capitalized or unseasoned companies generally have
greater earnings and sales growth potential than larger capitalized
companies.
However, investments in smaller capitalized or unseasoned companies may involve
greater risks, in part because they have limited product lines, markets and
financial or managerial resources. In addition, less frequently-traded
securities may be subject to more abrupt price movements than securities of
larger capitalized companies. The level of risk will be increased to the extent
that the Fund has significant exposure to smaller capitalized or unseasoned
companies (those with less than a three-year operating history).
• Convertible
Securities Risk: The
market value of convertible securities tends to decline as interest rates
increase and, conversely, to increase as interest rates decline. In addition,
convertible securities generally offer lower interest or dividend yields than
non-convertible securities of similar quality.
• Foreign
and Emerging Market Risk: The
risks of investing in foreign companies, including those located in emerging
market countries, can increase the potential for losses in the Fund and may
include currency fluctuations, political and economic instability, less
government regulation, less publicly available information, limited trading
markets, differences in financial reporting standards, including recordkeeping
standards and less stringent regulation of securities markets. Foreign
securities markets generally have less volume than U.S. securities exchanges and
securities of some foreign companies are less liquid and more volatile than
securities of comparable U.S. companies. Additional risks include future
political and economic developments, the possibility that a foreign jurisdiction
might impose or increase withholding taxes on income payable with respect to
foreign securities, the possible seizure, nationalization or expropriation of
the foreign issuer or foreign deposits (in which the Fund could lose its entire
investment in a certain market) and the possible adoption of foreign
governmental restrictions such as exchange controls. These risks are typically
greater in emerging markets countries.
• Fixed
Income Risk:
Yields and principal values of fixed income securities (bonds) will fluctuate.
Generally, values of fixed income securities change inversely with interest
rates. As interest rates go up, the value of debt securities tends to go down.
As a result, to the extent the Fund holds fixed income investments, the value of
the Fund may go down.
• Geographic
Focus Risk. If
the Fund invests a significant portion of its total assets in certain issuers
within the same country or geographic region, an adverse economic, business or
political development affecting that country or region may affect the value of
the Fund’s investments more, and the Fund’s investments may be more volatile,
than if its investments were not so concentrated in such country or
region.
• Securities
Lending Risk.
The Fund lends its portfolio securities to seek to earn additional income. When
the Fund lends its portfolio securities, it receives collateral (including cash
collateral), at least equal to the value of securities loaned. The Fund may earn
income by investing this collateral in one or more registered money market funds
and/or unregistered, privately offered cash management vehicles that principally
invest in high quality, short term debt obligations, such as securities of the
U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities, instruments of U.S. and
foreign banks, corporate debt obligations, municipal obligations, debt
obligations of foreign governments, their agencies or instrumentalities,
repurchase agreements, funding agreements, asset-backed securities, including
asset-backed commercial paper, and money market funds. A decline in the value of
a cash management vehicle in which collateral is invested may cause the Fund may
to lose money. Lending portfolio securities also involves the risk that the
securities may not be returned on a timely basis, and the Fund may experience
delays and costs in recovering the securities or gaining access to the
collateral provided to the Fund to collateralize the loan. If the Fund is unable
to recover a security on loan, the Fund may use the collateral to purchase
replacement securities in the market. There is a risk that the value of the
collateral could decrease below the cost of the replacement security by the time
the replacement investment is made, resulting in a loss to the Fund. Securities
lending may also result in the Fund being unable to vote shares in a proxy
solicitation by the issuer of a loaned security and/or may cause the Fund to be
ineligible
to receive a distribution from the issuer of a loaned security. The Fund is not
obligated to engage in securities lending, and may discontinue its securities
lending activities at any time.
INVESTMENT
OBJECTIVE, PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISKS:
JACOB
SMALL CAP GROWTH FUND
Investment
Objective
The
Fund’s investment objective is long-term growth of capital. There is no
assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. The Fund’s
investment objective may be changed without shareholder approval. The Fund will
provide shareholders with notice of any such change.
Principal
Investment Strategies
The
Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing, under normal
circumstances, at least 80% of its assets in small capitalization companies.
Small capitalization companies are defined as those companies with market
capitalizations (share price multiplied by number of shares outstanding) within
the capitalization range of the Russell 2000®
Growth Index at the time of purchase. As of August 31, 2024, the market
capitalization of the largest company in the Russell 2000®
Growth Index was approximately $12.18 billion, and the weighted average and
median market capitalizations of the Russell 2000®
Growth Index were approximately $4.04 billion and $1.20 billion,
respectively. For purposes of such 80% policy, the term “assets” means the
Fund’s net assets, including any borrowings for investment purposes, consistent
with the SEC’s requirements. The Fund does not, however, intend to borrow money
for the purpose of making investments.
The
Fund maintains a diversified portfolio of investments consisting primarily of
common stocks. The Fund may also invest in other equity securities such as
preferred stocks, rights, or warrants. Equity securities generally represent an
ownership interest in a company and their value is based on the success of the
company’s business, any income paid to shareholders, the value of the company’s
assets, general market conditions and investor demand. The Adviser expects to
select investments for the Fund in companies across various industry
groups.
The
Adviser manages the Fund’s portfolio in an aggressive growth style. The Adviser
believes that investments in small capitalization companies can have greater
earnings and sales growth potential than larger capitalized companies and can
offer substantial opportunities for long-term growth of capital. The Adviser’s
overall stock selections are based on its qualitative and quantitative
assessment of a company’s fundamental prospects and whether it has an
above-average potential for long-term growth of capital. Specifically, the
Adviser looks for companies with expanding profit margins, sales and earnings
growth which, over a business cycle, can be expected to produce high levels of
free cash flow. Further, the Adviser seeks companies with strong management
teams that can capitalize on catalysts for growth and competitive advantages
such as superior products and favorable industry, economic and political trends.
While trying to maximize the growth potential of the Fund’s portfolio of
investments, the Adviser also seeks to obtain securities for the Fund that are
selling at a reasonable valuation in view of their expected growth
rate.
The
Adviser expects to invest the Fund’s net assets primarily in U.S. companies, but
may gain exposure to foreign markets through the global operations of U.S.
companies, by purchasing depositary receipts or securities of foreign companies
traded on U.S. exchanges, or through direct investment in foreign companies.
Depositary receipts are certificates normally issued by U.S. banks that evidence
the ownership of shares of a foreign issuer. The Fund’s foreign investments may
include securities of companies in emerging market countries, so that the Fund
has the flexibility to take full advantage of investment opportunities in small
capitalization companies. The Adviser will not invest more than 25% of the
Fund’s net assets directly in foreign companies. The Fund may have significant
exposure to the health care sector.
The
Fund generally seeks to purchase securities as long-term investments, but the
Adviser will sell or reduce holdings when a company fails to meet its
expectations with regard to potential growth, addressable market, margin
erosion,
management changes or price considerations. The Fund may employ rapid trading
strategies to capture incremental increases in the prices of securities, to
protect against downside risk and to enhance the Fund’s return.
The
Fund intends to hold some cash, short-term debt obligations, government
securities or other high-quality investments for reserves to cover redemptions
and unanticipated expenses, or to maintain liquidity while seeking appropriate
investments. There may be times, however, when the Fund attempts to respond to
unfavorable market, economic, political or other conditions by investing up to
100% of its assets in cash or those types of money market investments for
temporary defensive purposes. During those times, the Fund will not be able to
pursue its investment objective and, instead, will focus on preserving your
investment.
The
Fund may lend its portfolio securities to seek to generate additional
income.
Principal
Risks
Investing
in a mutual fund has inherent risks, which could cause you to lose money. The
principal risks of investing in the Fund, and the circumstances that could
adversely affect the Fund’s NAV and total return, are listed below.
•Common
Stock Risk:
Common stock represents an ownership interest in a company. Holders of common
stock are generally subject to greater risk than holders of preferred stocks and
debt securities because common stockholders generally have inferior rights to
receive payments from issuers in comparison with the rights of preferred
stockholders, bondholders, and other creditors. Furthermore. common stocks are
susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile increases and
decreases in value as market confidence in, and perceptions of, their issuers
change.
•Market
Risk:
The value of the securities in which the Fund invests may be adversely affected
by fluctuations in the financial markets, regardless of how well the companies
in which the Fund invests perform. The market as a whole may not favor the types
of investments the Fund makes. Also, there is the risk that the price(s) of one
or more of the securities or other instruments in the Fund’s portfolio will fall
or will fail to rise. Many factors can adversely affect a security’s
performance, including both general financial market conditions and factors
related to a specific company, government, industry, country, or geographic
region. Extraordinary events, including extreme economic or political
conditions, natural disasters, epidemics and pandemics, and other factors can
lead to volatility in local, regional, or global markets, which can result in
market losses that may be substantial. The impact of one of these types of
events may be more pronounced in certain regions, sectors, industries, or asset
classes in which the Fund invests, or it may be pervasive across the global
financial markets. The timing and occurrence of future market disruptions cannot
be predicted, nor can the impact that government interventions, if any, adopted
in response to such disruptions may have on the investment strategies of the
Fund or the markets in which the Fund invests.
•Recent
Market Events Risk:
U.S. and international markets have experienced significant volatility in recent
years and may continue to experience significant periods of volatility due to a
number of economic, political, and global macro factors including uncertainty
regarding inflation and central banks’ interest rate increases, the possibility
of a national or global recession, trade tensions, political events, the war
between Russia and Ukraine, armed conflict between Israel and Hamas in the
Middle East, and the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. The
impact of COVID-19 may last for an extended period of time. Continuing market
volatility as a result of recent market conditions or other events may have an
adverse effect on the performance of the Fund.
• Smaller
Capitalized or Unseasoned Company Risk: Investments
in small capitalization companies may involve greater risks, as these companies
tend to have limited product lines, markets and financial or managerial
resources. Small cap stocks often also have a more limited trading market, such
that the Adviser may not be able to sell stocks at an optimal time or price. In
addition, less frequently-traded securities may be subject to more abrupt price
movements than securities of larger capitalized companies.
• Growth
Companies Risk:
Growth companies are expected to increase their earnings at a certain rate. When
these expectations are not met, the prices of these stocks may go down, even if
earnings showed an absolute increase. Growth company stocks also typically lack
the dividend yield that can cushion stock prices in market downturns. Different
investment styles tend to shift in and out of favor, depending on market
conditions and investor sentiment. The Fund’s growth style may cause the Fund to
underperform funds that have a broader investment style.
•Sector
Risk:
Sector risk is the possibility that securities within the same group of
industries will decline in price due to sector-specific market or economic
developments. If the Fund invests more heavily in a particular sector, the value
of its shares may be especially sensitive to factors and economic risks that
specifically affect that sector. As a result, the Fund’s share price may
fluctuate more widely than the value of shares of a fund that invests in a
broader range of industries.
◦Healthcare
Sector Risk.
To the extent the Fund focuses on the healthcare sector, the Fund may be more
susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the healthcare
sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated
sectors. The profitability of companies in the healthcare sector 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.
• Science
and Technology Risk:
The Fund’s investments in science and technology companies expose the Fund to
special risks. For example, rapid advances in science and technology might cause
existing products to become obsolete, and the Fund’s returns could suffer to the
extent it holds an affected company’s shares. Companies in a number of science
and technology industries are also subject to more government regulations and
approval processes than many other industries. This fact may affect a company’s
overall profitability and cause its stock price to be more volatile.
Additionally, science and technology companies are dependent upon consumer and
business acceptance as new technologies evolve.
• Foreign
and Emerging Market Risk: The
risks of investing in foreign companies, including those located in emerging
market countries, can increase the potential for losses in the Fund and may
include currency fluctuations, political and economic instability, less
government regulation, less publicly available information, limited trading
markets, differences in financial reporting standards, including recordkeeping
standards and less stringent regulation of securities markets. Foreign
securities markets generally have less volume than U.S. securities exchanges and
securities of some foreign companies are less liquid and more volatile than
securities of comparable U.S. companies. Additional risks include future
political and economic developments, the possibility that a foreign jurisdiction
might impose or increase withholding taxes on income payable with respect to
foreign securities, the possible seizure, nationalization or expropriation of
the foreign issuer or foreign deposits (in which the Fund could lose its entire
investment in a certain market) and the possible adoption of foreign
governmental restrictions such as exchange controls. These risks are typically
greater in emerging markets countries.
