Post-effective Amendment (investment Company, Rule 485(b)) (485bpos)

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 27, 2020.

No. 333-146827

No. 811-22135

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

_____________________________

FORM N-1A

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933	☐
Pre-Effective Amendment No.	☐
Post-Effective Amendment No. 370	☒
	and/or
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940	☐
Amendment No. 371	☒

Innovator ETFs Trust

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

109 North Hale Street
Wheaton, Illinois 60187

(Address of Principal Executive Office)

Registrant’s Telephone Number, including Area Code: (800) 208-5212

Corporation Service Company

2711 Centerville Road, Suite 400
Wilmington, New Castle County, Delaware 19808

(Name and Address of Agent for Service)

Copy to:

Morrison C. Warren, Esq.

Chapman and Cutler LLP

111 West Monroe Street

Chicago, Illinois 60603

It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box):

☐ Immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b) of Rule 485.

☒ On April 29, 2020 pursuant to paragraph (b) of Rule 485.

☐ 60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) of Rule 485.

☐ On (date) pursuant to paragraph (a) of Rule 485.

☐ 75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485.

☐ On (date) pursuant to paragraph (a) of Rule 485.

If appropriate, check the following box:

☐ This post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed post-effective amendment.

Contents of Post-Effective Amendment No. 370

This Registration Statement comprises the following papers and contents:

The Facing Sheet

Part A - Prospectus for Innovator S&P 500 Buffer ETF™ – May, Innovator S&P 500 Power Buffer ETF™ – May and Innovator S&P 500 Ultra Buffer ETF™ – May

Part B - Statement of Additional Information for Innovator S&P 500 Buffer ETF™ – May, Innovator S&P 500 Power Buffer ETF™ – May and Innovator S&P 500 Ultra Buffer ETF™ – May

Part C - Other Information

Signatures

The information in this Prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This Prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer of sale is not permitted.

Subject to Completion
Dated April 27, 2020

Prospectus

Innovator S&P 500 Buffer ETF™ — May

(Cboe BZX—BMAY)

May 1, 2020

Innovator S&P 500 Buffer ETF™ — May (the “Fund”)
is a series of Innovator ETFs Trust (the “Trust”) and is an actively managed ETF.

•

The Fund will invest substantially all of its assets in FLexible EXchange^® Options (“FLEX Options”) on the S&P 500 Price Return Index (“S&P 500 Price Index”). FLEX Options are customizable exchange-traded option contracts guaranteed for settlement by the Options Clearing Corporation. The Fund uses FLEX Options to employ a “defined outcome strategy.” Defined outcome strategies seek to produce pre-determined investment outcomes based upon the performance of an underlying security or index. The pre-determined outcomes sought by the Fund, which include the buffer and cap discussed below (“Outcomes”), are based upon the performance of the S&P 500 Price Index over the period of May 1, 2020 through April 30, 2021. This period is referred to as the initial “Outcome Period.” Following this initial Outcome Period, each subsequent Outcome Period will be a one-year period from May 1 to April 30. The Fund will not terminate after the conclusion of the Outcome Period. After the conclusion of the Outcome Period, another will begin. There is no guarantee that the Outcomes for an Outcome Period will be realized.

•

The Fund’s strategy has been specifically designed to produce the Outcomes based upon the S&P 500 Price Index’s returns over the duration of the Outcome Period. The Outcomes may only be realized if you are holding shares on the first day of the Outcome Period and continue to hold them on the last day of the Outcome Period. If you purchase shares after the Outcome Period has begun or sell shares prior to the Outcome Period’s conclusion, you may experience investment returns very different from those that the Fund seeks to provide. Please note, if the Outcome Period has begun and the Fund has increased in value to a level near to the Cap, an investor purchasing at that price has little or no ability to achieve gains but remains vulnerable to downside risks. There is no guarantee that the Fund will successfully achieve its investment objective.

•

Fund shareholders are subject to an upside return cap (the “Cap”) that represents the maximum percentage return an investor can achieve from an investment in the Fund for the Outcome Period. Therefore, even though the Fund’s returns are based upon the S&P 500 Price Index, if the S&P 500 Price Index experiences returns for the Outcome Period in excess of the Cap, you will not experience those excess gains. The Cap is set on the first day of the Outcome Period and is expected to be between 18.67% and 23.93% prior to taking into account any fees or expenses charged to shareholders (based upon the 20 trading days prior to the date of this prospectus). When the Fund’s annual Fund management fee of 0.79% of the Fund’s average daily net assets is taken into account, the Cap is expected to be between 17.88% and 23.14% (based upon the 20 trading days prior to the date of this prospectus). The Cap will be further reduced by any shareholder transaction fees and any extraordinary expenses incurred by the Fund. For the purpose of this prospectus, “extraordinary expenses” are non-recurring expenses that may be incurred by the Fund outside of the ordinary course of its business, including, without limitation, costs incurred in connection with any claim, litigation, arbitration, mediation, government investigation or similar proceedings, indemnification expenses and expenses in connection with holding and/or soliciting proxies for a meeting of Fund shareholders. The Cap may rise or fall from one Outcome Period to the next. There is no guarantee that the Cap will remain the same upon the conclusion of the Outcome Period.

•

The Fund only seeks to provide shareholders that hold shares for the entire Outcome Period with a buffer against the first 9% of S&P 500 Price Index losses (based upon the value of the S&P 500 Price Index at the time the Fund entered into the FLEX Options on the first day of the Outcome Period) during the Outcome Period. You will bear all S&P 500 Price Index losses exceeding 9% on a one-to-one basis. The buffer is provided prior to taking into account annual Fund management fees equal to 0.79% of the Fund’s daily net assets, transaction fees and any extraordinary expenses incurred by the Fund. A shareholder that purchases shares at the beginning of the Outcome Period may lose their entire investment. While the Fund seeks to limit losses to 91% for shareholders who hold shares for the entire Outcome Period, there is no guarantee it will successfully do so. (continued on next page)

(continued from previous page)

Depending upon market conditions at the time of purchase, a shareholder that purchases shares after the Outcome Period has begun may also lose their entire investment. For instance, if the Outcome Period has begun and the Fund has decreased in value beyond the pre-determined 9% buffer, an investor purchasing shares at that price may not benefit from the buffer. Similarly, if the Outcome Period has begun and the Fund has increased in value, an investor purchasing shares at that price may not benefit from the buffer until the Fund’s value has decreased to its value at the commencement of the Outcome Period. An investment in the Fund is only appropriate for shareholders willing to bear those losses.

•

The Outcomes are based on the Fund’s net asset value, the per share value of the Fund’s assets (“NAV”) on the first day of the Outcome Period. The Fund’s assets will be principally composed of FLEX Options, the value of which is derived from the performance of the underlying reference asset, the S&P 500 Price Index. However, because a component of an option’s value is the number of days remaining until its expiration, the Fund’s NAV will not directly correlate on a day-to-day basis with the returns experienced by the S&P 500 Price Index. While the Fund’s investment sub-adviser generally anticipates that the Fund’s NAV will move in the same direction as the S&P 500 Price Index (meaning that the Fund’s NAV will increase if the S&P 500 Price Index experiences gains and that the Fund’s NAV will decrease if the S&P 500 Price Index experiences losses), the Fund’s NAV may not increase or decrease at the same rate as the S&P 500 Price Index. Similarly, the amount of time remaining until the end of the Outcome Period also affects the impact of the buffer on the Fund’s NAV, which may not be in full effect prior to the end of the Outcome Period. The Fund’s strategy is designed to produce the Outcomes upon the expiration of the FLEX Options on the last day of the Outcome Period. It should not be expected that the Outcomes will be provided at any point prior to that time and there is no guarantee that the Outcomes will be achieved on the last day of the Outcome Period.

•

The Fund’s website, www.innovatoretfs.com/bmay, provides important Fund information (including Outcome Period start and end dates and the Cap and buffer), as well information relating to the potential outcomes of an investment in the Fund on a daily basis. If you are contemplating purchasing shares, please visit the website. Investors considering purchasing shares after the Outcome Period has begun or selling shares prior to the end of the Outcome Period should visit the website to fully understand potential investment outcomes.

