Franklin Templeton Launches Three New Thematic Funds Focused on Dynamic Innovation for European Investors

Luxembourg, 15 October 2021 – Franklin Templeton¹ today announced the launch of three new thematic funds focused on dynamic innovation. The Franklin Disruptive Commerce Fund,² Franklin Genomic Advancements Fund² and Franklin Intelligent Machines Fund² are sub-funds of the Luxembourg-domiciled Franklin Templeton Investment Funds (FTIF)² range and will be registered for distribution in more than 10 European countries, including Germany, Italy and Spain.

Innovation, wealth creation and active management

“These three new strategies aim to capture powerful, multi-industry, and distinct long-term trends that we believe should have a large impact on our economy and our daily lives. Franklin Templeton has been investing in innovation for over half a century and what sets us apart is our belief that innovation exists across all sectors of the economy and that seeking out the right companies requires an active management approach,” said Matthew Moberg, Portfolio Manager, Franklin Equity Group.

Each of the new funds seeks long-term capital appreciation by investing primarily in equity securities of companies that are relevant to the fund’s respective investment theme:

• Franklin Disruptive Commerce Fund will invest in companies benefitting from or facilitating advancements in emerging areas of the e-commerce space including the sharing economy, that are enabling more convenient, customised, secure and time-efficient transactions for both consumers and businesses.
• Franklin Genomic Advancements Fund will invest in companies benefitting from or facilitating advancements of new genomic-based research techniques and technologies designed to extend and enhance the quality of human and other life, driven by the advent of cost-effective and rapid gene sequencing.
• Franklin Intelligent Machines Fund will invest in companies benefitting from or facilitating advancements of machine learning technologies in areas like robotics, driverless vehicles and algorithmic data analysis.

Julian Ide, Head of EMEA distribution, Franklin Templeton, commented: “We are delighted to launch these new thematic funds which are underpinned by a strong innovation-focused investment philosophy and managed by a tenured investment team. In Europe, we have seen increasing interest in thematic funds as clients continue to look for strategies that tap into the structural, longer-term investment opportunity that innovation offers. We are pleased to offer our European investors access to additional choices to help diversify and support their long-term wealth creation goals.”

The funds are managed by Matthew Moberg, who is based in San Mateo, California and part of the Franklin Equity Group. The investment team’s location is most advantageous given its proximity to Silicon Valley which is at the centre of a network of industry, finance, academic and other contacts dedicated to world-leading innovation.

Matt is vice president and lead portfolio manager for the new funds and has been with Franklin Templeton for more than 20 years. After spending several years in equity research, covering areas including internet, media and software, Matt began managing portfolios focused on investing in innovation in 2004. Matt is supported by more than 30 research analysts within the Franklin Equity Group.

The Franklin Equity Group brings together decades of in-depth expertise in managing global, U.S. and sector-specific strategies across the style and market capitalisation spectrum. Established in 1947, the team utilises fundamental, bottom-up research to focus on companies it believes have sustainable growth characteristics meeting its criteria of growth potential, quality and valuation. The group follows a robust investment decision-making process that seeks strong, long-term results, and has $153.9 billion in assets under management as of 30 September 2021.

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For more information, please visit www.franklintempleton.lu.

Contacts:

Rachel Cashmore Corporate Communications Manager Franklin Templeton Cannon Place, 78 Cannon Street London EC4N 6HL Tel: 07754968037 Email: [email protected]

Dorine Johnson Head of Corporate Communications EMEA Franklin Templeton Cannon Place, 78 Cannon Street London EC4N 6HL Tel: 07919532079 Email: [email protected]

Notes to Editors:

1. Franklin Resources, Inc. [NYSE:BEN] is a global investment management organization with subsidiaries operating as Franklin Templeton and serving clients in over 165 countries. Franklin Templeton’s mission is to help clients achieve better outcomes through investment management expertise, wealth management and technology solutions. Through its specialist investment managers, the company brings extensive capabilities in equity, fixed income, multi-asset solutions and alternatives. With offices in more than 30 countries and approximately 1,300 investment professionals, the company has over 70 years of investment experience and over $1.5 trillion in assets under management as of September 30, 2021. For more information, please visit www.franklintempleton.lu and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.
   
   The Franklin Equity Group’s capabilities comprise a broad range of strategies with $153.9 billion in assets under managements as of September 30, 2021.
2. The Franklin Disruptive Commerce Fund, Franklin Genomic Advancements Fund and Franklin Intelligent Machines Fund are sub-funds of Franklin Templeton Investments Funds (FTIF), a Luxembourg-domiciled SICAV.
   
   Subscriptions to shares of FTIF can only be made on the basis of the current prospectus, and, where available, the relevant Key Investor Information Document, accompanied by the latest available audited annual report and the latest semi-annual report if published thereafter. These documents can be found on our website at www.ftidocuments.com or can be obtained, free of charge, from your local FTI representative. The Fund's documents are available in English, Arabic, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Icelandic, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish and Swedish. The value of shares in FTIF and income received from it can go down as well as up, and investors may not get back the full amount invested.
   
   In addition, a summary of investor rights is available from franklintempleton.lu​. The summary is available in English.
   
   The sub-funds of FTIF are notified for marketing in multiple EU Member States under the UCITS Directive. FTIF can terminate such notifications for any share class and/or sub-fund at any time by using the process contained in Article 93a of the UCITS Directive.
   
   Past performance is not an indicator or a guarantee of future performance. Currency fluctuations may affect the value of overseas investments. When investing in a fund denominated in a foreign currency, your performance may also be affected by currency fluctuations. In emerging markets, the risks can be greater than in developed markets.
   
   An investment in FTIF entails risks, which are described in the FTIF’s prospectus and, where available, the relevant Key Investor Information Document. Investments in derivative instruments entail specific risks that may increase the risk profile of the fund and are more fully described in FTIF’s prospectus and where available in the relevant Key Investor Information Document. References to particular industries, sectors or companies are for general information and are not necessarily indicative of a fund’s holding at any one time.
   
   No shares of FTIF may be directly or indirectly offered or sold to nationals or residents of the United States of America. Shares of FTIF are not available for distribution in all jurisdictions and prospective investors should confirm availability with their local Franklin Templeton Investments representative before making any plans to invest.

Any research and analysis contained in this document has been procured by Franklin Templeton for its own purposes and is provided to you only incidentally.

Please consult your financial advisor before deciding to invest. A copy of the latest prospectus, and, if available for this product, the relevant Key Investor Information Document, the annual report and semi-annual report, if published thereafter can be found, on our website www.ftidocuments.com or can be obtained, free of charge, from Franklin Templeton International Services S.à.r.l. supervised by the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier -8A, rue Albert Borschette L-1246 Luxembourg - Tel: +352-46 66 67-1 - Fax: +352-46 66 76.

Issued by Franklin Templeton International Services S.à r.l.

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