• Geographic
Focus Risk. If
the Fund invests a significant portion of its total assets in certain issuers
within the same country or geographic region, an adverse economic, business or
political development affecting that country or region may affect the value of
the Fund’s investments more, and the Fund’s investments may be more volatile,
than if its investments were not so concentrated in such country or
region.
• Securities
Lending Risk.
The Fund lends its portfolio securities to seek to earn additional income. When
the Fund lends its portfolio securities, it receives collateral (including cash
collateral), at least equal to the value of securities loaned. The Fund may earn
income by investing this collateral in one or more registered money market funds
and/or unregistered, privately offered cash management vehicles that principally
invest in high quality, short term debt obligations, such as securities of the
U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities, instruments of U.S. and
foreign banks, corporate debt obligations, municipal obligations, debt
obligations of foreign governments, their agencies or instrumentalities,
repurchase agreements, funding agreements, asset-backed securities, including
asset-backed commercial paper, and money market funds. A decline in the value of
a cash management vehicle in which collateral is invested may cause the Fund may
to lose money. Lending portfolio securities also involves the risk that the
securities may not be returned on a timely basis, and the Fund may experience
delays and costs in recovering the securities or gaining access to the
collateral provided to the Fund to collateralize the loan. If the Fund is unable
to recover a security on loan, the Fund may use the collateral to purchase
replacement securities in the market. There is a risk that the value of the
collateral could decrease below the cost of the replacement security by the time
the replacement investment is made, resulting in a loss to the Fund. Securities
lending may also result in the Fund being unable to vote shares in a proxy
solicitation by the issuer of a loaned security and/or may cause the Fund to be
ineligible to receive a distribution from the issuer of a loaned security. The
Fund is not obligated to engage in securities lending, and may discontinue its
securities lending activities at any time.
INVESTMENT
OBJECTIVE, PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISKS:
JACOB
DISCOVERY FUND
Investment
Objective
The
Fund’s investment objective is long-term growth of capital. There is no
assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. The Fund’s
investment objective may be changed without shareholder approval. The Fund will
provide shareholders with notice of any such change.
Principal
Investment Strategies
The
Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing, under normal
circumstances, at least 80% of its assets in micro capitalization companies.
Micro capitalization companies are defined as those companies with market
capitalizations (share price multiplied by number of shares outstanding) of:
(1) less than or equal to $600 million; or (2) within the
capitalization range of the Russell Micro Cap®
Growth Index at the time of purchase. As of August 31, 2024, the market
capitalization of the largest company in the Russell Micro Cap® Growth Index was
approximately $2.20 billion, and the weighted average and median market
capitalizations of the Russell Micro Cap® Growth Index were approximately $759
million and $182 million, respectively. For purposes of such 80% policy, the
term “assets” means the Fund’s net assets, including any borrowings for
investment purposes, consistent with the SEC’s requirements. The Fund does not,
however, intend to borrow money for the purpose of making
investments.
The
Fund maintains a diversified portfolio of investments consisting primarily of
common stocks. The Fund may also invest in other equity securities such as
preferred stocks, rights, or warrants. Equity securities generally represent an
ownership interest in a company and their value is based on the success of the
company’s business, any income paid to shareholders, the value of the company’s
assets, general market conditions and investor demand. The Adviser expects to
select investments for the Fund in companies across various industry
groups.
The
Adviser manages the Fund’s portfolio in an aggressive growth style. The Adviser
believes that investments in micro capitalization companies can have greater
earnings and sales growth potential than larger capitalized companies and can
offer substantial opportunities for long-term growth of capital. The Adviser’s
overall stock selections are based on its qualitative and quantitative
assessment of a company’s fundamental prospects and whether it has an
above-average potential for long-term growth of capital. Specifically, the
Adviser looks for companies with expanding profit margins, sales and earnings
growth which, over a business cycle, can be expected to produce high levels of
free cash flow. Further, the Adviser seeks companies with strong management
teams that can capitalize on catalysts for growth and competitive advantages
such as superior products and favorable industry, economic and political trends.
While trying to maximize the growth potential of the Fund’s portfolio of
investments, the Adviser also seeks to obtain securities for the Fund that are
selling at a reasonable valuation in view of their expected growth
rate.
The
Adviser expects to invest the Fund’s net assets primarily in U.S. companies, but
may gain exposure to foreign markets through the global operations of U.S.
companies, by purchasing depositary receipts or securities of foreign companies
traded on U.S. exchanges, or through direct investment in foreign companies.
Depositary receipts are certificates normally issued by U.S. banks that evidence
the ownership of shares of a foreign issuer. The Fund’s foreign investments may
include securities of companies in emerging market countries, so that the Fund
has the flexibility to take full advantage of investment opportunities in micro
capitalization companies. The Adviser will not invest more than 25% of the
Fund’s net assets directly in foreign companies. The Fund may have significant
exposure to the health care sector.
The
Fund generally seeks to purchase securities as long-term investments, but the
Adviser will sell or reduce holdings when a company fails to meet its
expectations with regard to potential growth, addressable market, margin
erosion, management changes or price considerations. The Fund may employ rapid
trading strategies to capture incremental increases in the prices of securities,
to protect against downside risk and to enhance the Fund’s return.
The
Fund intends to hold some cash, short-term debt obligations, government
securities or other high-quality investments for reserves to cover redemptions
and unanticipated expenses, or to maintain liquidity while seeking appropriate
investments. There may be times, however, when the Fund attempts to respond to
unfavorable market, economic, political or other conditions by investing up to
100% of its assets in cash or those types of money market investments for
temporary defensive purposes. During those times, the Fund will not be able to
pursue its investment objective and, instead, will focus on preserving your
investment.
The
Fund may lend its portfolio securities to seek to generate additional
income.
Principal
Risks
Investing
in a mutual fund has inherent risks, which could cause you to lose money. The
principal risks of investing in the Fund, and the circumstances that could
adversely affect the Fund’s NAV and total return, are listed below.
•Common
Stock Risk:
Common stock represents an ownership interest in a company. Holders of common
stock are generally subject to greater risk than holders of preferred stocks and
debt securities because common stockholders generally have inferior rights to
receive payments from issuers in comparison with the rights of preferred
stockholders, bondholders, and other creditors. Furthermore. common stocks are
susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile increases and
decreases in value as market confidence in, and perceptions of, their issuers
change.
• Market
Risk:
The value of the securities in which the Fund invests may be adversely affected
by fluctuations in the financial markets, regardless of how well the companies
in which the Fund invests perform. The market as a whole may not favor the types
of investments the Fund makes. Also, there is the risk that the price(s) of one
or more of the securities or other instruments in the Fund’s portfolio will fall
or will fail to rise. Many factors can adversely affect a security’s
performance, including both general financial market conditions and factors
related to a specific company, government, industry, country, or geographic
region. Extraordinary events, including extreme economic or political
conditions, natural disasters, epidemics and pandemics, and other factors can
lead to volatility in local, regional, or global markets, which can result in
market losses that may be substantial. The impact of one of these types of
events may be more pronounced in certain regions, sectors, industries, or asset
classes in which the Fund invests, or it may be pervasive across the global
financial markets. The timing and occurrence of future market disruptions cannot
be predicted, nor can the impact that government interventions, if any, adopted
in response to such disruptions may have on the investment strategies of the
Fund or the markets in which the Fund invests.
•Recent
Market Events Risk:
U.S. and international markets have experienced significant volatility in recent
years and may continue to experience significant periods of volatility due to a
number of economic, political, and global macro factors including uncertainty
regarding inflation and central banks’ interest rate increases, the possibility
of a national or global recession, trade tensions, political events, the war
between Russia and Ukraine, armed conflict between Israel and Hamas in the
Middle East, and the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. The
impact of COVID-19 may last for an extended period of time. Continuing market
volatility as a result of recent market conditions or other events may have an
adverse effect on the performance of the Fund.
• Micro-Capitalized
Company Risk:
Investments in micro capitalization companies may involve greater risks, as
these companies tend to have limited product lines, markets and financial or
managerial resources. Micro
cap
stocks often also have a more limited trading market, such that the Adviser may
not be able to sell stocks at an optimal time or price. In addition, less
frequently-traded securities may be subject to more abrupt price movements than
securities of larger capitalized companies.
• Growth
Companies Risk:
Growth companies are expected to increase their earnings at a certain rate. When
these expectations are not met, the prices of these stocks may go down, even if
earnings showed an absolute increase. Growth company stocks also typically lack
the dividend yield that can cushion stock prices in market downturns. Different
investment styles tend to shift in and out of favor, depending on market
conditions and investor sentiment. The Fund’s growth style may cause the Fund to
underperform funds that have a broader investment style.
•Sector
Risk:
Sector risk is the possibility that securities within the same group of
industries will decline in price due to sector-specific market or economic
developments. If the Fund invests more heavily in a particular sector, the value
of its shares may be especially sensitive to factors and economic risks that
specifically affect that sector. As a result, the Fund’s share price may
fluctuate more widely than the value of shares of a fund that invests in a
broader range of industries.
◦Healthcare
Sector Risk.
To the extent the Fund focuses on the healthcare sector, the Fund may be more
susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the healthcare
sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated
sectors. The profitability of companies in the healthcare sector 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.
• Science
and Technology Risk:
The Fund’s investments in science and technology companies expose the Fund to
special risks. For example, rapid advances in science and technology might cause
existing products to become obsolete, and the Fund’s returns could suffer to the
extent it holds an affected company’s shares. Companies in a number of science
and technology industries are also subject to more government regulations and
approval processes than many other industries. This fact may affect a company’s
overall profitability and cause its stock price to be more volatile.
Additionally, science and technology companies are dependent upon consumer and
business acceptance as new technologies evolve.
• Foreign
and Emerging Market Risk: The
risks of investing in foreign companies, including those located in emerging
market countries, can increase the potential for losses in the Fund and may
include currency fluctuations, political and economic instability, less
government regulation, less publicly available information, limited trading
markets, differences in financial reporting standards, including recordkeeping
standards and less stringent regulation of securities markets. Foreign
securities markets generally have less volume than U.S. securities exchanges and
securities of some foreign companies are less liquid and more volatile than
securities of comparable U.S. companies. Additional risks include future
political and economic developments, the possibility that a foreign jurisdiction
might impose or increase withholding taxes on income payable with respect to
foreign securities, the possible seizure, nationalization or expropriation of
the foreign issuer or foreign deposits (in which the Fund could lose its entire
investment in a certain market) and the possible adoption of foreign
governmental restrictions such as exchange controls. These risks are typically
greater in emerging markets countries.
• Geographic
Focus Risk. If
the Fund invests a significant portion of its total assets in certain issuers
within the same country or geographic region, an adverse economic, business or
political development affecting that country or region may affect the value of
the Fund’s investments more, and the Fund’s investments may be more volatile,
than if its investments were not so concentrated in such country or
region.
• Securities
Lending Risk.
The Fund lends its portfolio securities to seek to earn additional income. When
the Fund lends its portfolio securities, it receives collateral (including cash
collateral), at least equal to the value of securities loaned. The Fund may earn
income by investing this collateral in one or more registered money market funds
and/or unregistered, privately offered cash management vehicles that principally
invest in high quality, short term debt obligations, such as securities of the
U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities, instruments of U.S. and
foreign banks, corporate debt obligations, municipal obligations, debt
obligations of foreign governments, their agencies or instrumentalities,
repurchase agreements, funding agreements, asset-backed securities, including
asset-backed commercial paper, and money market funds. A decline in the value of
a cash management vehicle in which collateral is invested may cause the Fund may
to lose money. Lending portfolio securities also involves the risk that the
securities may not be returned on a timely basis, and the Fund may experience
delays and costs in recovering the securities or gaining access to the
collateral provided to the Fund to collateralize the loan. If the Fund is unable
to recover a security on loan, the Fund may use the collateral to purchase
replacement securities in the market. There is a risk that the value of the
collateral could decrease below the cost of the replacement security by the time
the replacement investment is made, resulting in a loss to the Fund. Securities
lending may also result in the Fund being unable to vote shares in a proxy
solicitation by the issuer of a loaned security and/or may cause the Fund to be
ineligible to receive a distribution from the issuer of a loaned security. The
Fund is not obligated to engage in securities lending, and may discontinue its
securities lending activities at any time.
DISCLOSURE
OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS
Each
Fund expects to publicly disclose 100% of its portfolio holdings on its website
no earlier than 30 days after each calendar quarter end. Each Fund also
intends to disclose its top 25 holdings on a monthly basis on its website no
earlier than 30 days after the month end, along with information regarding
the percentage of the portfolio that each holding comprises. A further
description of the Funds’ policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure
of portfolio holdings is available in the Statement of Additional
Information.