•

As stated above and explained in greater detail within the prospectus, if the Fund has experienced certain levels of either gains or losses since the beginning of the Outcome Period, there may be little to no ability to achieve gains or benefit from the buffer for the remainder of the Outcome Period. The website contains important information that will assist you in determining whether to buy shares.

• Although the Fund’s shares are listed for trading on a national securities exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for the shares will develop or be maintained.

Although the Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective, there is no guarantee that it will do so. The returns that the Fund seeks to provide do not include the costs associated with purchasing shares of the Fund and certain expenses incurred by the Fund. The Fund has characteristics unlike many other traditional investment products and may not be suitable for all investors. The table on the following page provides considerations for determining whether an investment in the Fund is appropriate for you.

Investor Suitability Considerations

You should only consider this investment if:

You should not consider this investment if:

• you fully understand the risks inherent in an investment in the Fund;

• you desire to invest in a product with a return that depends upon the performance of the S&P 500 Price Index over the Outcome Period;

• you are willing to hold shares for the duration of the Outcome Period in order to achieve the outcomes that the Fund seeks to provide;

• you fully understand that investments made when the Fund is at or near to the Cap may have limited to no upside;

• you seek the protection of a 9% buffer on S&P 500 Price Index losses for an investment held for the duration of the entire Outcome Period and understand that there is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in its attempt to provide protection through the buffer;

• you are willing to forgo any gains in excess of the Cap;

• you understand that the Fund’s investments do not provide for dividends to the Fund;

• you fully understand that investments made after the Outcome Period has begun may not fully benefit from the buffer;

• you are willing to accept the risk of losing your entire investment; and

• you have visited the Fund’s website and understand the investment outcomes available to you based upon the time of your purchase.

• you do not fully understand the risks inherent in an investment in the Fund;

• you do not desire to invest in a product with a return that depends upon the performance of the S&P 500 Price Index over the Outcome Period;

• you are unwilling to hold shares for the duration of the Outcome Period in order to achieve the outcomes that the Fund seeks to provide;

• you do not fully understand that investments made when the Fund is at or near to the Cap may have limited to no upside;

• you seek an investment that provides total protection against S&P 500 Price Index losses for an investment held for the duration of an Outcome Period, and understand that any protection provided by the buffer is not guaranteed;

• you are unwilling to forgo any gains in excess of the Cap;

• you do not fully understand that the Fund’s investments do not provide for dividends to the Fund;

• you do not fully understand that investments made after the Outcome Period has begun may not fully benefit from the buffer;

• you are unwilling to accept the risk of losing your entire investment; and

• you have not visited the Fund’s website and do not understand the investment outcomes available to you based upon the timing of your purchase.

For more information regarding whether an investment in the Fund is right for you,
please see “Investor Suitability” in the prospectus.

Table of Contents

Summary Information	1

Additional Information About the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies	14

Fund Investments	16

Additional Risks of Investing in the Fund	17

Investor Suitability	23

Management of the Fund	24

How to Buy and Sell Shares	26

Dividends, Distributions and Taxes	27

Distributor	32

Net Asset Value	32

Fund Service Providers	34

Financial Highlights	34

Premium/Discount Information	34

Investments by Other Investment Companies	34

Innovator S&P 500 Buffer ETF™ – May

Investment Objective

The Fund seeks to provide investors with returns that match those of the S&P 500 Price Index, up to the upside cap of ____% (prior to taking into account management fees and other fees) and ____% (after taking into account management fees and other fees) while providing a buffer against the first 9% of S&P 500 Price Index losses, over the period from May 1, 2020 to April 30, 2021.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund (“Shares”). Investors may pay brokerage commissions on their purchases and sales of Shares, which are not reflected in the table or the example below.

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Management Fees	0.79%
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees	0.00%
Other Expenses⁽¹⁾	0.00%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	0.79%

(1)	“Other Expenses” are estimates based on the expenses the Fund expects to incur for the current fiscal year.

Example

This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds.

This example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then sell 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 at current levels. This example does not include the brokerage commissions that investors may pay to buy and sell Shares.

	1 Year	3 Years
Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, your costs, based on these assumptions, would be:	$80	$251

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it purchases and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover will cause the Fund to incur additional transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the example, may affect the Fund’s performance. Because the Fund has not yet commenced investment operations, no portfolio turnover information is available at this time.

Principal Investment Strategies

General Strategy Description. The Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in FLexible EXchange^® Options (“FLEX Options”) that reference the S&P 500 Price Return Index (“S&P 500 Price Index”). FLEX Options are exchange-traded options contracts with uniquely customizable terms. Although guaranteed for settlement by the Options Clearing Corporation (the “OCC”), FLEX Options are still subject to counterparty risk with the OCC and may be less liquid than more traditional exchange-traded options. Due to the unique mechanics of the Fund’s strategy, the return an investor can expect to receive from an investment in the Fund has characteristics that are distinct from many other investment vehicles. It is important that an investor understand these characteristics before making an investment in the Fund.

In general, an option contract is an agreement between a buyer and seller that gives the purchaser of the option the right to buy or sell a particular asset at a specified future date at an agreed upon price. The reference asset for all of the Fund’s FLEX Options is the S&P 500 Price Index, a large-cap, market-weighted, U.S. equities index that tracks the price (excluding dividends) of the 500 leading companies in leading industries.

The pre-determined outcomes sought by the Fund, which include the buffer and Cap discussed below, are based upon the performance of the S&P 500 Price Index over the period of May 1, 2020 through April 30, 2021. This period is referred to as the initial “Outcome Period.” Following the initial Outcome Period, each subsequent Outcome Period will be a one-year period from May 1 to April 30. In the event that the S&P 500 Price Index experiences gains over the Outcome Period, the strategy seeks to provide investment returns that match the performance of the S&P 500 Price Index, up to an upside return cap that represents the maximum percentage return an investor can achieve from an investment in the Fund for the Outcome Period (the “Cap”). The Cap is set on the first day of the Outcome Period and is expected to be between 18.67% and 23.93% prior to taking into account any fees or expenses charged to shareholders, based upon the 20 trading days prior to the date of this prospectus. When the Fund’s annual Fund management fee of 0.79% of the Fund’s average daily net assets is taken into account, the Cap is expected to be between 17.88% and 23.14%, based upon the 20 trading days prior to the date of this prospectus. The Cap will be further reduced by any shareholder transaction fees and any extraordinary expenses incurred by the Fund. For the purpose of this prospectus, “extraordinary expenses” are non-recurring expenses that may incurred by the Fund outside of the ordinary course of its business, including, without limitation, costs incurred in connection with any claim, litigation, arbitration, mediation, government investigation or similar proceedings, indemnification expenses and expenses in connection with holding and/or soliciting proxies for a meeting of Fund shareholders. The date stipulated in all of the Fund’s FLEX Options is the approximate termination date of the Outcome Period, at which time the Fund will invest in a new set of FLEX Options for the next Outcome Period.

Additionally, as is discussed in further detail below, the value of the Fund’s FLEX Option positions will not increase or decrease at the same rate as the S&P 500 Price Index. Because a component of an option’s value is the number of days remaining until its expiration, the Fund’s NAV will not directly correlate on a day-to-day basis with the returns experienced by the S&P 500 Price Index. While the Fund’s investment sub-adviser generally anticipates that the Fund’s NAV will move in the same direction as the S&P 500 Price Index (meaning that the Fund’s NAV will increase if the S&P 500 Price Index experiences gains and that the Fund’s NAV will decrease if the S&P 500 Price Index experiences losses), the Fund’s NAV may not increase or decrease at the same rate as the S&P 500 Price Index. The strategy is designed to realize the Outcomes only on the final day of the Outcome Period.

The Fund’s investment sub-adviser, Milliman Financial Risk Management LLC (“Milliman” or the “Sub-Adviser”), has constructed a portfolio principally composed of seven FLEX Options on the S&P 500 Price Index that are each set to expire on the last day of the Outcome Period. The customizable nature of FLEX Options allows the Sub-Adviser to select the price at which the S&P 500 Price Index will be exercised at the expiration of each FLEX Option. This is commonly known as the “strike price.” At the commencement of the Outcome Period, the Sub-Adviser specifically selects the strike price for each FLEX Option such that when the FLEX Options are exercised on the final day of the Outcome Period, the Outcomes may be obtained, depending on the performance of the S&P 500 Price Index over the duration of the Outcome Period.

