Picking individual stocks is a challenge, especially when the stocks are in emerging industries where you're not sure which companies will get ahead of the pack. A potential way to meet that challenge is to invest in exchange-traded funds (ETFs) for that industry. An ETF not only allows you to spread out your risk across several stocks, but it also takes the pressure off having to make successful individual stock picks.

For example, you may be confident that biotech stocks are going to rise in the future with more medical innovation seemingly inevitable. Or you know in your heart that robotics is the next big thing and is due to take off. But predicting which individual companies will succeed in these sectors is no easy task. By investing in ETFs that specialize in these industries, you can potentially set yourself up for some strong gains, without taking on significant risk to do so.

The SPDR S&P Biotech ETF (NYSEMKT: XBI) provides investors with an excellent way to invest in biotech, while the Robo Global Robotics and Automation Index ETF (NYSEMKT: ROBO) offers exposure to companies working on next-gen technologies. Let's take a closer look at these two ETFs.

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Source Fool.com