FUND
MANAGEMENT
Adviser.
The Adviser, Jacob Asset Management of New York LLC, a federally registered
investment adviser, is a Delaware limited liability company with its principal
office located at 727 2nd
Street #106, Hermosa Beach, California 90254. Pursuant to the Investment
Advisory Agreements for the Funds, the Adviser manages each Fund’s portfolio of
securities and makes the decisions with respect to the purchase and sale of
investments, subject to the general supervision of the Funds’ Board of
Directors. The Adviser is also responsible for overseeing the performance of the
Funds’ administrator and other service providers.
Ryan
I. Jacob
is the Lead Portfolio Manager of and is primarily responsible for the day-to-day
management of the Jacob Internet Fund and Jacob Small Cap Growth Fund. Mr. Jacob
is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Adviser, as well as President
of Jacob Funds Inc. He has served as Lead Portfolio Manager of the Jacob
Internet Fund and Jacob Small Cap Growth Fund since each Fund’s inceptions in
1999 and 2010, respectively. Mr. Jacob served as Lead Portfolio Manager of the
Jacob Discovery Fund from its inception in 2012 until December 2013, and is
currently serving as a Co-Portfolio Manager of the Fund. Mr. Jacob served as
Chief Portfolio Manager of The Internet Fund, Inc. from December 20, 1997
through June 24, 1999. Mr. Jacob also served as a financial analyst for Lepercq,
de Neuflize & Co. Inc. from September 1998 to June 1999 and as an analyst
for Horizon Asset Management from October 1994 through August 1998. Mr. Jacob
also served as the Director of Research for IPO Value Monitor, an investment
related research service from 1996 to August 1998. Previously, Mr. Jacob
was an assistant portfolio manager in the private clients group at Bankers Trust
from October 1992 through October 1994. Mr. Jacob, a graduate of Drexel
University, has over 28 years of investment experience.
Darren
Chervitz
is the Lead Portfolio Manager of and is primarily responsible for the day-to-day
management of the Jacob Discovery Fund. Mr. Chervitz served as Co-Portfolio
Manager of the Jacob Discovery Fund since its
inception
in 2012 until December 2013, and as Lead Portfolio Manager since December 2013.
He is also a Co-Portfolio Manager of the Jacob Internet Fund and Jacob Small Cap
Growth Fund. He has served as the Director of Research for the Adviser since
1999. Prior to his employment with the Adviser, Mr. Chervitz was a financial
editor and reporter for CBS MarketWatch from August 1996 to July 1999. Mr.
Chervitz was also a technology stock analyst for ZDTV from August 1996 to July
1999. Mr. Chervitz has over 24 years of financial industry and investment
experience.
Francis
J. Alexander
is a Co-Portfolio Manager of the Jacob Internet Fund. He was Chief Portfolio
Manager of The Internet Fund, Inc. from October 21, 1996 (inception) through
December 19, 1997 and thereafter was a portfolio manager of that fund while Mr.
Jacob served as Chief Portfolio Manager. Mr. Alexander was a portfolio manager
with Lepercq, de Neuflize & Co. Inc. from May 1998 to March 2002. He has
served as President of Alexander Capital Management, Inc. since 1985. Mr.
Alexander received his Bachelor of Arts from Notre Dame University and his
Master of Business Administration from St. John’s University. Mr. Alexander has
over 49 years of investment experience.
The
Funds’ Statement of Additional Information provides additional information about
the portfolio managers’ compensation, other accounts that they manage and their
ownership of Fund shares.
Adviser’s
Fees
Jacob
Internet Fund:
Pursuant to the terms of the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Adviser receives
a monthly advisory fee equal to an annual rate of 1.25% of the Fund’s annual
average daily net assets up to $250 million, and 0.90% of the Fund’s annual
average daily net assets over $250 million. The Adviser has contractually
agreed, through at least January 5, 2026, to waive its advisory fees in an
amount up to an annual rate of 0.10% of the Fund’s average daily net assets, to
the extent that the Jacob Internet Fund’s Total Annual Operating Expenses
(excluding any taxes, interest, brokerage fees, acquired fund fees and expenses,
and extraordinary expenses) exceed 2.95% for Investor Class shares average daily
net assets for the Fund. Please note that the maximum annual waiver is 0.10% of
the Fund’s average daily net assets, which means that the Fund’s overall
expenses could exceed 2.95% for Investor Class shares. Pursuant to its fee
waiver agreement with the Jacob Internet Fund, the Adviser is entitled to recoup
any fees that it waived for a period of thirty-six (36) months following such
fee waivers to the extent that such recoupment by the Adviser will not cause the
Fund’s expense level to exceed any applicable expense limitation that was in
place for the Fund when the fees were waived. This waiver agreement may only be
terminated by the Board.
Jacob
Small Cap Growth Fund:
Pursuant to the terms of the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Adviser receives
a monthly advisory fee equal to an annual rate of 0.80% of the Fund’s annual
average daily net assets up to $250 million, and 0.70% of the Fund’s annual
average daily net assets over $250 million (“Small Cap Advisory Fee”). The
Adviser has contractually agreed, through at least January 5, 2026, to
waive up to 100% of its advisory fees to the extent that the Fund’s Total Annual
Operating Expenses (excluding any taxes, interest, brokerage fees, acquired fund
fees and expenses, and extraordinary expenses) exceed 2.25% or 1.95% for
Investor Class shares and Institutional Class shares, respectively, of each
class’ average daily net assets. Please note that the maximum annual waiver is
limited to the rate of the Small Cap Advisory Fee (0.80% of the Fund’s annual
average daily net assets as of September 1, 2024), which means that it is
possible that the Jacob Small Cap Growth Fund’s overall expenses could exceed
2.25% for Investor Class shares or 1.95% for Institutional Class shares.
Pursuant to its fee waiver agreement with the Jacob Small Cap Growth Fund, the
Adviser is entitled to recoup any fees that it waived for a period of thirty-six
(36) months following such fee waivers to the extent that such recoupment by the
Adviser will not cause the Fund’s expense level to exceed any applicable expense
limitation that was in place for the Fund when the fees were waived. This waiver
agreement may only be terminated by the Board.
Jacob
Discovery Fund:
Pursuant to the terms of the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Adviser receives
a monthly advisory fee equal to an annual rate of 1.10% of the Fund’s annual
average daily net assets up to $250
million,
and 0.80% of the Fund’s annual average daily net assets over $250 million
(“Discovery Advisory Fee”). The Adviser has contractually agreed, through at
least January 5, 2026, to waive up to 100% of its advisory fees to the
extent that the Fund’s Total Annual Operating Expenses (excluding any taxes,
interest, brokerage fees, acquired fund fees and expenses, and extraordinary
expenses) exceed 2.30% or 2.00% for Investor Class shares and Institutional
Class shares, respectively, of each class’ average daily net assets. Please note
that the maximum waiver is limited to the rate of the Discovery Advisory Fee
(1.10% of the Fund’s annual average daily net assets as of September 1, 2024),
which means that it is possible that the Jacob Discovery Fund’s overall expenses
could exceed 2.30% for Investor Class shares or 2.00% for Institutional Class
shares. Pursuant to its fee waiver agreement with the Jacob Discovery Fund, the
Adviser is entitled to recoup any fees that it waived for a period of thirty-six
(36) months following such fee waivers to the extent that such recoupment by the
Adviser will not cause the Fund’s expense level to exceed any applicable expense
limitation that was in place for the Fund when the fees were waived. This waiver
agreement may only be terminated by the Board.
A
discussion regarding the basis for the Board of Directors’ approval of the
Investment Advisory Agreements for the Jacob Internet Fund, Jacob Small Cap
Growth Fund, and Jacob Discovery Fund is available on the Fund’s website and in
the Fund’s Form N-CSR filed with the SEC for the six-month period ended February
29, 2024.
PURCHASE
OF FUND SHARES
Each
Fund sells (and redeems) its shares on a continuous basis at NAV and does not
apply any front-end or back-end sales charges. A completed application must be
submitted to the Fund, along with payment of the purchase price by check or
wire. Your purchase will be calculated at the next determined NAV after
U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (the “Transfer Agent”) receives your
request in good order.
Shares
of the Funds have not been registered for sale outside the United States. The
Funds generally do not sell shares to investors residing outside of the United
States, even if they are United States citizens or lawful permanent residents,
except to investors with United States military APO or FPO
addresses.
The
Funds have established an Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Program as required
by the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required
to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (“USA PATRIOT Act”). In order to
ensure compliance with this law, the Funds are required to obtain the following
information for all “customers” seeking to open an “account” (as those terms are
defined in rules adopted pursuant to the USA PATRIOT Act):
• Full
name
• Date
of birth (individuals only)
• Social
Security or tax identification number
• Permanent
street address (Addresses containing only a P.O. Box will not be
accepted)
• Accounts
opened by entities, such as corporations, companies or trusts, will require
additional documentation
If
you are opening the account in the name of a legal entity (e.g.,
partnership, limited liability company, business trust, corporate, etc.), you
must also supply the identity of the beneficial owners. Please note that if any
information listed above is missing, your application will be returned and your
account will not be opened. In compliance with the USA PATRIOT Act, the Transfer
Agent will verify the information on your application as part of the Funds’
Anti-Money Laundering Program. The Funds reserve the right to request additional
clarifying information and may close your account if such clarifying information
is not received by the Funds within a reasonable time of the request or if the
Funds cannot form a reasonable belief as to the true identity of a customer. If
you require additional assistance when completing your application, please
contact the Transfer Agent at 1-888-JACOB-FX
(1-888-522-6239).
Minimum
Investments.
To purchase Investor Class shares, you need to invest at least $2,500 initially.
Investments made under the Uniform Gifts and Transfers to Minors Act, an IRA
account, 401(k) plan, other retirement accounts, or when establishing an
Automatic Investment Plan need to invest only require $1,000 to start. Once you
have an account with a Fund, you may make additional investments in Investor
Class shares in amounts as low as $100.
To
purchase Institutional Class shares, you need to invest at least $100,000
initially. Once you have an account with a Fund, you may make additional
investments in Institutional Class shares in amounts as low as
$100.
The
Funds reserve the right to vary the initial and subsequent minimum investment
requirements at any time, to reject any purchase or exchange request, or to
suspend the offering of its shares at any time.
Market
Timing Policy
The
Funds prohibit short-term or excessive trading, often referred to as “market
timing.” Market timing may interfere with the efficient management of a Fund’s
portfolio, materially increase a Fund’s transaction costs, administrative costs
or taxes, or may otherwise be detrimental to the interests of a Fund and its
shareholders. Some securities in which the Funds have authority to invest, such
as foreign securities or thinly traded securities, could subject the Funds to
additional market timing risks as described below. In order to reduce the risks
of market timing, the Funds will take steps to deter and detect short-term or
excessive trading pursuant to the Funds’ market timing policies as described in
this prospectus and approved by the Board.
A
short-term trading redemption fee is assessed on any Fund shares, except those
shares received from reinvested distributions, in a Fund account that are sold
(by redemption, whether voluntary or involuntary) within 30 days following
their purchase date. This redemption fee will equal 2% of the amount redeemed
(using standard rounding criteria) and the shares held the longest will be
treated as being redeemed first and shares held shortest as being redeemed last.
The redemption fee may be collected by deduction from the redemption
proceeds.
The
redemption fee is imposed to discourage short-term trading and is paid to a Fund
to help offset any cost associated with such short-term trading. The redemption
fee is not intended to accommodate short-term trading and the Funds will monitor
the assessment of redemption fees against an investor’s account. A shareholder
is subject to the 2% redemption fee whether they are a direct shareholder of a
Fund or investing indirectly in a Fund through a financial intermediary such as
a broker-dealer, an investment adviser, an administrator or trustee of an
Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) recognized tax-advantaged savings plan, such as
a 401(k) retirement plan or a 529 college savings plan that maintains an omnibus
account with a Fund for trading on behalf of its customers. Currently, only
certain intermediaries have the ability to collect a Fund’s redemption fee on
the Fund’s behalf from their customers’ accounts. Even in the case of these
intermediaries who are collecting the redemption fee, due to policy, operational
and/or systems’ requirements and limitations, these intermediaries may use
criteria and methods for tracking, applying and/or calculating the fee that may
differ in some respects from that of the Funds. The Funds will continue to
encourage all financial intermediaries to develop the capability to begin
assessing the redemption fee from their customers who invest in the Fund. To the
extent required by applicable regulation, the Funds or the Transfer Agent enter
into agreements with financial intermediaries under which the intermediaries
agree to provide information about Fund share transactions effected through the
financial intermediary. Shareholders investing in Fund shares through a
financial intermediary should contact their financial intermediary (or, in the
case of a 401(k) retirement plan, the plan sponsor) for more information on any
differences in how the redemption fee is applied to investments in the
Funds.