The Fund seeks to generate returns that match the S&P 500 Price Index, up to the Cap (discussed in detail below), while limiting downside losses. The two hypothetical graphical illustrations provided below are designed to illustrate the Outcomes based upon the hypothetical performance of the S&P 500 Price Index for a shareholder that holds Shares for the entirety of the Outcome Period. Additional hypothetical graphical representations of the Outcomes are provided in “Additional Information Regarding the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies.” There is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in its attempt to provide the Outcomes for an Outcome Period. The returns that the Fund seeks to provide do not include the costs associated with purchasing shares of the Fund and certain expenses incurred by the Fund.

The following table contains examples designed to illustrate the Outcomes the Fund seeks to provide, based upon the performance of the S&P 500 Price Index. However, there is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in its attempt to provide the Outcomes for an Outcome Period. The table is provided for illustrative purposes only and does not purport to be representative of every possible performance scenario for Shares over the course of an Outcome Period. It is not intended to predict or project the performance of the FLEX Options or the Fund. Shareholders should not take this information as an assurance of the expected performance of the S&P 500 Price Index or return on the Fund’s Shares. The actual overall performance of the Fund will vary with fluctuations in the value of the FLEX Options during the Outcome Period, among other factors. Please refer to the Fund’s website, www.innovatoretfs.com/bmay, which provides updated information related to this table on a daily basis throughout the Outcome Period.

S&P 500

Price Index

Performance

(100)%

(50)%

(20)%

(10)%

(5)%

10%

15%

20%

50%

100%

Fund

Performance

(91)%

(41)%

(11)%

(1)%

__%

* The Cap is set on the first day of the Outcome Period and is ____% prior to taking into account any fees or expenses charged to shareholders. When the Fund’s annual Fund management fee of 0.79% of the Fund’s average daily net assets is taken into account, the Cap is _____%.

Use of FLEX Options. The Outcomes may be achieved by purchasing and selling call and put FLEX Options to create layers within the Fund’s portfolio. One layer is designed to produce returns that match those of the S&P 500 Price Index for the Outcome Period if the S&P 500 Price Index has experienced gains during that time. To achieve these returns, the Fund will purchase a call option (giving the Fund the right to receive the cash value of the S&P 500 Price Index) and a put option (giving the Fund the right to deliver the cash value of the S&P 500 Price Index), while simultaneously selling a call option (giving the Fund the obligation to deliver the cash value of the S&P 500 Price Index) and a put option (giving the Fund the obligation to receive the cash value of the S&P 500 Price Index). Each of these FLEX Options has a specifically selected strike price. The effect created by these four positions is that if the S&P 500 Price Index has increased in value over the course of the Outcome Period, when the amount of cash the Fund receives and delivers pursuant to the terms of its positions is netted out, the Fund seeks to provide a gain that matches the gain experienced by the S&P 500 Price Index. This gain is subject to the Cap, a maximum investment return level, which is discussed below.

A separate layer is designed to produce the Fund’s objective to provide returns that are buffered by up to 9% if the S&P 500 Price Index experiences a loss during the course of the Outcome Period. There is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in its attempt to provide buffered returns. The buffer that the Fund seeks to provide is only operative against the first 9% of S&P 500 Price Index losses for the Outcome Period. After the S&P 500 Price Index has decreased in value by more than 9%, the Fund will experience all subsequent losses on a one-to-one basis. In seeking to achieve the buffer, the Fund sells both a call option and a put option. Both of these FLEX Options have a specifically selected strike price. The effect created by these two positions is that if the S&P 500 Price Index has decreased in value over the course of the Outcome Period, when the amount of cash the Fund receives and delivers pursuant to the terms of its positions is netted out, the Fund seeks to be returned the amount of its principal investment (if the S&P 500 Price Return Index decreased in value by 9% or less) or experience a loss that is 9% less than the loss experienced by the S&P 500 Price Index (if the S&P 500 Price Return Index decreased in value by more than 9%).

Each of the FLEX Options purchased and sold throughout the Outcome Period will have the same terms (i.e., strike price and expiration) as the corresponding FLEX Options purchased and sold on the first day of the Outcome Period. A detailed explanation regarding the terms of the FLEX Options and the mechanics of the Fund’s strategy can be found in “Additional Information Regarding the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies.”

The Outcome Period. The Outcomes sought by the Fund are based upon the Fund’s NAV on the first day of the Outcome Period. The Outcome Period begins on the day the FLEX Options are entered into and ends on the day they expire. Each FLEX Option’s value is ultimately derived from the performance of the S&P 500 Price Index during that time. Because the terms of the FLEX Options don’t change, the Cap and buffer both relate to the Fund’s NAV on the first day of the Outcome Period. A shareholder that purchases Shares after the commencement of the Outcome Period will likely have purchased Shares at a different NAV than the NAV on the first day of the Outcome Period (the NAV upon which the Outcomes are based) and may experience investment outcomes very different from those sought by the Fund. A shareholder that sells Shares prior to the end of the Outcome Period may also experience investment outcomes very different from those sought by the Fund. To achieve the Outcomes sought by the Fund for the Outcome Period, an investor must be holding Shares on the day that the Fund enters into the FLEX Options and on the day those FLEX Options expire. There is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in its attempt to provide the Outcomes.

The Fund’s assets will be principally composed of FLEX Options, the value of which is derived from the performance of the underlying reference asset, the S&P 500 Price Index. However, because a component of an option’s value is the number of days remaining until its expiration, during the Outcome Period, the Fund’s NAV will not directly correlate on a day-to-day basis with the returns experienced by the S&P 500 Price Index. While the Fund’s investment sub-adviser generally anticipates that the Fund’s NAV will move in the same direction as the S&P 500 Price Index (meaning that the Fund’s NAV will increase if the S&P 500 Price Index experiences gains and that the Fund’s NAV will decrease if the S&P 500 Price Index experiences losses), the Fund’s NAV may not increase or decrease at the same rate as the S&P 500 Price Index. Similarly, the amount of time remaining until the end of the Outcome Period also affects the impact of the buffer on the Fund’s NAV, which may not be in full effect prior to the end of the Outcome Period. The Fund’s strategy is designed to produce the Outcomes upon the expiration of the FLEX Options on the last day of the Outcome Period and it should not be expected that the Outcomes will be provided at any point prior to that time. Taken together, this means that at the midpoint of the Outcome Period, if the S&P 500 Price Index has decreased in value by 15%, the Fund’s NAV can be expected to have decreased in value by more than 6% (because the buffer is not yet in full effect), but less than 15% (because the Fund’s NAV will not correlate one-to-one with the S&P 500 Price Index and the Fund’s NAV tends not to participate fully in either S&P 500 Price Index gains or losses).

Cap on Potential Upside Returns. Unlike other investment products, the potential returns an investor can receive from an investment in the Fund are subject to an upside return cap. This means that if the S&P 500 Price Index experiences gains for the Outcome Period beyond the Cap, a shareholder will not experience those excess gains. Therefore, regardless of the performance of the S&P 500 Price Index, the Cap is the maximum return an investor can achieve from an investment in the Fund for the Outcome Period. The Cap is set on the first day of the Outcome Period and is expected to be between 18.67% and 23.93% prior to taking into account any fees or expenses charged to shareholders, based upon the 20 trading days prior to the date of this prospectus. When the Fund’s annual Fund management fee of 0.79% of the Fund’s average daily net assets is taken into account, the Cap is expected to be between 17.88% and 23.14%, based upon the 20 trading days prior to the date of this prospectus. The Cap will be further reduced by any shareholder transaction fees and any extraordinary expenses incurred by the Fund. The Cap will be set forth on the Fund’s website at www.innovatoretfs.com/bmay.

The Cap will change for each Outcome Period based upon prevailing market conditions at the beginning of the Outcome Period. The Cap, and the Fund’s position relative to it, should be considered before investing in the Fund. If an investor is considering purchasing Shares during the Outcome Period, and the Fund has already increased in value to a level near to the Cap, an investor purchasing Shares at that price has limited to no gains available for the remainder of the Outcome Period but remains vulnerable to significant downside risks.

