Aug 12 (Reuters) - Goldman Sachs ( GS ) will acquire exchange-traded funds provider Neos Investments for as much as $2.25 billion, as the investment bank looks to bolster its presence in asset management.

Neos, which provides ETFs on systematic options-based income, managed $30 billion in assets across 19 funds as of June 30.

Demand for such funds has surged of late, as institutions look to hedge portfolios with investments that help cushion drawdown risk in a volatile market environment.

The Wall Street giant has pursued acquisitions in the actively managed ETF segment to diversify into asset management and capitalize on the growing demand.

The investment bank completed the buyout of Innovator Capital, which also employs an options-based fund, earlier this year.

Goldman's purchase of Neos, expected to close in the first quarter of 2027, will propel its active ETFs to $80 billion.