In
addition, the Adviser monitors shareholder transactions into and out of the
Funds to identify activity that could be deemed to be market timing. If a Fund
or its agents conclude that a shareholder’s trading may be detrimental to the
Fund, the Fund may temporarily or permanently bar future purchases into the Fund
or, alternatively, may limit the amount, number or frequency of any future
purchases and/or the method by which the shareholder may request future
purchases and redemptions. Transactions placed in violation of the Funds’ market
timing policy are not
necessarily
deemed received in good order by the Funds and may be cancelled or revoked by a
Fund on the next business day following receipt by the Fund.
Shareholders
are subject to the market timing policy whether they are direct shareholders of
a Fund or investing indirectly in a Fund through a financial intermediary such
as a broker-dealer, an investment adviser, an administrator or trustee of an IRS
recognized tax-advantaged savings plan such as a 401(k) retirement plan or a 529
college savings plan that maintains an omnibus account with the Fund for trading
on behalf of its customers.
While
the Funds will monitor certain transactions through financial intermediaries and
encourage financial intermediaries to apply the Funds’ market timing policy to
their customers who invest indirectly in a Fund, the Funds are limited in their
ability to monitor the trading activity or enforce the Funds’ market timing
policy with respect to customers of financial intermediaries. More specifically,
unless the financial intermediaries have the ability to apply the Funds’ market
timing policy to their customers (for example, participants in a 401(k)
retirement plan) through such methods as implementing short-term trading
limitations or restrictions, the Funds may not be able to determine whether
trading by customers of financial intermediaries is contrary to the Funds’
market timing policy.
Although
these methods involve judgments that are inherently subjective and involve some
selectivity in their application, each Fund seeks to make judgments and
applications that are consistent with the interests of the Fund’s shareholders.
There is no assurance that a Fund or its agents will gain access to any or all
information necessary to detect market timing in omnibus accounts. While the
Funds will seek to take actions (directly and with the assistance of financial
intermediaries) that will detect market timing, the Funds cannot represent that
such trading activity can be completely eliminated.
The
Funds also have the authority to invest in foreign securities that are traded on
foreign exchanges or securities that are thinly traded. To the extent a Fund
invests in these types of securities, the Fund may be exposed to investors who
engage in the type of market timing trading that seeks to take advantage of
possible delays between the change of the value of a fund’s portfolio holdings
and the reflection of the change in the NAV of the fund’s shares, sometimes
referred to as ‘arbitrage market timing.’ For example, a Fund may hold portfolio
securities that are traded on a foreign exchange that closes prior to the time
that the Fund sets its NAV. If an event that affects the value of that foreign
security occurs prior to the time that a Fund sets its NAV, the closing price of
the foreign security may not accurately represent the value of the foreign
security at the time the Fund sets its NAV. Likewise, if a security is thinly
traded, the closing price of that security may not accurately represent the
market value of that security at the time a Fund sets its NAV. There is the
possibility that such ‘arbitrage market timing’ trading, under certain
circumstances, may dilute the value of Fund shares if redeeming shareholders
receive proceeds (and buying shareholders receive shares) based upon NAVs that
do not reflect the appropriate fair value prices of those portfolio securities.
To reduce the risk of arbitrage market timing, the Funds have procedures to
determine the fair value of a portfolio security if there is an indication that,
for example, a closing price on a foreign market or closing price of a thinly
traded security may not reflect the accurate fair market value of the
security.
How
to Open an Account:
• $2,500
minimum for Investor Class shares; $100,000 minimum for Institutional Class
shares.
• $1,000
minimum for IRA, UGMA, 401K, other retirement accounts, and accounts
establishing an Automatic Investment Plan for Investor Class
shares.
• The
Funds may, but are not required to, accept initial investments below the
minimums.
By
Mail
Complete
and sign the New Account Application and make a check payable to Jacob Funds
Inc.
|
|
|
|
| |
Mail
to:
Jacob
Funds Inc.
c/o
U.S. Bank Global Fund Services
P.O.
Box 701
Milwaukee,
WI 53201-0701 |
Overnight
or Express Mail to:
Jacob
Funds Inc.
c/o
U.S. Bank Global Fund Services
615
East Michigan Street, 3rd Floor
Milwaukee,
WI 53202 |
The
Funds do not consider the U.S. Postal Service or other independent delivery
services to be their agents. Therefore, deposit in the mail or with such
services, or receipt at U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC post office box, of
purchase orders or redemption requests does not constitute receipt by the
transfer agent of the Funds. Receipt of purchase orders or redemption requests
is based on when the order is received at the Transfer Agent’s
offices.
All
purchases by check should be in U.S dollars drawn on a U.S. financial
institution. The Funds will not accept payment in cash or money orders. To
prevent check fraud, the Funds will not accept third party checks, credit card
checks, Treasury checks, traveler’s checks or starter checks for the purchase of
shares. We are unable to accept postdated checks or any conditional order or
payment.
NOTE:
The Transfer Agent charges a $25 fee for any returned checks. You will be
responsible for any losses suffered by a Fund as a result.
By
Wire
If
you are making an initial investment in a Fund, before you wire funds, please
contact the Transfer Agent by phone at 1-888-JACOB-FX
to make arrangements with a telephone service representative to submit your
completed application via mail or overnight delivery. Upon receipt of your
application in good form, your account will be established and a service
representative will contact you to provide your new account number and wiring
instructions. If you do not receive this information within one business day,
you may call the Transfer Agent at 1-888-JACOB-FX.
Your
purchase request should be wired through the Federal Reserve Bank as
follows:
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U.S.
Bank N.A.
777
East Wisconsin Avenue
Milwaukee,
Wisconsin 53202
ABA
Number: 075000022 |
Credit:
U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC
Account
Number: 112-952-137
Further
credit: Your Fund name
Your
account name and account number |
Wired
funds must be received prior to 4:00 p.m. (Eastern time) to be eligible for same
day pricing. The Funds and U.S. Bank N.A. are not responsible for the
consequence of delays resulting from the banking or Federal Reserve wire system,
or from incomplete wiring instructions.
How
to Purchase Additional Shares:
By
Mail
You
may add to your account at any time by mailing the remittance form which is
attached to your individual account statement along with any subsequent
investments. All requests must include your account registration and account
number in order to assure that your funds are credited properly.
By
Wire
Before
sending your wire, please contact the Transfer Agent at 1-888-JACOB-FX
to advise them of your intent to wire funds. This will ensure prompt and
accurate credit upon receipt of your wire. Please follow the wiring instructions
detailed in the earlier section How to Open an Account.
By
Telephone
If
you have completed the appropriate section of the New Account Application or if
you make subsequent arrangements in writing, and your account has been open for
seven business days, you may purchase additional shares by telephoning the Funds
toll-free at 1-888-JACOB-FX.
This option allows investors to move money from their pre-designated bank
account to their Fund account upon request. Only bank accounts held at domestic
institutions that are Automated Clearing House (ACH) members may be used for
telephone transactions.
To
have your Fund shares purchased at the NAV determined at the close of regular
trading on a given date, the Transfer Agent must receive your order before the
close of regular trading on that date. You
may not use telephone transactions for your initial purchase of Fund
shares.
The
Funds may alter, modify or terminate the telephone purchase option at any
time.
The minimum amount that can be transferred by telephone is $100. For more
information about telephonic transactions, please call the Funds at 1-888-JACOB-FX.
By
Internet
This
option allows you to purchase additional shares directly through the Funds’
website at www.jacobmutualfunds.com.
To choose this option, complete the appropriate section of the New Account
Application or make subsequent arrangements by submitting a written request.
Only bank accounts held at a domestic institution which is an ACH member may be
used for Internet transactions.
To
have your Fund shares purchased at the NAV determined at the close of regular
trading on a given date, the Transfer Agent must receive your order before the
close of regular trading on that date. You
may not use Internet transactions for your initial purchase of Fund
shares.
The
Funds may alter, modify or terminate the Internet purchase option at any
time.
The minimum amount that can be transferred by Internet is $100. For more
information about Internet transactions, please call the Funds at 1-888-JACOB-FX.
By
Automatic Investment Plan
You
may purchase additional shares of a Fund in amounts of $100 or more through an
Automatic Investment Plan which allows monies to be deducted directly from your
checking or savings accounts to invest in the Fund. You may make automatic
investments monthly, quarterly, semi-annually or annually into your established
Fund account.
You
are eligible for this plan if your bank account is maintained at a domestic
financial institution which is an ACH member. If your financial institution
rejects your payment, a $25 fee will be charged to your account. Any change to
or termination of your Automatic Investment Plan should be made five days
prior to the effective date in writing or by contacting the Transfer Agent at
1-888-JACOB-FX.
The
Funds may alter, modify or terminate the Automatic Investment Plan at any
time.
For information about participating in the Automatic Investment Plan, please
call the Funds at 1-888-JACOB-FX.
Investing
Through Brokers or Agents. You
may invest in a Fund through brokers or agents who have entered into selling
agreements with the Fund’s distributor. Investors may be charged a separate fee
by a broker or agent. The broker or agent may also set their own initial and
subsequent investment minimums.
Retirement
Plans. Investor
Class shares of the Funds are available for use in tax-advantaged retirement
plans such as:
• IRAs,
• employer-sponsored
defined contribution plans (including 401(k) plans), and
• tax-sheltered
custodial accounts described in Section 403(b)(7) of the Internal Revenue Code
of 1986, as amended ("Internal Revenue Code").
For
more information on IRA accounts and to receive an IRA application and
disclosure statement, please call 1-888-JACOB-FX.
Receipt
of Orders.
Shares may only be purchased on days the Funds are open for business (generally
the same days that the New York Stock Exchange is open for business). If you are
paying with federal funds (wire), your order will be considered received when
U.S. Bank N.A. receives the federal funds. When making a purchase request
in writing, make sure your request is in good order. “Good order” means your
letter of instruction includes:
• the
name of the Fund
• the
dollar amount of shares to be purchased
• purchase
application or investment slip
• check
payable to Jacob
Funds Inc.
Timing
of Requests.
All requests received in good order by the Transfer Agent before 4:00 p.m.
(Eastern time) will be executed on that same day. The Funds or their service
providers have also entered into arrangements authorizing certain financial
intermediaries (or their agents) to accept purchase and redemption orders for
Fund shares. Purchases through an authorized intermediary or agent will be
executed on the same day, provided the authorized intermediary or agent receives
in good order the request before 4:00 p.m. (Eastern time). Requests
received after 4:00 p.m. (Eastern time) by the Transfer Agent or an
authorized intermediary or agent will be processed at the next determined NAV on
the following business day.
Unclaimed
Property.
It is important that a Fund maintain a correct address for each shareholder. An
incorrect address may cause a shareholder’s account statements and other
mailings to be returned to the Fund. Based upon statutory requirements for
returned mail, the Funds will attempt to locate the shareholder or rightful
owner of the account. If a Fund is unable to locate the shareholder, then it
will determine whether the shareholder’s account can legally be considered
abandoned. Your mutual fund account may be transferred to the state government
of your state of residence if no activity occurs within your account during the
“inactivity period” specified in your state’s abandoned property laws. The Funds
are legally obligated to escheat (or transfer) abandoned property to the
appropriate state’s unclaimed property administrator in accordance with
statutory requirements. The shareholder’s last known address of record
determines which state has jurisdiction. Please proactively contact the Transfer
Agent toll-free at 1-888-522-6239 at least annually to ensure your account
remains in active status.
If
you are a resident of the state of Texas, you may designate a representative to
receive notifications that, due to inactivity, your mutual fund account assets
may be delivered to the Texas Comptroller. Please contact the Transfer Agent if
you wish to complete a Texas Designation of Representative form.
REDEMPTION OF
FUND SHARES
When
Redemption Proceeds Are Sent to You.