The Cap level is a result of the design of the Fund’s principal investment strategy. In order to provide the buffer, the Fund purchases a series of put and call FLEX Options. As the purchaser of these FLEX Options, the Fund is obligated to pay a premium to the seller of those FLEX Options. However, the strategy is designed so that any premiums that the Fund is obligated to pay are offset by premiums it receives in connection with the selling of FLEX Options. On the first day of the Outcome Period when the Fund enters into its other FLEX Options positions, the portfolio managers will calculate the amount of premiums that the Fund will owe and will then go into the market and sell a FLEX Option with terms that entitle the Fund to receive a premium in an amount equal to the amount that the Fund would otherwise owe. The Cap is the strike price of that sold FLEX Option. The strike price is determined based upon prevailing market conditions at the time the Fund enters into the FLEX Options, most notably current interest rate levels and S&P 500 Price Index volatility, and the relationship of put and calls on the underlying FLEX Options.

Buffer. The buffer that the Fund seeks to provide is only operative against the first 9% of S&P 500 Price Index losses for the Outcome Period; however, there is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in its attempt to provide buffered returns. After the S&P 500 Price Index has decreased in value by more than 9%, the Fund will experience all subsequent losses on a one-to-one basis. The buffer is provided prior to taking into account annual Fund management fees equal to 0.79% of the Fund’s daily net assets, transaction fees and any extraordinary expenses incurred by the Fund. If an investor is considering purchasing Shares during the Outcome Period, and the Fund has already decreased in value by an amount equal to or greater than 9%, an investor purchasing Shares at that price will have increased gains available prior to reaching the Cap but may not benefit from the buffer that the Fund seeks to offer for the remainder of the Outcome Period. Conversely, if an investor is considering purchasing Shares during the Outcome Period, and the Fund has already increased in value, then a shareholder may experience losses prior to gaining the protection offered by the buffer, which is not guaranteed. A shareholder that purchases Shares at the beginning of the Outcome Period may lose their entire investment. While the Fund seeks to limit losses to 91% for shareholders who hold Shares for the entire Outcome Period, there is no guarantee it will successfully do so. Depending upon market conditions at the time of purchase, a shareholder that purchases Shares after the Outcome Period has begun may also lose their entire investment. An investment in the Fund is only appropriate for shareholders willing to bear those losses.

Fund Rebalance. The Fund is a continuous investment vehicle. It does not terminate and distribute its assets at the conclusion of each Outcome Period. On the termination date of an Outcome Period, the Sub-Adviser will invest in a new set of FLEX Options and another Outcome Period will commence.

The Fund’s website, www.innovatoretfs.com/bmay, provides information relating to the Outcomes, including the Fund’s position relative to the Cap and buffer, of an investment in the Fund on a daily basis.

The Fund is classified as “non-diversified” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”).

Principal Risks

You could lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental agency. There can be no assurance that the Fund’s investment objectives will be achieved.

Buffered Loss Risk. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in its strategy to provide buffer protection against S&P 500 Price Index losses if the S&P 500 Price Index decreases over the Outcome Period by 9% or less. A shareholder may lose their entire investment. The Fund’s strategy seeks to deliver returns that match the S&P 500 Price Index (up to the Cap), while limiting downside losses, if Shares are bought on the day on which the Fund enters into the FLEX Options and held until those FLEX Options expire at the end of each Outcome Period. In the event an investor purchases Shares after the date on which the FLEX Options were entered into or sells Shares prior to the expiration of the FLEX Options, the buffer that the Fund seeks to provide may not be available. The Fund does not provide principal protection or non-principal protection, and an investor may experience significant losses on its investment, including the loss of its entire investment.

Capped Upside Return Risk. The Fund’s strategy seeks to provide returns that are subject to the Cap. In the event that the S&P 500 Price Index has gains in excess of the Cap for the Outcome Period, the Fund will not participate in those gains beyond the Cap. The Fund’s strategy seeks to deliver returns that match those of the S&P 500 Price Index if Shares are bought on the day on which the Fund enters into the FLEX Options and held until those FLEX Options expire at the end of the Outcome Period. In the event an investor purchases Shares after the date on which the FLEX Options were entered into and the Fund has risen in value to a level near to the Cap, there may be little or no ability for that investor to experience an investment gain on their Shares.

FLEX Options Risk. The Fund will utilize FLEX Options issued and guaranteed for settlement by the OCC. The Fund bears the risk that the OCC will be unable or unwilling to perform its obligations under the FLEX Options contracts. In the unlikely event that the OCC becomes insolvent or is otherwise unable to meet its settlement obligations, the Fund could suffer significant losses. Additionally, FLEX Options may be less liquid than certain other securities such as standardized options. In less liquid market for the FLEX Options, the Fund may have difficulty closing out certain FLEX Options positions at desired times and prices. The Fund may experience substantial downside from specific FLEX Option positions and certain FLEX Option positions may expire worthless. The value of the underlying FLEX Options will be affected by, among others, changes in the value of the S&P 500 Price Index, changes in interest rates, changes in the actual and implied volatility of the S&P 500 Price Index and the remaining time to until the FLEX Options expire. The value of the FLEX Options does not increase or decrease at the same rate as the level of the S&P 500 Price Index (although they generally move in the same direction). However, as a FLEX Option approaches its expiration date, its value typically increasingly moves with the value of the S&P 500 Price Index.

Outcome Period Risk. The Fund’s investment strategy is designed to deliver returns that match the S&P 500 Price Index if Shares are bought on the day on which the Fund enters into the FLEX Options and held until those FLEX Options expire at the end of the Outcome Period. In the event an investor purchases Shares after the date on which the FLEX Options were entered into or sells Shares prior to the expiration of the FLEX Options, the returns realized by the investor will not match those that the Fund seeks to achieve.

Correlation Risk. The FLEX Options held by the Fund will be exercisable at the strike price only on their expiration date. Prior to the expiration date, the value of the FLEX Options will be determined based upon market quotations or using other recognized pricing methods. The value of the FLEX Options prior to the expiration date may vary because of related factors other than the value of the S&P 500 Price Index. Factors that may influence the value of the FLEX Options include interest rate changes and implied volatility levels of the S&P 500 Price Index, among others.

Investment Objective Risk. Certain circumstances under which the Fund might not achieve its objective include, but are not limited, to (i) if the Fund disposes of FLEX Options, (ii) if the Fund is unable to maintain the proportional relationship based on the number of FLEX Options in the Fund’s portfolio, (iii) significant accrual of Fund expenses in connection with effecting the Fund’s principal investment strategy or (iv) adverse tax law changes affecting the treatment of FLEX Options.

Upside Participation Risk. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in its strategy to provide shareholders with a total return that matches the increase of the S&P 500 Price Index over the Outcome Period, up to the maximum return imposed by the Cap. In the event an investor purchases Shares after the date on which the FLEX Options were entered into or does not stay invested in the Fund for the entirety of the Outcome Period, the returns realized by the investor may not match those that the Fund seeks to achieve.

Management Risk. The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed portfolio. The Sub-Adviser will apply investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Fund, but there can be no guarantee that the Fund will meet its investment objective.

Cap Change Risk. A new Cap is established at the beginning of each Outcome Period and is dependent on prevailing market conditions. As such, the Cap may rise or fall from one Outcome Period to the next and is unlikely to remain the same for consecutive Outcome Periods.

Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is classified as “non-diversified” under the 1940 Act. As a result, the Fund is only limited as to the percentage of its assets which may be invested in the securities of any one issuer by the diversification requirements imposed by the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). The Fund may invest a relatively high percentage of its assets in a limited number of issuers. As a result, the Fund may be more susceptible to a single adverse economic or regulatory occurrence affecting one or more of these issuers, experience increased volatility and be highly invested in certain issuers.

Liquidity Risk. In the event that trading in the underlying FLEX Options is limited or absent, the value of the Fund’s FLEX Options may decrease. There is no guarantee that a liquid secondary trading market will exist for the FLEX Options. The trading in FLEX Options may be less deep and liquid than the market for certain other securities. FLEX Options may be less liquid than certain non-customized options. In a less liquid market for the FLEX Options, terminating the FLEX Options may require the payment of a premium or acceptance of a discounted price and may take longer to complete. In a less liquid market for the FLEX Options, the liquidation of a large number of options may more significantly impact the price. A less liquid trading market may adversely impact the value of the FLEX Options and the value of your investment.