You may redeem your shares on any day a Fund is open for business (generally the
same days that the New York Stock Exchange is open for business). Once the
Transfer Agent or an authorized intermediary or agent receives in good order
your redemption request, your request will be processed at the next determined
NAV. If you purchase shares by check or ACH transfer and request a redemption
soon after the purchase, the Funds will honor the redemption request, but will
not mail the proceeds until your purchase has cleared (usually within
10 calendar days). Shareholders can avoid this delay by utilizing the wire
purchase option. If you make a purchase by check or ACH transfer that does not
clear, the purchase will be canceled and you will be responsible for any losses
or fees incurred in that transaction.
A
redemption request received in good order before 4:00 p.m. (Eastern time)
will normally be sent to the bank account of record or mailed to your address of
record on the following business day. Credit for redemption proceeds sent via
ACH transfer may not be available for two business days thereafter. In no event
will proceeds be wired, mailed or transferred through the ACH system more than
seven days after the Transfer Agent receives in good order a redemption
request. If the proceeds of the redemption are requested to be sent to an
address other than the address of record or if the address of record has been
changed within 15 days of the redemption request, the request must be in
writing with your signature(s) guaranteed. The Fund is not responsible for
interest on redemption amounts due to lost or misdirected mail.
The
Funds and the Transfer Agent each reserve the right to refuse a wire, telephone
or Internet redemption if it is believed advisable to do so. Procedures for
redeeming Fund shares by wire, telephone or Internet may be modified or
terminated at any time by the Funds.
How
to Redeem Shares:
By
Mail
Send
written redemption requests to:
Jacob
Funds Inc.
c/o
U.S. Bank Global Fund Services
P.O. Box 701
Milwaukee,
WI 53201-0701
The
Funds do not consider the U.S. Postal Service or other independent delivery
services to be their agents. Therefore, deposit in the mail or with such
services, or receipt at U.S. Bank Global Fund Services' post office box, of
purchase orders or redemption requests does not constitute receipt by the
transfer agent of the Funds. Receipt of purchase orders or redemption requests
is based on when the order is received at the Transfer Agent’s
offices.
If
a redemption request is inadvertently sent to the Funds at their corporate
address, it will be forwarded to the Transfer Agent and the effective date of
redemption will be delayed until the request is received by the Transfer
Agent.
The
Funds cannot honor any redemption requests with special conditions or which
specify an effective date.
When
making a redemption request, make sure your request is in good order. “Good
order” means your letter of instruction includes:
• the
name of the Fund
• the
number of shares or the dollar amount of shares to be redeemed
• the
account registration and account number
• signatures
of all registered shareholders exactly as the shares are registered with
signature(s) guaranteed if applicable
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Account
Registration |
Signature
Requirements |
Individual,
Joint Tenants, Sole Proprietorship, |
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Custodial
(UGMA), General Partners |
Redemption
requests must be signed by all person(s) required to sign for the account,
exactly as it is registered. |
Corporations,
Associations |
Redemption
request and a corporate resolution, signed by person(s) required to sign
for the account, accompanied by signature guarantee(s). |
Trusts
|
Redemption
request signed by the Trustee(s), with a signature guarantee. (If the
Trustee’s name is not registered on the account, a copy of the trust
document certified within the past 60 days is also
required.) |
By
Telephone
If
you are set up to perform telephone transactions (either through your New
Account Application or by subsequent arrangements in writing), you may redeem
shares in any amount up to $50,000 by instructing your Fund by telephone at
1-888-JACOB-FX.
You must redeem at least $100 for each telephone redemption. Redemption requests
for amounts exceeding $50,000 generally must be made in writing. A signature
guarantee or other acceptable signature verification may be requested of all
shareholders in order to change redemption privileges.
By
Internet
If
you are set up to perform Internet transactions (either through your New Account
Application or by subsequent arrangements in writing), you may redeem shares in
any amount up to $50,000 through the Funds’ website at www.jacobmutualfunds.com.
You must redeem at least $100 for each internet redemption. Redemption requests
for amounts exceeding $50,000 must be made in writing. A signature guarantee or
other acceptable signature verification may be requested of all shareholders in
order to change redemption privileges.
By
Systematic Withdrawal Plan
If
you own shares with a value of $10,000 or more, you may participate in the
Systematic Withdrawal Plan. The Funds’ systematic withdrawal option allows you
to move money automatically from your Fund account to your bank account
according to the withdrawal schedule you select. To select the systematic
withdrawal option, you must complete the Systematic Withdrawal Plan (SWP)
section of the New Account Application. The minimum systematic withdrawal amount
is $100. A check will be issued to the Address of Record or you can choose to
have the proceeds transferred from your Fund account to the account you choose
on your account application form. Your bank must be a member of the Automated
Clearing House network (ACH). You may change your payment amount or terminate
your participation in writing or by contacting the Transfer Agent at
1-888-JACOB-FX
five days prior to the effective date.
If
you expect to purchase additional Fund shares, it may not be to your advantage
to participate in the Systematic Withdrawal Plan because contemporaneous
purchases and redemptions may result in adverse tax consequences.
For
further details about this service, see the New Account Application or call the
Funds at 1-888-JACOB-FX.
Electronic
Transfers.
The proceeds of a redemption can be sent directly to your bank account via wire
or ACH transfer. You can elect these options by completing the appropriate
section of the New Account Application or making subsequent arrangements in
writing. In order to arrange for redemption by wire or ACH transfer after an
account has been opened, or to change the bank or account designated to receive
redemption proceeds, a written request must be sent to the Funds at the address
listed above. If the proceeds are sent by wire, the Transfer Agent will assess a
wire fee (currently $15). If money is moved via ACH transfer, you will not be
charged by the Funds for these services. There is a $100 minimum per
transfer.
In
order to arrange for a redemption by wire or ACH transfer, or to change the bank
account designated to receive redemption proceeds after an account has been
opened, a written request must be sent to the Funds at the address listed in the
section on How to Open an Account. A signature guarantee or other acceptable
signature authentication may be required. The request should be received no
later than five days prior to the effective date of the
transaction.
Telephone/Internet
Requests.
Neither the Funds nor any of their service contractors will be liable for any
loss or expense in acting upon any telephone or Internet instructions for
redemptions that are reasonably believed to be genuine. The Funds will use
reasonable procedures to attempt to confirm that all telephone and Internet
instructions are genuine such as requesting that a shareholder
provide:
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Telephone |
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Internet |
• the
name in which the account is registered, and
• the
Fund account number and his/her social security number. |
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• the
Fund account number and social security number, and
• his/her
Personal Identification Number (PIN) which can be established on the
website. |
If
the Funds fail to follow these reasonable procedures, they may be liable for any
loss due to unauthorized or fraudulent transactions. If an account has more than
one owner or authorized person, the Funds will accept telephone instructions
from any one owner or authorized person. Telephone and Internet redemptions may
be difficult during periods of drastic economic or market changes. If you are
unable to contact the Funds by telephone or Internet, you may also redeem shares
by mail following the instructions above. Telephone trades must be received by
or prior to market close. During periods of high market activity, shareholders
may encounter higher than usual call waits. Please allow sufficient time to
place your telephone transaction. Once a telephone transaction has been placed,
it cannot be cancelled or modified after the close of regular trading on the
NYSE (generally, 4:00 p.m. Eastern time).
IRA
Redemptions.
Shares held in IRA and other retirement accounts may be redeemed by telephone by
completing the appropriate section of the IRA application or by making
subsequent arrangements in writing. Investors will be asked whether or not to
withhold taxes from any distribution.
If
you have an IRA, you must indicate on your written redemption request whether or
not to withhold federal income tax. Redemption requests not indicating an
election to have federal tax withheld will be subject to withholding. If you are
uncertain of the redemption requirements, please contact the Transfer Agent in
advance: 1-888-JACOB-FX.
Signature
Guarantees.
Signature guarantees, from either a Medallion program member or a non-Medallion
program member, generally are needed:
• For
redemptions requests over $50,000
• When
redemption proceeds are payable or sent to any person, address or bank account
not on record
• When
ownership is being changed on your account
• When
a redemption request is received by the Transfer Agent and the account address
has changed within the last 15 calendar days
The
Funds and/or the Transfer Agent may require a signature guarantee or other
acceptable signature authentication in other instances based on the
circumstances relative to the particular situation. The Funds reserve the right
to waive any signature guarantee requirement at their discretion.
Signature
guarantees will generally be accepted from domestic banks, brokers, dealers,
credit unions, national securities exchanges, registered securities
associations, clearing agencies and savings associations, as well as from
participants in the New York Stock Exchange Medallion Signature Program and the
Securities Transfer Agents Medallion Program (“STAMP”). A notary public is not
an acceptable signature guarantor. The Transfer Agent may require additional
supporting documents for redemptions made by corporations, executors,
administrators, trustees and guardians. Call the Funds at 1-888-JACOB-FX
for more information.
Non-financial
transactions including establishing or modifying certain services on an account
may require a signature verification from a Signature Validation Program member
or other acceptable form of authentication from a financial institution
source.
Proceeds.
The Funds typically send redemption proceeds on the next business day (a day
when the NYSE is open for normal business) after the redemption request is
received in good order and prior to market close, regardless of whether the
redemption proceeds are sent via check, wire, or automated clearing house (ACH)
transfer. Under unusual circumstances, the Funds may suspend redemptions, or
postpone payment for up to seven days, as permitted by federal securities
law.
The
Funds typically expect that they will hold cash or cash equivalents to meet
redemption requests. The Funds may also use the proceeds from the sale of
portfolio securities to meet redemption requests if consistent with the
management of the Funds. These redemption methods will be used regularly and may
also be used in stressed market conditions. The Funds reserve the right to pay
redemption proceeds to you in whole or in part through a redemption in-kind as
described under “Redemptions In-Kind” below. Redemptions in-kind are typically
used to meet redemption requests that are a large percentage of a Fund’s net
assets in order to minimize the effect of large redemptions on the Fund and its
remaining shareholders. Redemptions in-kind may be used regularly in such
circumstances and may also be used in stressed market conditions.
Redemptions
In-Kind.
The Company has elected to be governed by Rule 18f-1 under the 1940 Act so that
the Funds are obligated to redeem their shares solely in cash up to the lesser
of $250,000 or 1% of the NAV (an amount that would affect Fund operations)
during any 90-day period for any shareholder of a Fund. Each Fund reserves the
right to pay the redemption price of its shares in excess of $250,000 or 1% of
its net asset value, either totally or partially, by a distribution in-kind of
portfolio securities (instead of cash). A redemption in-kind is a payment in
portfolio securities rather than cash. The portfolio securities would be valued
using the same method as a Fund uses to calculate its NAV. You may experience
additional expenses such as brokerage commissions in order to sell the
securities received from the Fund. In-kind payments do not have to constitute a
cross section of a Fund’s portfolio. The Funds will not recognize gain or loss
for federal tax purposes on the securities used to complete an in-kind
redemption, but you will recognize gain or loss equal to the difference between
the fair market value of the securities received and your basis in the Fund
shares redeemed.
Accounts
with Low Balances.
Due to the high cost of maintaining Investor Class accounts with low balances,
the Funds may mail you a notice if your account falls below $2,500, or $1,000
for IRA, UGMA, 401K, other retirement accounts and accounts with an Automatic
Investment Plan, other than as a result of a decline in the value per share of a
Fund, requesting that you bring the account back up to the required minimum or
close it out. If you do not respond to the request within 30 days, the
Funds may close your account and send you the proceeds.
EXCHANGE
OF FUND SHARES
Shareholders
of record may exchange shares of any Jacob Fund for shares of any other Jacob
Fund on any business day by contacting the Transfer Agent or their financial
institution or intermediary. The financial institution or intermediary will
contact the Transfer Agent to complete the exchange. Shareholders who have
established telephone exchange privileges on their account may make a telephone
request to exchange shares for an additional $5 fee. This exchange privilege may
be changed or canceled by the Funds at any time upon 60 days’ notice to
shareholders. Exchanges are generally made only between identically registered
accounts and within the same share class. Any exchange involving a change in
ownership will require a written request with signature(s) guaranteed. Signature
guarantees will generally be accepted from domestic banks, brokers, dealers,
credit unions, national securities exchanges, registered securities
associations, clearing agencies and savings associations, as well as from
participants in the New York Stock Exchange Medallion Signature Program and
STAMP. A notary public is not an acceptable signature guarantor. Exercising the
exchange privilege consists of two transactions: a sale of shares in one fund
and the purchase of shares in another; as a result, there may be tax
consequences of the exchange. A shareholder could realize short- or long-term
capital gains or losses. In addition, a 2% redemption fee will be imposed on an
exchange of shares within 30 days of purchase. An exchange request received
prior to the close of the NYSE will be made at that day’s closing NAV per share.
The Jacob Funds reserve the right to refuse the purchase side of any exchange
that would not be in the best interests of a Fund or its shareholders and could
adversely affect the Fund or its operations.
Conversion
Feature.
Subject to the Advisor’s approval, if shareholders currently holding Investor
Class shares meet the criteria for eligible investors and would like to convert
to Institutional Class shares, there are no tax consequences and shareholders
are not subject to the redemption fees. To inquire about converting your
Investor Class shares to Institutional Class shares, please call
1-888-JACOB-FX.
PRICING
OF FUND SHARES
How
NAV is Determined.
The NAV is equal to the value of a Fund’s securities, cash and other assets less
all expenses and liabilities divided by the number of shares outstanding. The
NAV is determined once daily on Monday through Friday as of the close of
business of the New York Stock Exchange (generally 4 p.m., Eastern time) on
each day that the Funds are open (generally, the same days that the New York
Stock Exchange is open). If the New York Stock Exchange closes at a different
time, or if an emergency exists, the NAV may be calculated at a different time.
The Funds do not determine NAV on the following holidays:
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•
New Year’s Day |
•
Memorial Day |
•
Thanksgiving Day |
•
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day |
•
Juneteenth Day |
•
Christmas Day |
•
Presidents’ Day |
•
Independence Day |
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Good Friday |
•
Labor Day |
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The
Funds’ portfolio securities traded on exchanges are valued each day at the last
reported sales price on each security’s principal exchange, except those traded
on the Nasdaq Global Market and Capital Market exchanges (together, “Nasdaq”).
Securities traded on the Nasdaq will be valued at the Nasdaq Official Closing
Price. If market quotations are not readily available or not reliable,
securities will be valued at their fair market value as determined in good faith
in accordance with procedures approved by the Board of Directors. A Fund will
also value a security at fair value if a significant event that materially
affects the value of the security occurs after the last available sale price of
the security, but before the Fund calculates its NAV.
The
fair value procedures are also used to limit the Funds’ possible exposure to
investors who engage in the type of market timing trading that seeks to take
advantage of possible delays between the change in the value of a Fund’s
portfolio holdings and the reflection of the change in the NAV of the Fund’s
shares. For example, if a Fund holds a portfolio security traded on a foreign
exchange that closes prior to the time that the Fund sets its NAV and an event
that may affect the value of that foreign security occurs after the foreign
market close, the Adviser will review the closing price of the foreign security
on the foreign exchange to determine whether the price at the foreign market
close accurately reflects the fair market value of the foreign security at the
time that the Fund sets its NAV. If the Adviser determines the price at the
foreign market close does not accurately reflect the fair market value of the
foreign security when a Fund sets its NAV, the Adviser will take steps to
determine the fair market value of the security.
To
the extent that the Adviser determines the fair market value of a security, it
is possible that the fair market value determined by the Adviser will not
exactly match the market price of the security when the security is sold by a
Fund. The Funds may use independent pricing services to assist in calculating
the NAV. In addition, if a Fund owns any foreign securities that are traded on
foreign exchanges that are open on weekends or other days when the Fund does not
price its shares, the NAV may change on days when shareholders will not be able
to purchase or redeem Fund shares.
DIVIDENDS
AND DISTRIBUTIONS
Each
Fund has elected and intends to qualify each year as a regulated investment
company under the Internal Revenue Code. As a regulated investment company, a
Fund generally pays no federal income tax on the income and gains it distributes
to you. Each Fund expects to declare and distribute all of its net investment
income, if any, to shareholders as dividends annually. Each Fund will distribute
net realized capital gains, if any, at least annually, usually in December. A
Fund may distribute such income dividends and capital gains more frequently, if
necessary, in order to reduce or eliminate federal excise or income taxes on the
Fund. The amount of any distribution will vary, and there is no guarantee a Fund
will pay either an income dividend or a capital gains distribution. For a
discussion of the taxation of dividends or distributions, see “Tax
Consequences.”
The
net investment income of a Fund for each business day is determined immediately
prior to the determination of NAV. Shares of the Funds earn dividends on the
business day their purchase is effective but not on the business day their
redemption is effective.
Annual
Statements.
Each year, the Funds will send you an annual statement (Form 1099) of your
account activity to assist you in completing your federal, state and local tax
returns. Distributions declared in December to shareholders of record in such
month, but paid in January, are taxable as if they were paid in December. Prior
to issuing your statement, the Funds make every effort to reduce the number of
corrected forms mailed to you. However, if a Fund finds it necessary to
reclassify its distributions or adjust the cost basis of any covered shares
(defined below) sold or exchanged after you receive your tax statement, the Fund
will send you a corrected Form 1099.
Avoid
“Buying a Dividend.” At
the time you purchase your Fund shares, a Fund’s NAV may reflect undistributed
income, undistributed capital gains, or net unrealized appreciation in value of
portfolio securities held by the Fund. For taxable investors, a subsequent
distribution to you of such amounts, although constituting a return of your
investment, would be taxable. Buying shares in a Fund just before it declares an
income dividend or capital gains distribution is sometimes known as “buying a
dividend.”
Choosing
a Distribution Option.
All distributions will be reinvested in Fund shares unless you choose one of the
following options: (1) receive dividends in cash while reinvesting capital gain
distributions in additional Fund shares; (2) receive capital gain distributions
in cash while reinvesting dividends in additional Fund shares; or
(3) receive all distributions in cash. Any dividends or capital gain
distributions you receive from the Fund will
normally
be taxable to you when made, regardless of whether you reinvest dividends or
capital gain distributions or receive them in cash. If you wish to change your
distribution option please write or call the Transfer Agent at 1-888-JACOB-FX
at least five days prior to the record date for the next
distribution.
If
an investor elects to receive distributions in cash and the U.S. Postal
Service cannot deliver your check, or if a check remains uncashed for six
months, each Fund reserves the right to reinvest the distribution check in the
shareholder’s account at the Fund’s then current NAV and to reinvest all
subsequent distributions.
TAX
CONSEQUENCES
Fund
Distributions.
Each Fund expects, based on its investment objective and strategies, that its
distributions, if any, will be taxable as ordinary income, capital gains, or
some combination of both. This is true whether you reinvest your distributions
in additional Fund shares or receive them in cash. For federal income tax
purposes, Fund distributions of short-term capital gains are taxable to you as
ordinary income. Fund distributions of long-term capital gains are taxable to
you as long-term capital gains no matter how long you have owned your shares. A
portion of income dividends reported by a Fund may be qualified dividend income
eligible for taxation by individual shareholders at long-term capital gain
rates, provided certain holding period requirements are met.
If
a Fund qualifies to pass through to you the tax benefits from foreign taxes it
pays on its investments, and elects to do so, then any foreign taxes it pays on
these investments may be passed through to you to be taken as a deduction or
credit on your federal income tax return.
Sale
or Redemption of Fund Shares.
A sale or redemption of Fund shares is a taxable event and, accordingly, a
capital gain or loss may be recognized. For tax purposes, an exchange of your
Fund shares for shares of a different Fund is the same as a sale. The Funds are
required to report to you and the IRS annually on Form 1099-B not only the gross
proceeds of Fund shares you sell or redeem but also the cost basis of Fund
shares you sell or redeem that were purchased or acquired on or after January 1,
2012 (“covered shares”). Cost basis will be calculated using the Funds’ default
method of average cost, unless you instruct a Fund to use a different
calculation method. Shareholders should carefully review the cost basis
information provided by the Funds and make any additional basis, holding period
or other adjustments that are required when reporting these amounts on their
federal income tax returns. If your account is held by your investment
representative (financial advisor or other broker), please contact that
representative with respect to reporting of cost basis and available elections
for your account. Tax-advantaged retirement accounts will not be
affected.
Medicare
Tax.
An additional 3.8% Medicare tax is imposed on certain net investment income
(including ordinary dividends and capital gain distributions received from a
Fund and net gains from redemptions or other taxable dispositions of Fund
shares) of U.S. individuals, estates and trusts to the extent that such person’s
“modified adjusted gross income” (in the case of an individual) or “adjusted
gross income” (in the case of an estate or trust) exceeds a threshold amount.
This Medicare tax, if applicable, is reported by you on, and paid with, your
federal income tax return.
Backup
Withholding.
By law, if you do not provide a Fund with your proper taxpayer identification
number and certain required certifications, you may be subject to backup
withholding on any distributions of income, capital gains or proceeds from the
sale of your shares. A Fund also must withhold if the IRS instructs it to do so.
When withholding is required, the amount will be 24% of any distributions or
proceeds paid.
State
and Local Taxes.
Fund distributions and gains from the sale or exchange of your Fund shares
generally are subject to state and local taxes.
Non-U.S.
Investors.
While the Funds do not generally sell shares to investors residing outside the
United States, any non-U.S. investors that did acquire shares may be
subject to U.S. withholding tax at a 30% or lower treaty rate and U.S.
estate tax, and are subject to special U.S. tax certification requirements
to avoid backup withholding and claim any treaty benefits.
Other
Reporting and Withholding Requirements.
Under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (“FATCA”), a Fund will be required
to withhold a 30% tax on income dividends made by the Fund to certain foreign
entities, referred to as foreign financial institutions or nonfinancial foreign
entities, that fail to comply (or be deemed compliant) with extensive reporting
and withholding requirements designed to inform the U.S. Department of the
Treasury of U.S.-owned foreign investment accounts. After December 31,
2018, FATCA withholding also would have applied to certain capital gain
distributions, return of capital distributions and the proceeds arising from the
sale of Fund shares; however, based on proposed regulations issued by the IRS,
which can be relied upon currently, such withholding is no longer required
unless final regulations provide otherwise (which is not expected). A Fund may
disclose the information that it receives from its shareholders to the IRS,
non-U.S. taxing authorities or other parties as necessary to comply with FATCA
or similar laws. Withholding also may be required if a foreign entity that is a
shareholder of a Fund fails to provide the Fund with appropriate certifications
or other documentation concerning its status under FATCA.
This
discussion of “Tax Consequences” is not intended or written to be used as tax
advice. Because everyone’s tax situation is unique, you should consult your tax
professional about federal, state, local or foreign tax consequences before
making an investment in a Fund.
DISTRIBUTION
ARRANGEMENTS
Distributor
and 12b-1 Plan.
Quasar Distributors, LLC, Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine
04101, (the “Distributor”) has entered into an agreement with the Funds to serve
as the Funds’ distributor.
Jacob
Internet Fund:
The
Distributor is paid an annual distribution fee of 0.10% of the average daily net
assets of the Jacob Internet Fund (the “Distribution Fee”) under the terms of
the Fund’s Rule 12b-1 Plan. This fee is used to compensate the Distributor and,
at the direction of the Adviser, to pay promotional and advertising expenses
related to the distribution of the Jacob Internet Fund’s shares and expenses
related to the printing of Fund prospectuses used in connection with the
distribution and sale of Fund shares. In addition, the fee will be used to
compensate financial intermediaries for providing distribution assistance with
respect to the sale of Jacob Internet Fund shares. See “Investment Advisory and
Other Services” in the Statement of Additional Information.
The
Jacob Internet Fund has adopted a distribution and service plan, pursuant to
Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “Internet Fund Plan”).
Rule 12b-1 provides that an investment company that bears any direct or indirect
expense of distributing its shares must do so only in accordance with the
Internet Fund Plan permitted by Rule 12b-1. Pursuant to the Internet Fund Plan,
the Jacob Internet Fund compensates the Adviser with an annual service fee of
0.15% of the Fund’s average daily net assets for certain expenses and costs
including those incurred in connection with providing shareholder servicing and
maintaining shareholder accounts. In addition, the Adviser may use the fee to
compensate parties with which it has written agreements and whose clients own
shares of the Jacob Internet Fund for providing servicing to their clients
(“shareholder servicing”). As noted above, the Internet Fund Plan also provides
for an annual Distribution Fee of 0.10% used to provide promotional support to
the Jacob Internet Fund and to make payments to broker-dealers and other
financial institutions whose clients are Fund shareholders. The Distribution Fee
is an “asset based sales charge” and, therefore, long-term shareholders may pay
more in total sales charges than the economic equivalent of the maximum
front-end sales charge permitted by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority
(FINRA). Because these fees are paid out of the Jacob Internet Fund’s assets on
an ongoing basis, over time these fees will increase the cost of your investment
and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges. Fees paid under
the Internet Fund Plan may not be waived for individual
shareholders.