Valuation Risk. During periods of reduced market liquidity or in the absence of readily available market quotations for the holdings of the Fund, the ability of the Fund to value the FLEX Options becomes more difficult and the judgment of the Fund’s investment adviser (employing the fair value procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Trust may play a greater role in the valuation of the Fund’s holdings due to reduced availability of reliable objective pricing data. Consequently, while such determinations may be made in good faith, it may nevertheless be more difficult for the Fund to accurately assign a daily value.

Operational Risk. The Fund is exposed to operational risks arising from a number of factors, including, but not limited to, human error in the calculation of the Cap, processing and communication errors, errors of the Fund’s service providers, counterparties or other third-parties, failed or inadequate processes and technology or systems failures. The Fund and its investment adviser and Sub-adviser seek to reduce these operational risks through controls and procedures. However, these measures do not address every possible risk and may be inadequate to address these risks.

Market Maker Risk. If the Fund has lower average daily trading volumes, it may rely on a small number of third-party market makers to provide a market for the purchase and sale of Shares. Any trading halt or other problem relating to the trading activity of these market makers could result in a dramatic change in the spread between the Fund’s NAV and the price at which the Shares are trading on the Exchange, which could result in a decrease in value of the Shares. In addition, decisions by market makers or authorized participants to reduce their role or step away from these activities in times of market stress could inhibit the effectiveness of the arbitrage process in maintaining the relationship between the underlying values of the Fund’s portfolio securities and the Fund’s market price. This reduced effectiveness could result in Shares trading at a discount to NAV and also in greater than normal intra-day bid-ask spreads for Shares.

Trading Issues Risk. Although the Shares are listed for trading on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for such Shares will develop or be maintained. Trading in Shares on the Exchange may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in Shares inadvisable. In addition, trading in Shares on the Exchange is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to the Exchange “circuit breaker” rules. Market makers are under no obligation to make a market in the Shares, and authorized participants are not obligated to submit purchase or redemption orders for Creation Units. There can be no assurance that the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of the Fund will continue to be met or will remain unchanged. Initially, due to the small asset size of the Fund, it may have difficulty maintaining its listings on the Exchange.

Active Markets Risk. Although the Shares are listed for trading on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for the Shares will develop or be maintained. Shares trade on the Exchange at market prices that may be below, at or above the Fund’s NAV. Securities, including the Shares, are subject to market fluctuations and liquidity constraints that may be caused by such factors as economic, political, or regulatory developments, changes in interest rates, and/or perceived trends in securities prices. Shares of the Fund could decline in value or underperform other investments.

Authorized Participation Concentration Risk. Only an authorized participant may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Fund. The Fund has a limited number of institutions that may act as authorized participants on an agency basis (i.e., on behalf of other market participants). To the extent that authorized participants exit the business or are unable to proceed with creation and/or redemption orders with respect to the Fund and no other authorized participant is able to step forward to create or redeem “Creation Units” (as defined in “Purchase and Sale of Shares,”) Shares may be more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts and/or delisting.

Counterparty Risk. Counterparty risk is the risk an issuer, guarantor or counterparty of a security in the Fund is unable or unwilling to meet its obligation on the security. The OCC acts as guarantor and central counterparty with respect to the FLEX Options. As a result, the ability of the Fund to meet its objective depends on the OCC being able to meet its obligations. In the unlikely event that the OCC becomes insolvent or is otherwise unable to meet its settlement obligations, the Fund could suffer significant losses.

Fluctuation of Net Asset Value Risk. The Fund’s Shares trade on the Exchange at their market price rather than their NAV. The market price may be at, above or below the Fund’s NAV. Differences in market price and NAV may be due, in large part, to the fact that supply and demand forces at work in the secondary trading market for Shares will be closely related to, but not identical to, the same forces influencing the prices of the holdings of the Fund trading individually or in the aggregate at any point in time. These differences can be especially pronounced during times of market volatility or stress. During these periods, the demand for Shares may decrease considerably and cause the market price of Shares to deviate significantly from the Fund’s NAV.

Limitations of Intraday Indicative Value Risk. The Exchange intends to disseminate the approximate per share value of the Fund’s published basket of portfolio securities every 15 seconds (the ‘‘intraday indicative value’’ or ‘‘IIV’’). The IIV should not be viewed as a ‘‘real-time’’ update of the NAV per Share because (i) the IIV may not be calculated in the same manner as the NAV, which is computed once a day, generally at the end of the business day, (ii) the calculation of NAV may be subject to fair valuation at different prices than those used in the calculations of the IIV, (iii) unlike the calculation of NAV, the IIV does not take into account Fund expenses, and (iv) the IIV is based on the published basket of portfolio securities and not on the Fund’s actual holdings. The IIV calculations are based on local market prices and may not reflect events that occur subsequent to the local market’s close, which could affect premiums and discounts between the IIV and the market price of the Shares. The Fund, Adviser, Sub-Adviser, and their affiliates, are not involved in, or responsible for, any aspect of the calculation or dissemination of the Fund’s IIV, and the Fund, Adviser, Sub-Adviser, and their affiliates, do not make any warranty as to the accuracy of these calculations.

Cash Transactions Risk. The Fund intends to effectuate creations and redemptions for cash, rather than in-kind securities. As a result, an investment in the Fund may be less tax-efficient than an investment in an exchange-traded fund (“ETF”) that effects its creations and redemption for in-kind securities. Because the Fund will effect redemptions for cash, it may be required to sell portfolio securities in order to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. A sale of Shares may result in capital gains or losses and may also result in higher brokerage costs. Consequently, an investment in the Fund may be less tax-efficient than investments in other ETFs. Moreover, cash transactions may have to be carried out over several days if the securities market is relatively illiquid and may involve considerable brokerage fees and taxes. These brokerage fees and taxes, which will be higher than if the Fund sold and redeemed its shares principally in-kind, will be passed on to purchasers and redeemers of Shares in the form of creation and redemption transaction fees. In addition, these factors may result in wider spreads between the bid and the offered prices of Shares than for other ETFs.

Cyber Security Risk. As the use of Internet technology has become more prevalent in the course of business, the investment industry has become more susceptible to potential operational risks through breaches in cyber security. A breach in cyber security refers to both intentional and unintentional events that may cause the Fund to lose proprietary information, suffer data corruption or lose operational capacity. Such events could cause the Fund to incur regulatory penalties, reputational damage, additional compliance costs associated with corrective measures and/or financial loss. Cyber security breaches may involve unauthorized access to the Fund’s digital information systems through “hacking” or malicious software coding, but may also result from outside attacks such as denial-of-service attacks through efforts to make network services unavailable to intended users. In addition, cyber security breaches of the Fund’s third-party service providers, such as its administrator, transfer agent, custodian, or issuers in which the Fund invests, can also subject the Fund to many of the same risks associated with direct cyber security breaches. The Fund has established risk management systems designed to reduce the risks associated with cyber security. However, there is no guarantee that such efforts will succeed, especially because the Fund does not directly control the cyber security systems of issuers or third-party service providers.

Tax Risk. The Fund intends to elect and to qualify each year to be treated as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under Subchapter M of the Code. As a RIC, the Fund will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on the portion of its net investment income and net capital gain that it distributes to Shareholders, provided that it satisfies certain requirements of the Code. If the Fund does not qualify as a RIC for any taxable year and certain relief provisions are not available, the Fund’s taxable income will be subject to tax at the Fund level and to a further tax at the Shareholder level when such income is distributed. Additionally, buying securities shortly before the record date for a taxable dividend or capital gain distribution is commonly known as “buying the dividend.” In the event a Shareholder purchases Shares shortly before such a distribution, the entire distribution may be taxable to the Shareholder even though a portion of the distribution effectively represents a return of the purchase price.

The Shares will change in value, and you could lose money by investing in the Fund. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective.

Performance

As of the date of this prospectus, the Fund has not commenced operations and therefore does not have a performance history. Once available, the Fund’s performance information will be accessible on the Fund’s website at www.innovatoretfs.com and will provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund.

Management

Investment Adviser

Innovator Capital Management, LLC (“Innovator” or the “Adviser”)

Investment Sub-Adviser

Milliman Financial Risk Management LLC (“Milliman” or the “Sub-Adviser”)

Portfolio Managers

The following persons serve as portfolio managers of the Fund.