Jacob
Small Cap Growth Fund and Jacob Discovery Fund:
The Jacob Small Cap Growth Fund and Jacob Discovery Fund have adopted a
distribution and service plan, pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment
Company Act of 1940 (the “Growth Funds Plan”). Rule 12b-1 provides that an
investment company that bears any direct or indirect expense of distributing its
shares must do so only in accordance with the Growth Funds Plan permitted by
Rule 12b-1. Pursuant to the Growth Funds Plan, the Funds make payments to the
distributor, the Adviser, financial intermediaries or others to reimburse such
parties for distribution and/or shareholder servicing activity in an amount not
to exceed 0.25% of the average daily net assets on an annual basis (for Investor
Class shares only). The distribution fees are “asset based” sales charges and,
therefore, long-term shareholders may pay more in total sales charges than the
economic equivalent of the maximum front-end sales charge permitted by FINRA.
Because these fees are paid out of each Fund’s assets on an ongoing basis, over
time these fees will increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more
than paying other types of sales charges. Fees paid under the Growth Funds Plan
may not be waived for individual shareholders.
Financial
intermediaries may charge investors a fee in connection with their provision of
specialized purchase and redemption procedures. In addition, Financial
intermediaries offering purchase and redemption procedures similar to those
offered to shareholders who invest in a Fund directly may impose charges,
limitations, minimums and restrictions in addition to or different from those
applicable to shareholders who invest in the Fund directly. Accordingly, the net
yield to investors who invest through financial intermediaries may be less than
it is to investors who invest in a Fund directly. An investor should read the
prospectus in conjunction with the materials provided by the shareholder
servicing agent and broker-dealer describing the procedures under which Fund
shares may be purchased and redeemed through the shareholder servicing agent and
broker-dealer.
HOUSEHOLDING
In
an effort to decrease costs, the Funds intend to reduce the number of duplicate
prospectuses and other similar documents you receive by sending only one copy of
each to those addresses shared by two or more accounts and to shareholders we
reasonably believe are from the same family or household. Once implemented, if
you would like to discontinue householding for your accounts, please call
toll-free at 1-888-522-6239 to request individual copies of these documents.
Once the Funds receive notice to stop householding, we will begin sending
individual copies 30 days after receiving your request. This policy does not
apply to account statements.
NOTICE
OF PRIVACY POLICY
We
collect the following nonpublic personal information about you:
•Information
we receive from you on or in applications or other forms, correspondence, or
conversations, including, but not limited to, your name, address, phone number,
social security number, assets, income and date of birth; and
•Information
about your transactions with us, our affiliates, or others, including, but not
limited to, your account number and balance, payments history, parties to
transactions, cost basis information, and other financial
information.
We
do not disclose any nonpublic personal information about our current or former
shareholders to nonaffiliated third parties, except as permitted by law. For
example, we are permitted by law to disclose all of the information we collect,
as described above, to our Transfer Agent to process your transactions.
Furthermore, we restrict access to your nonpublic personal information to those
persons who require such information to provide products or services to you. We
maintain physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards that comply with
federal standards to guard your nonpublic personal information.
In
the event that you hold shares of a Fund through a financial intermediary,
including, but not limited to, a broker-dealer, bank, or trust company, the
privacy policy of your financial intermediary would govern how your nonpublic
personal information would be shared with nonaffiliated third
parties.
FINANCIAL
HIGHLIGHTS:
JACOB
INTERNET FUND
The
financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s
financial performance for the past five years. Certain information reflects
financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns in the 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). This
information through August 31, 2022 has been audited by the Funds’ previous
independent registered public accounting firm. The information for the fiscal
years ended August 31, 2024 and August 31, 2023 has been audited by Cohen &
Company, Ltd., the Funds’ Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm, whose
report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is available on the Fund’s
website and is included in the Fund’s Form
N-CSR filed
with the SEC,
which is available upon request.
INVESTOR
CLASS
The
table below sets forth financial data for a share of the Fund outstanding
throughout each year presented.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Year
Ended August 31, |
| 2024 |
| 2023 |
| 2022 |
| 2021 |
| 2020 |
|
| |
Per
Share Data: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Net
asset value, beginning of year |
$ |
4.30 |
|
| $ |
4.84 |
|
| $ |
10.63 |
|
| $ |
7.18 |
|
| $ |
5.22 |
|
|
| |
Income
(loss) from investment operations: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Net
investment loss(1) |
(0.09) |
|
| (0.09) |
|
| (0.16) |
|
| (0.19) |
|
| (0.12) |
|
|
| |
Net
realized and unrealized gain (loss)
on
investment transactions |
0.47 |
|
| (0.45) |
|
| (5.34) |
|
| 4.81 |
|
| 2.65 |
|
|
| |
Total
from investment operations |
0.38 |
|
| (0.54) |
|
| (5.50) |
|
| 4.62 |
|
| 2.53 |
|
|
| |
Less
distributions from net realized gains |
— |
|
| — |
|
| (0.29) |
|
| (1.19) |
|
| (0.57) |
|
|
| |
Paid
in capital from redemption fees(2) |
0.00 |
|
(3) |
0.00 |
|
(3) |
0.00 |
|
(3) |
0.02 |
|
| 0.00 |
|
(3) |
| |
Net
asset value, end of year |
$ |
4.68 |
|
| $ |
4.30 |
|
| $ |
4.84 |
|
| $ |
10.63 |
|
| $ |
7.18 |
|
|
| |
Total
return |
8.84 |
% |
| -11.16 |
% |
| -53.13 |
% |
| 71.34 |
% |
| 55.45 |
% |
|
| |
Supplemental
data and ratios: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Net
assets, end of year (in thousands) |
$ |
44,516 |
|
| $ |
49,535 |
|
| $ |
63,096 |
|
| $ |
170,119 |
|
| $ |
69,126 |
|
|
| |
Ratio
of gross operating expenses
(prior
to waivers) to average net assets |
2.58 |
% |
| 2.54 |
% |
| 2.12 |
% |
| 2.03 |
% |
| 2.60 |
% |
|
| |
Ratio
of net operating expenses
(after
waivers) to average net assets(4) |
2.48 |
% |
| 2.44 |
% |
| 2.02 |
% |
| 1.93 |
% |
| 2.50 |
% |
|
| |
Ratio
of net investment loss
(prior
to waivers) to average net assets |
(1.98) |
% |
| (2.18) |
% |
| (2.11) |
% |
| (1.98) |
% |
| (2.52) |
% |
|
| |
Ratio
of net investment loss
(after
waivers) to average net assets(4) |
(1.88) |
% |
| (2.08) |
% |
| (2.01) |
% |
| (1.88) |
% |
| (2.42) |
% |
|
| |
Portfolio
turnover rate |
42 |
% |
| 45 |
% |
| 42 |
% |
| 44 |
% |
| 52 |
% |
|
| |
(1)Net
investment loss per share represents net investment loss divided by the average
shares outstanding throughout the year.
(2)Paid
in capital from redemption fees per share represents redemption fees divided by
the average shares outstanding throughout the year.
(3)Less
than $0.01 per share.
(4)Through
January 5, 2025, the Adviser has contractually agreed to waive its advisory fee
in an amount up to an annual rate of 0.10% of the Fund’s average daily net
assets, to the extent that the Fund’s gross operating expense ratio exceeds
2.95%, excluding any taxes, interest, brokerage fees, acquired fund fees and
expenses, and extraordinary expenses. The Fund has adopted a distribution and
service plan (the “Plan”) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, under which
the Fund may pay Plan related expenses up to 0.35% of average daily net assets
on an annual basis. The Adviser has agreed to waive 0.10% of the 0.35% Plan
fee.
FINANCIAL
HIGHLIGHTS:
JACOB
SMALL CAP GROWTH FUND
The
financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s
financial performance for the past five years. Certain information reflects
financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns in the 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). This
information through August 31, 2022 has been audited by the Funds’ previous
independent registered public accounting firm. The information for the fiscal
years ended August 31, 2024 and August 31, 2023 has been audited by Cohen &
Company, Ltd., the Funds’ Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm, whose
report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is available on the Fund’s
website and is included in the Fund’s Form
N-CSR filed
with
the SEC,
which is available upon request.
INSTITUTIONAL
CLASS
The
table below sets forth financial data for a share of the Fund outstanding
throughout each year presented.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Year
Ended August 31, |
|
| 2024 |
| 2023 |
| 2022 |
| 2021 |
| 2020 |
|
| |
Per
Share Data: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Net
asset value, beginning of year |
$ |
16.71 |
|
| $ |
17.29 |
|
| $ |
43.52 |
|
| $ |
30.80 |
|
| $ |
23.91 |
|
|
| |
Income
(loss) from investment operations: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Net
investment loss(1) |
(0.46) |
|
| (0.41) |
|
| (0.52) |
|
| (0.68) |
|
| (0.42) |
|
|
| |
Net
realized and unrealized gain (loss)
on
investment transactions |
3.10 |
|
| (0.17) |
|
| (20.09) |
|
| 18.37 |
|
| 7.98 |
|
|
| |
Total
from investment operations |
2.64 |
|
| (0.58) |
|
| (20.61) |
|
| 17.69 |
|
| 7.56 |
|
|
| |
Less
distributions from net realized gains |
— |
|
| — |
|
| (5.62) |
|
| (5.02) |
|
| (0.67) |
|
|
| |
Paid
in capital from redemption fees(2) |
0.00 |
|
(3) |
0.00 |
|
(3) |
0.00 |
|
(3) |
0.05 |
|
| 0.00 |
|
(3) |
| |
Net
asset value, end of year |
$ |
19.35 |
|
| $ |
16.71 |
|
| $ |
17.29 |
|
| $ |
43.52 |
|
| $ |
30.80 |
|
|
| |
Total
return |
15.80 |
% |
| -3.35 |
% |
| -53.74 |
% |
| 62.04 |
% |
| 32.23 |
% |
|
| |
Supplemental
data and ratios: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Net
assets, end of year (in thousands) |
$ |
4,204 |
|
| $ |
4,261 |
|
| $ |
5,057 |
|
| $ |
12,782 |
|
| $ |
12,799 |
|
|
| |
Ratio
of gross operating expenses
(prior
to waiver) to average net assets |
3.92 |
% |
| 3.63 |
% |
| 2.46 |
% |
| 1.84 |
% |
| 2.56 |
% |
|
| |
Ratio
of net operating expenses
(after
waiver) to average net assets(4) |
3.12 |
% |
| 2.83 |
% |
| 1.95 |
% |
| 1.74 |
% |
| 1.95 |
% |
|
| |
Ratio
of net investment loss
(prior
to waiver) to average net assets |
(3.45) |
% |
| (3.23) |
% |
| (2.37) |
% |
| (1.80) |
% |
| (2.32) |
% |
|
| |
Ratio
of net investment loss
(after
waiver) to average net assets(4) |
(2.65) |
% |
| (2.43) |
% |
| (1.86) |
% |
| (1.70) |
% |
| (1.71) |
% |
|
| |
Portfolio
turnover rate |
54 |
% |
| 64 |
% |
| 45 |
% |
| 71 |
% |
| 89 |
% |
|
| |
(1)Net
investment loss per share represents net investment loss divided by the average
shares outstanding throughout the year.
(2)Paid
in capital from redemption fees per share represents redemption fees divided by
the average shares outstanding throughout the year.
(3)Less
than $0.01 per share.
(4)Through
January 5, 2025, the Adviser has contractually agreed, to waive up to 100% of
its advisory fee to the extent that the Fund’s gross operating expense ratio
exceeds 1.95%, excluding any taxes, interest, brokerage fees, acquired fund fees
and expenses, and extraordinary expenses.