•

Robert T. Cummings, Principal and Director of Global Trading at Milliman

•

Daniel S. Hare, Senior Trader and Risk Manager at Milliman

Each of the portfolio managers is primarily and jointly responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund and has served in such capacity since the Fund’s inception in 2019.

Purchase and Sale of Shares

The Fund issues and redeems Shares at NAV only with authorized participants (“APs”) that have entered into agreements with the Fund’s distributor and only in Creation Units (large blocks of 25,000 Shares) or multiples thereof (“Creation Unit Aggregations”), in exchange for cash. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, the Shares are not redeemable securities of the Fund.

Individual Shares may be purchased and sold only on a national securities exchange through brokers. Shares are listed for trading on the Exchange and because the Shares will trade at market prices rather than NAV, Shares may trade at prices greater than NAV (at a premium), at NAV, or less than NAV (at a discount).

Tax Information

The Fund’s distributions will generally be taxable as ordinary income, returns of capital or capital gains. A sale of Shares may result in capital gain or loss.

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase Shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), Innovator and Foreside Fund Services, LLC, the Fund’s distributor, may pay the intermediary for the sale of 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.

Additional Information About the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies

The Fund’s principal investment strategy seeks to produce the Outcomes based upon the performance of the S&P 500 Price Index. By layering both purchased and written call and put FLEX Options, the Fund seeks to deliver investment returns that match those of the S&P 500 Price Index for the Outcome Period if S&P 500 Price Index experiences gains, and buffered losses for the Outcome Period if the S&P 500 Price Index experiences losses. All investment gains are subject to the Cap. Both the Cap and the buffer are provided prior to taking into account annual Fund management fees equal to 0.79% of the Fund’s daily net assets, transaction fees and any extraordinary expenses incurred by the Fund. Such expenses will reduce the Cap. There is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in its attempt to provide buffered returns.

The S&P 500 Price Index is a large-cap, market-weighted, U.S. equities index that tracks the price (excluding dividends) of the 500 leading companies in leading industries. The S&P 500 Price Index is rebalanced quarterly in March, June, September and December.

In general, an option contract is an agreement between a buyer and seller that gives the purchaser of the option the right to buy or sell a particular asset at a specified future date at an agreed upon price (commonly known as the “strike price”). FLEX Options are exchange-traded options contracts with uniquely customizable terms. Each FLEX Option that the Fund enters into references the S&P 500 Price Index and expires on the last day of the Outcome Period. The FLEX Options, however, have varying strike prices. The layering of these FLEX Options with varying strike prices provides the mechanism for producing the Fund’s desired outcome. The Fund has three main layers of FLEX Options as set forth below.

Layer	Label	Position	Index	Strike	Expiration
	(a)	Purchased call option		Less than 100%
1	(b)	Sold put option		Less than 100%
	(c)	Purchased put option		Greater than 100%	Final day of
	(d)	Sold call option	S&P 500	Greater than 100%	Outcome Period
2	(e)	Sold put option	Price Index	Less than 100%	(April 30)
	(f)	Purchased put option		100%
3	(g)	Sold call option		Determined at beginning of Outcome Period

Layer 1

Upside S&P 500 Price Index

Participation

The first layer involves buying and selling calls and puts (a), (b), (c), and (d), at pre-determined strikes to provide the desired S&P 500 Price Index participation.

Layer 2

Downside Buffer

The second layer involves buying and selling puts (e) and (f). Together they produce the downside buffer.

Layer 3

Upside Cap

The final layer involves selling a call (g), which creates the upside cap. The strike price at which (g) is sold is determined so that the combined net options purchase price is approximately equal to the Fund’s net asset value, as illustrated in the figure below.

●

The combination of FLEX Options (a)+(b)+(c)+(d) provide upside participation that matches that of the S&P 500 Price Index. At the expiration date, these FLEX Options realize a value equal to that of the S&P 500 Price Index.

●

Taken together, positions (e) and (f) produce the 9% “buffer,” where position (f) is the top end of the buffer and position (e) is the bottom end. The payoff at expiration will compensate for losses experienced by the S&P 500 Price Index (if any), in an amount not to exceed 9%.

●

The strike level of the FLEX Option in position (g) produces the Cap and is chosen so that the combined net FLEX Options purchase price in (a) through (g) is approximately equal to the Fund’s NAV.

●

The combination of positions (a) through (g) creates a maximum growth opportunity equal to the return experienced by the S&P 500 Price Index at expiration, not to exceed the Cap, while providing a 9% buffer from losses.

As described on the cover of this prospectus, in “Principal Investment Strategies” and in “Principal Risks,” there are risks associated with an investment in the Fund and there is no guarantee the Fund achieve the Outcomes it seeks to provide. The Fund’s unique characteristics (ie. the imperative of holding Shares for the entire Outcome Period, the Cap and buffer) distinguish it from other investment products and may make it an unsuitable some investors. To help decide whether an investment in the Fund is appropriate based upon individual circumstances, please see the section of this prospectus entitled “Investor Suitability.”

The Fund’s investment objective may be changed by the Board of Trustees of the Trust (the “Board”) without shareholder approval. Additionally, the Fund may liquidate and terminate at any time without shareholder approval.

Fund Investments

Principal Investments

FLEX Options

FLEX Options are customized option contracts that trade on an exchange but provide investors with the ability to customize key contract terms like strike price, style and expiration date while achieving price discovery in competitive, transparent auctions markets and avoiding the counterparty exposure of over-the-counter options positions. Like traditional exchange-traded options, FLEX Options are guaranteed for settlement by the OCC, a market clearinghouse that guarantees performance by counterparties to certain derivatives contracts.

The FLEX Options in which the Fund will invest are all European style options (options that are exercisable only on the expiration date). The FLEX Options are listed on the Chicago Board Options Exchange.

The Fund will purchase and sell call and put FLEX Options. In general, put options give the holder (i.e., the buyer) the right to sell an asset (or deliver the cash value of the index, in case of an index put option) and the seller (i.e., the writer) of the put has the obligation to buy the asset (or receive cash value of the index, in case of an index put option) at a certain defined price. Call options give the holder (i.e., the buyer) the right to buy an asset (or receive cash value of the index, in case of an index call option) and the seller (i.e., the writer) the obligation to sell the asset (or deliver cash value of the index, in case of an index call option) at a certain defined price.

The Fund will use the market value of its derivatives holdings for the purpose of determining compliance with the 1940 Act and the rules promulgated thereunder. Since the FLEX Options held by the Fund are exchange-traded, these will be valued on a mark-to-market basis. In the event market prices are not available, the Fund will use fair value pricing.

Non-Principal Investments

Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments

The Fund may invest in securities with maturities of less than one year or cash equivalents, or it may hold cash. The percentage of the Fund invested in such holdings varies and depends on several factors, including market conditions.

Traditional Options Contracts

Options contracts on an index give one party the right to receive or deliver cash value of the particular index, and another party the obligation to receive or deliver the cash value of that index. Option contracts on an individual security such as an ETF give one party the right to buy or sell the particular security, and another party the obligation to sell or buy that same security. Many options are exchange-traded and are available to investors with set or defined contract terms.

Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings

A description of the Trust’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio holdings is available in the Fund’s SAI, which is available at www.innovatoretfs.com.

Additional Risks of Investing in the Fund

Risk is inherent in all investing. Investing in the Fund involves risk, including the risk that you may lose all or part of your investment. There can be no assurance that the Fund will meet its stated objective. Before you invest, you should consider the following supplemental disclosure pertaining to the Principal Risks set forth above as well as additional Non-Principal Risks set forth below in this prospectus.

Principal Risks

Buffered Loss Risk. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in its strategy to provide buffer protection against S&P 500 Price Index losses if the S&P 500 Price Index decreases over the Outcome Period by 9% or less. A shareholder may lose their entire investment. The Fund’s strategy seeks to deliver returns that match the S&P 500 Price Index (up to the Cap), while limiting downside losses, if Shares are bought on the day on which the Fund enters into the FLEX Options and held until those FLEX Options expire at the end of the Outcome Period. In the event an investor purchases Shares after the date on which the FLEX Options were entered into or sells Shares prior to the expiration of the FLEX Options, the buffer that the Fund seeks to provide may not be available. The Fund does not provide principal protection or non-principal protection, and an investor may experience significant losses on its investment, including the loss of its entire investment.