INVESTOR
CLASS
The
table below sets forth financial data for a share of the Fund outstanding
throughout each year presented.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Year
Ended August 31, |
|
| 2024 |
| 2023 |
| 2022 |
| 2021 |
| 2020 |
|
| |
Per
Share Data: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Net
asset value, beginning of year |
$ |
16.08 |
|
| $ |
16.68 |
|
| $ |
42.33 |
|
| $ |
30.14 |
|
| $ |
23.48 |
|
|
| |
Income
(loss) from investment operations: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Net
investment loss(1) |
(0.48) |
|
| (0.44) |
|
| (0.61) |
|
| (0.76) |
|
| (0.49) |
|
|
| |
Net
realized and unrealized gain (loss)
on
investment transactions |
2.97 |
|
| (0.16) |
|
| (19.42) |
|
| 17.92 |
|
| 7.82 |
|
|
| |
Total
from investment operations |
2.49 |
|
| (0.60) |
|
| (20.03) |
|
| 17.16 |
|
| 7.33 |
|
|
| |
Less
distributions from net realized gains |
— |
|
| — |
|
| (5.62) |
|
| (5.02) |
|
| (0.67) |
|
|
| |
Paid
in capital from redemption fees(2) |
0.00 |
|
(3) |
0.00 |
|
(3) |
0.00 |
|
(3) |
0.05 |
|
| 0.00 |
|
(3) |
| |
Net
asset value, end of year |
$ |
18.57 |
|
| $ |
16.08 |
|
| $ |
16.68 |
|
| $ |
42.33 |
|
| $ |
30.14 |
|
|
| |
Total
return |
15.49 |
% |
| -3.60 |
% |
| -53.90 |
% |
| 61.60 |
% |
| 31.83 |
% |
|
| |
Supplemental
data and ratios: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Net
assets, end of year (in thousands) |
$ |
2,802 |
|
| $ |
2,987 |
|
| $ |
3,488 |
|
| $ |
17,384 |
|
| $ |
5,037 |
|
|
| |
Ratio
of gross operating expenses
(prior
to waiver) to average net assets |
4.26 |
% |
| 3.88 |
% |
| 2.70 |
% |
| 2.07 |
% |
| 2.91 |
% |
|
| |
Ratio
of net operating expenses
(after
waiver) to average net assets(4) |
3.36 |
% |
| 3.08 |
% |
| 2.25 |
% |
| 1.93 |
% |
| 2.25 |
% |
|
| |
Ratio
of net investment loss
(prior
to waiver) to average net assets |
(3.78) |
% |
| (3.47) |
% |
| (2.62) |
% |
| (2.03) |
% |
| (2.67) |
% |
|
| |
Ratio
of net investment loss
(after
waiver) to average net assets(4) |
(2.88) |
% |
| (2.67) |
% |
| (2.17) |
% |
| (1.89) |
% |
| (2.01) |
% |
|
| |
Portfolio
turnover rate |
54 |
% |
| 64 |
% |
| 45 |
% |
| 71 |
% |
| 89 |
% |
|
| |
(1) Net
investment loss per share represents net investment loss divided by the average
shares outstanding throughout the year.
(2) Paid
in capital from redemption fees per share represents redemption fees divided by
the average shares outstanding throughout the year.
(3) Less
than $0.01 per share.
(4) The
Adviser has contractually agreed, effective November 12, 2012 (date of
reorganization) through January 5, 2025, to waive up to 100% of its advisory fee
to the extent that the Fund’s gross operating expense ratio exceeds 2.25%,
excluding any taxes, interest, brokerage fees, acquired fund fees and expenses,
and extraordinary expenses. The Fund has adopted a distribution and service plan
(the “Plan”) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, under which the Fund may
pay Plan related expenses up to 0.35% of average daily net assets on an annual
basis. The Adviser has agreed to waive 0.10% of the 0.35% Plan fee.
FINANCIAL
HIGHLIGHTS:
JACOB
DISCOVERY FUND
The
financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s
financial performance for the past five years. Certain information reflects
financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns in the table
represents the rate an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in
the Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions). This
information through August 31, 2022 has been audited by the Funds’ previous
independent registered accounting firm. The information for the fiscal years
ended August 31, 2024 and August 31, 2023 has been audited by Cohen &
Company, Ltd., the Funds’ Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm, whose
report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is available on the Fund’s
website and is included in the Fund’s Form
N-CSR
filed
with the SEC,
which is available upon request.
INSTITUTIONAL
CLASS
The
table below sets forth financial data for a share of the Fund outstanding
throughout each year presented.
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| Year
Ended August 31, |
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| 2024 |
| 2023 |
| 2022 |
| 2021 |
| 2020 |
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Per
Share Data: |
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Net
asset value, beginning of year |
$ |
23.06 |
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| $ |
24.48 |
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| $ |
45.90 |
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| $ |
27.00 |
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| $ |
19.26 |
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Income
(loss) from investment operations: |
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Net
investment loss(1) |
(0.16) |
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| (0.40) |
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| (0.61) |
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| (0.65) |
|
| (0.35) |
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Net
realized and unrealized gain (loss)
on
investment transactions |
1.64 |
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| (1.02) |
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| (19.91) |
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| 21.69 |
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| 8.09 |
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Total
from investment operations |
1.48 |
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| (1.42) |
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| (20.52) |
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| 21.04 |
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| 7.74 |
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Less
distributions from net investment income |
— |
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| — |
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| (0.18) |
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| — |
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| — |
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Less
distributions from net realized gains |
— |
|
| — |
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| (0.73) |
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| (2.24) |
|
| — |
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Paid
in capital from redemption fees(2) |
0.00 |
|
(3) |
0.00 |
|
(3) |
0.01 |
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| 0.10 |
|
| 0.00 |
|
(3) |
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Net
asset value, end of year |
$ |
24.54 |
|
| $ |
23.06 |
|
| $ |
24.48 |
|
| $ |
45.90 |
|
| $ |
27.00 |
|
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Total
return |
6.42 |
% |
| -5.80 |
% |
| -45.51 |
% |
| 82.06 |
% |
| 40.19 |
% |
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Supplemental
data and ratios: |
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Net
assets, end of year (in thousands) |
$ |
8,310 |
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| $ |
10,013 |
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| $ |
13,274 |
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| $ |
30,536 |
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| $ |
13,249 |
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Ratio
of gross operating expenses
(prior
to waiver) to average net assets |
2.68 |
% |
| 2.30 |
% |
| 1.80 |
% |
| 1.74 |
% |
| 2.90 |
% |
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| |
Ratio
of net operating expenses
(after
waiver) to average net assets(4) |
2.00 |
% |
| 2.00 |
% |
| 1.80 |
% |
| 1.67 |
% |
| 2.00 |
% |
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Ratio
of net investment loss
(prior
to waiver) to average net assets |
(1.39) |
% |
| (1.97) |
% |
| (1.80) |
% |
| (1.66) |
% |
| (2.60) |
% |
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Ratio
of net investment loss
(after
waiver) to average net assets(4) |
(0.71) |
% |
| (1.67) |
% |
| (1.80) |
% |
| (1.59) |
% |
| (1.70) |
% |
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Portfolio
turnover rate |
20 |
% |
| 16 |
% |
| 23 |
% |
| 32 |
% |
| 83 |
% |
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(1) Net
investment loss per share represents net investment loss divided by the average
shares outstanding throughout the year.
(2) Paid
in capital from redemption fees per share represents redemption fees divided by
the average shares outstanding throughout the year.
(3) Less
than $0.01 per share.
(4) Through
January 5, 2025, the Adviser has contractually agreed, to waive up to 100% of
its advisory fee to the extent that the Fund’s gross operating expense ratio
exceeds 2.00%, excluding any taxes, interest, brokerage fees, acquired fund fees
and expenses, and extraordinary expenses.
INVESTOR
CLASS
The
table below sets forth financial data for a share of the Fund outstanding
throughout each year presented.
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| Year
Ended August 31, |
|
| 2024 |
| 2023 |
| 2022 |
| 2021 |
| 2020 |
|
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Per
Share Data: |
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Net
asset value, beginning of year |
$ |
20.75 |
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| $ |
22.09 |
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| $ |
41.51 |
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| $ |
24.65 |
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| $ |
17.62 |
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Income
(loss) from investment operations: |
|
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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Net
investment loss(1) |
(0.24) |
|
| (0.43) |
|
| (0.64) |
|
| (0.69) |
|
| (0.38) |
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Net
realized and unrealized gain (loss)
on
investment transactions |
1.50 |
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| (0.91) |
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| (17.99) |
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| 19.66 |
|
| 7.41 |
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Total
from investment operations |
1.26 |
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| (1.34) |
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| (18.63) |
|
| 18.97 |
|
| 7.03 |
|
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Less
distributions from net investment income |
— |
|
| — |
|
| (0.07) |
|
| — |
|
| — |
|
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| |
Less
distributions from net realized gains |
— |
|
| — |
|
| (0.73) |
|
| (2.24) |
|
| — |
|
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Paid
in capital from redemption fees(2) |
0.00 |
|
(3) |
0.00 |
|
(3) |
0.01 |
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| 0.13 |
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| 0.00 |
|
(3) |
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Net
asset value, end of year |
$ |
22.01 |
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| $ |
20.75 |
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| $ |
22.09 |
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| $ |
41.51 |
|
| $ |
24.65 |
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Total
return |
6.07 |
% |
| -6.07 |
% |
| -45.66 |
% |
| 81.58 |
% |
| 39.90 |
% |
|
| |
Supplemental
data and ratios: |
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Net
assets, end of year (in thousands) |
$ |
7,350 |
|
| $ |
12,270 |
|
| $ |
21,897 |
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| $ |
81,297 |
|
| $ |
7,674 |
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Ratio
of gross operating expenses
(prior
to waiver) to average net assets |
3.03 |
% |
| 2.54 |
% |
| 2.11 |
% |
| 1.97 |
% |
| 3.25 |
% |
|
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Ratio
of net operating expenses
(after
waiver) to average net assets(4) |
2.30 |
% |
| 2.30 |
% |
| 2.01 |
% |
| 1.85 |
% |
| 2.30 |
% |
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Ratio
of net investment loss
(prior
to waiver) to average net assets |
(1.90) |
% |
| (2.22) |
% |
| (2.11) |
% |
| (1.86) |
% |
| (2.93) |
% |
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Ratio
of net investment loss
(after
waiver) to average net assets(4) |
(1.17) |
% |
| (1.98) |
% |
| (2.01) |
% |
| (1.74) |
% |
| (1.98) |
% |
|
| |
Portfolio
turnover rate |
20 |
% |
| 16 |
% |
| 23 |
% |
| 32 |
% |
| 83 |
% |
|
| |
(1) Net
investment loss per share represents net investment loss divided by the average
shares outstanding throughout the year.
(2) Paid
in capital from redemption fees per share represents redemption fees divided by
the average shares outstanding throughout the year.
(3) Less
than $0.01 per share.
(4) The
Adviser has contractually agreed, effective December 29, 2016 through at least
January 5, 2025, to waive up to 100% of its advisory fee to the extent that the
Fund’s gross operating expense ratio exceeds 2.30%, excluding any taxes,
interest, brokerage fees, acquired fund fees and expenses, and extraordinary
expenses. The Fund has adopted a distribution and service plan (the “Plan”)
pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, under which the Fund may pay Plan
related expenses up to 0.35% of average daily net assets on an annual basis. The
Adviser has agreed to waive 0.10% of the 0.35% Plan fee.
(This
Page Intentionally Left Blank.)
January 3,
2025
J
A C O B I N T E R N E T F U N D
J
A C O B S M A L L C A P G R O W T H F U N D
J
A C O B D I S C O V E R Y F U N D
each,
a series of Jacob Funds Inc.
Jacob
Asset Management of New York LLC
1-888-JACOB-FX (522-6239)
www.jacobmutualfunds.com
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Investment
Adviser
Jacob
Asset Management of New York LLC
Administrator
and Transfer Agent
and
Dividend Agent
U.S.
Bank Global Fund Services
Underwriter
and Distributor
Quasar
Distributors, LLC |
Custodian
U.S. Bank N.A.
Legal
Counsel
Stradley
Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP
Independent
Registered Public Accounting Firm
Cohen
& Company, Ltd. |
A
Statement of Additional Information (SAI), dated
January 3, 2025, the
Funds’ Annual
and Semi-Annual
Reports
to shareholders and Form
N-CSR
filed with the SEC include additional information about the Funds and their
investments and are incorporated by reference into this Prospectus. The Funds’
Annual Report will contain a discussion of the market conditions and investment
strategies that significantly affected the Funds’ performance during the prior
fiscal year. In the Funds’ Form
N-CSR
you will find the Fund’s annual and semi-annual financial statements. You may
obtain the SAI, the
Annual
and Semi-Annual
Reports and Form
N-CSR
without charge on the Funds’ website (www.jacobmutualfunds.com) or by calling
the Funds at 1-888-JACOB-FX. To
request other information or to make inquiries, please call your financial
intermediary or the Funds. The Funds’ SAI is incorporated by reference into this
Prospectus.
A
current SAI has been filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. You
may visit the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Internet website
(www.sec.gov) to view the SAI, material incorporated by reference and other
information on the EDGAR database. In addition, copies of these materials may be
obtained, upon payment of a duplicating fee, by sending an e-mail to
[email protected].
Registration
No. 811-09447