Market Risk. The Fund could lose money over short periods due to short-term market movements and over longer periods during more prolonged market downturns. Assets may decline in value due to factors affecting financial markets generally or particular asset classes or industries represented in the markets. The value of a FLEX Options or other asset may also decline due to general market conditions, economic trends or events that are not specifically related to the issuer of the security or other asset, or due to factors that affect a particular issuer or issuers, country, group of countries, region, market, industry, group of industries, sector or asset class. During a general market downturn, multiple asset classes may be negatively affected. Changes in market conditions and interest rates will not have the same impact on all types of securities. In addition, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, spread of infectious diseases or other public health issues, recessions, or other events could have a significant negative impact on a Fund and its investments. Such events may affect certain geographic regions, countries, sectors and industries more significantly than others. Such events could adversely affect the prices and liquidity of a Fund’s portfolio securities or other instruments and could result in disruptions in the trading markets. Any of such circumstances could have a materially negative impact on the value of a Fund’s Shares and result in increased market volatility. During any such events, a Fund’s shares may trade at increased premiums or discounts to their NAV.

Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is classified as “non-diversified” under the 1940 Act. As a result, the Fund is only limited as to the percentage of its assets which may be invested in the securities of any one issuer by the diversification requirements imposed by the Code. The Fund may invest a relatively high percentage of its assets in a limited number of issuers. As a result, the Fund may be more susceptible to a single adverse economic or regulatory occurrence affecting one or more of these issuers, experience increased volatility and be highly invested in certain issuers.

Authorized Participation Concentration Risk. Only an authorized participant may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Fund. The Fund has a limited number of institutions that may act as authorized participants on an agency basis (i.e., on behalf of other market participants). To the extent that authorized participants exit the business or are unable to proceed with creation and/or redemption orders with respect to the Fund and no other authorized participant is able to step forward to create or redeem Creation Units, Shares may be more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts and/or delisting.

Counterparty Risk. Counterparty risk is the risk an issuer, guarantor or counterparty of a security in the Fund is unable or unwilling to meet its obligation on the security. The OCC acts as guarantor and central counterparty with respect to the FLEX Options. As a result, the ability of the Fund to meet its objective depends on the OCC being able to meet its obligations. In the unlikely event that the OCC becomes insolvent or is otherwise unable to meet its settlement obligations, the Fund could suffer significant losses.

Cash Transactions Risk. The Fund intends to effectuate creations and redemptions for cash, rather than in-kind securities. As a result, an investment in the Fund may be less tax-efficient than an investment in an ETF that effects its creations and redemption for in-kind securities. Because the Fund will effect redemptions for cash, it may be required to sell portfolio securities in order to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. A sale of Shares may result in capital gains or losses and may also result in higher brokerage costs. Consequently, an investment in the Fund may be less tax-efficient than investments in other ETFs. Moreover, cash transactions may have to be carried out over several days if the securities market is relatively illiquid and may involve considerable brokerage fees and taxes. These brokerage fees and taxes, which will be higher than if the Fund sold and redeemed its shares principally in-kind, will be passed on to purchasers and redeemers of Shares in the form of creation and redemption transaction fees. In addition, these factors may result in wider spreads between the bid and the offered prices of Shares than for other ETFs.

Tax Risk. The Fund intends to elect and to qualify each year to be treated as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code. As a RIC, the Fund will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on the portion of its net investment income and net capital gain that it distributes to Shareholders, provided that it satisfies certain requirements of the Code, including a requirement that the “issuers” of the Fund’s assets be sufficiently diversified. There is limited published IRS guidance or case law on how to determine the “issuer” of certain derivatives that the Fund will enter into. Therefore, there is a risk that the Fund will not meet the Code’s diversification requirements and will not qualify, or will be disqualified, as a RIC. The Fund intends to treat FLEX Options referencing an index as “issued” by the issuers of the securities underlying the index. This, in turn, would allow the Fund to count the FLEX Options as automatically diversified investments under the Code’s diversification requirements. This position is consistent with informal guidance from the IRS but has not been confirmed by published guidance or case law. If the FLEX Options are not treated as issued by the issuers of the securities underlying the index for diversification test purposes, there is a risk that the Fund could lose its RIC status.

The Fund’s investments in offsetting positions with respect to the S&P 500 Price Index may affect the character of gains or losses realized by the Fund under the Code’s “straddle” rules and may increase the amount of short-term capital gain realized by the Fund. Such short-term capital gain is taxed as ordinary income when distributed to U.S. shareholders in a non-liquidating distribution. As a result, if the Fund makes a non-liquidating distribution of its short-term capital gain, the amount which must be distributed to U.S. shareholders as ordinary income may be increased substantially as compared to a Fund that did not engage in such transactions. Accordingly, Shareholders could have a lower after-tax return from investing in the Fund than investing directly in the S&P 500 Price Index.

If the Fund did not qualify as a RIC for any taxable year and certain relief provisions were not available, the Fund’s taxable income would be subject to tax at the Fund level and to a further tax at the shareholder level when such income is distributed. In such event, in order to re-qualify for taxation as a RIC, the Fund might be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest and make certain distributions. This would cause investors to incur higher tax liabilities than they otherwise would have incurred and would have a negative impact on Fund returns. In such event, the Fund may reorganize, close or materially change its investment objective and strategies.

Non-Principal Risks

Inflation Risk. Inflation may reduce the intrinsic value of increases in the value of the Fund. Inflation risk is the risk that the value of assets or income from investments will be less in the future as inflation decreases the value of money. As inflation increases, the value of the Fund’s assets can decline as can the value of the Fund’s distributions.

Legislation and Litigation Risk. Legislation or litigation that affects the value of securities held by the Fund may reduce the value of the Fund. From time to time, various legislative initiatives are proposed that may have a negative impact on certain securities in which the Fund invests. In addition, litigation regarding any of the securities owned by the Fund may negatively impact the value of the Shares. Such legislation or litigation may cause the Fund to lose value or may result in higher portfolio turnover if the Adviser determines to sell such a holding.

Security Issuer Risk. Issuer-specific attributes may cause a security held by the Fund to be more volatile than the market generally. The value of an individual security or particular type of security may be more volatile than the market as a whole and may perform differently from the value of the market as a whole.

Investor Suitability

An investment in Shares may be suitable for you if:

●

You fully understand the risks inherent in an investment in the Fund, including the risk of loss of your entire investment.

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You are willing to be exposed to the downside performance of the S&P 500 Price Index beyond the 9% buffer at a rate of 1% for each 1% that the level of the S&P 500 Price Index.

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You are willing to forgo any dividends paid on the equity securities included in the S&P 500 Price Index.

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You are willing to hold Shares for the duration of the Outcome Period or understand the risks of purchasing or selling Shares during the Outcome Period.

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You believe that the level of the S&P 500 Price Index will increase over the term of the Outcome Period and you are willing to give up any appreciation of the S&P 500 Price Index in excess of the Cap.

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You understand and accept that your potential return is limited by the Cap.

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You can tolerate fluctuations in the value of the Shares prior to the end of the Outcome Period that may be similar to or exceed the downside fluctuations in the level of the S&P 500 Price Index.

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You do not seek current income from your investment.

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You understand and accept the risks associated with the S&P 500 Price Index.

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You are willing to assume counterparty risk with the OCC.

An investment in Shares may not be suitable for you if:

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You do not fully understand the risks inherent in an investment in the Fund, including the risk of loss of your entire investment.

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You seek an investment designed to provide a full return of principal at maturity.

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You cannot tolerate exposure to the downside performance of the S&P 500 Price Index beyond the 9% buffer at a rate of 1% for each 1% that the level of the S&P 500 Price Index.

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You prefer to receive the dividends paid on the equity securities included in the S&P 500 Price Index.

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You are unable or unwilling to hold the Shares for the duration of the Outcome Period or do not understand the risks of purchasing or selling Shares during the Outcome Period.

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You seek an investment that participates in the full appreciation of the S&P 500 Price Index or that has unlimited return potential, or you are unwilling to invest in Shares based on the Cap specified on the cover page hereof.

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You cannot tolerate fluctuations in the value of the Shares prior to the end of the Outcome Period that may be similar to or exceed the downside fluctuations in the level of the S&P 500 Price Index.

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You seek current income from your investment.

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You do not understand or accept the risks associated with the S&P 500 Price Index.

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You are unwilling to assume counterparty risk with the OCC.

Management of the Fund

The Fund is a series of Innovator ETFs Trust, an investment company registered under the 1940 Act. The Fund is treated as a separate fund with its own investment objectives and policies. The Trust is organized as a Delaware statutory trust. The Board is responsible for the overall management and direction of the Trust. The Board elects the Trust’s officers and approves all significant agreements, including those with the Adviser, Sub-Adviser, custodian and fund administrative and accounting agent.

Investment Adviser

Innovator Capital Management, LLC, 109 North Hale Street, Wheaton, Illinois 60187, serves as the Fund’s investment adviser. In its capacity as Adviser, Innovator has overall responsibility for selecting and monitoring the Fund’s investments and managing the Fund’s business affairs.

Investment Sub-Adviser

Milliman Financial Risk Management LLC, 71 South Wacker Drive, 31st Floor, Chicago, Illinois 60606, serves as the Fund’s investment sub-adviser. Milliman has responsibility for managing the Fund’s investment program in pursuit of its investment objective.

Portfolio Managers

Robert T. Cummings and Daniel S. Hare serve as the Fund’s portfolio managers.

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Robert T. Cummings, Principal and Director of Global Trading at Milliman. Mr. Cummings has served in this role since 2007. Mr. Cummings has more than 13 years of experience as a trader with a primary focus on options. Prior to joining Milliman, he was involved in various proprietary trading strategies and was a portfolio manager of associated derivatives funds. These strategies included volatility arbitrage, global macro, and high-frequency trading. Entities at which Mr. Cummings has previously worked include Citadel Investment Group, TradeNet (as a primary market maker on the Chicago Board Options Exchange), KCM Group and Spyglass Capital Management.

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Daniel S. Hare, Senior Trader & Risk Manager at Milliman. Mr. Hare has served in this role since 2016. From 2011 – 2016 he served as a Trader & Risk Manager at Milliman. Mr. Hare has more than 25 years of experience in capital markets. Prior to joining Milliman, he was employed by ABN Amro Bank, Societe Generale, Bear Stearns and Dean Witter. He has significant experience in foreign exchange options trading and has also worked as a market maker and portfolio manager.

For additional information concerning Innovator and Milliman, including a description of the services provided to the Fund, please see the Fund’s statement of additional information. Additional information regarding the portfolio managers’ compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers and the portfolio managers’ ownership of Shares may also be found in the statement of additional information.

Management Fee

Pursuant to an investment advisory agreement between Innovator and the Trust, on behalf of the Fund (the “Investment Management Agreement”), the Fund has agreed to pay an annual unitary management fee to Innovator in an amount equal to 0.79% of its average daily net assets. This unitary management fee is designed to pay the Fund’s expenses and to compensate Innovator for the services it provides to the Fund. Out of the unitary management fee, Innovator pays substantially all expenses of the Fund, including the cost of transfer agency, custody, fund administration, legal, audit and other service and license fees. However, Innovator is not responsible for distribution and service fees payable pursuant to a Rule 12b-1 plan, if any, brokerage commissions and other expenses connected with the execution of portfolio transactions, taxes, interest, and extraordinary expenses.

Pursuant to an investment sub-advisory agreement between Innovator, Milliman and the Trust, on behalf of the Fund (the “Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement”), Innovator has agreed to pay an annual sub-advisory fee to Milliman in an amount based on the Fund’s average daily net assets. Innovator is responsible for paying the entirety of Milliman’s sub-advisory fee. The Fund does not directly pay Milliman.

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the Investment Management Agreement and Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement on behalf of the Fund will be available in the Fund’s Annual Report to shareholders for the fiscal period ended October 31, 2020.

Manager of Managers Structure. The Fund and Innovator have received an exemptive order from the SEC to operate under a manager of managers structure that permits Innovator, with the approval of the Board, to appoint and replace sub-advisers, enter into sub-advisory agreements, and materially amend and terminate sub-advisory agreements on behalf of the Fund without shareholder approval (“Manager of Managers Structure”). Under the Manager of Managers Structure, Innovator has ultimate responsibility, subject to oversight by the Board, for overseeing the Fund’s sub-advisers and recommending to the Board their hiring, termination, or replacement. The SEC order does not apply to any sub-adviser that is affiliated with the Fund or Innovator.

The Manager of Managers Structure enables the Fund to operate with greater efficiency and without incurring the expense and delays associated with obtaining shareholder approvals for matters relating to the Sub-Adviser or the Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement. The Manager of Managers Structure does not permit an increase in the advisory fees payable by the Fund without shareholder approval. Shareholders will be notified of any changes made to the Sub-Adviser or the Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement within 90 days of the change.

How to Buy and Sell Shares

The Fund will issue or redeem its Shares at NAV per Share only in Creation Units. Most investors will buy and sell Shares in secondary market transactions through brokers. Shares will be listed for trading on the secondary market on the Exchange. Shares can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded shares. Share prices are reported in dollars and cents per Share. There is no minimum investment. When buying or selling Shares through a broker, you will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges, and you may pay some or all of the spread between the bid and the offered price in the secondary market on each leg of a round trip (purchase and sale) transaction. Because Shares trade at market price rather than NAV, an investor may pay more than NAV when purchasing Shares and receive less than NAV when selling Shares.

APs may acquire Shares directly from the Fund, and APs may tender their Shares for redemption directly to the Fund, at NAV per Share only in Creation Units or Creation Unit Aggregations, and in accordance with the procedures described in the SAI.

Book Entry

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

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

Share Trading Prices

The trading prices of Shares on the Exchange may differ from the Fund’s daily NAV. Market forces of supply and demand, economic conditions and other factors may affect the trading prices of Shares.

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

Frequent Purchases and Redemptions of Shares

Shares may be purchased and redeemed directly from the Fund only in Creation Units by APs that have entered into agreements with the Fund’s distributor. The vast majority of trading in Shares occurs on the secondary market and does not involve the Fund directly. Cash trades on the secondary market are unlikely to cause many of the harmful effects of frequent purchases and/or redemptions of Shares. Cash purchases and/or redemptions of Creation Units, however, can result in disruption of portfolio management, dilution to the Fund and increased transaction costs, which could negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objectives, and may lead to the realization of capital gains. These consequences may increase as the frequency of cash purchases and redemptions of Creation Units by APs increases. However, direct trading by APs is critical to ensuring that Shares trade at or close to NAV.

To minimize these potential consequences of frequent purchases and redemptions of Shares, the Fund imposes transaction fees on purchases and redemptions of Creation Units to cover the custodial and other costs the Fund incurs in effecting trades. In addition, the Fund reserves the right to not accept orders from APs that Innovator has determined may be disruptive to the management of the Fund or otherwise are not in the best interests of the Fund. For these reasons, the Board has not adopted policies and procedures with respect to frequent purchases and redemptions of Shares.

Dividends, Distributions and Taxes

Ordinarily, dividends from net investment income, if any, are declared and paid at least annually by the Fund. The Fund distributes its net realized capital gains, if any, to shareholders annually.

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

Taxes

This section summarizes some of the main U.S. federal income tax consequences of owning shares of the Fund. This section is current as of the date of this prospectus. Tax laws and interpretations change frequently, and these summaries do not describe all of the tax consequences to all taxpayers. For example, these summaries generally do not describe your situation if you are a corporation, a non-U.S. person, a broker-dealer, or other investor with special circumstances. In addition, this section does not describe your state, local or non-U.S. tax consequences.

This federal income tax summary is based in part on the advice of counsel to the Fund. The Internal Revenue Service could disagree with any conclusions set forth in this section. In addition, counsel to the Fund was not asked to review, and has not reached a conclusion with respect to, the federal income tax treatment of the assets to be included in the Fund. This may not be sufficient for you to use as the purpose of avoiding penalties under federal tax law.

As with any investment, you should seek advice based on your individual circumstances from your own tax advisor.

The Fund intends to qualify as a “regulated investment company” under the federal tax laws. If the Fund qualifies as a regulated investment company and distributes its income as required by the tax law, the Fund generally will not pay federal income taxes.

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

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

•

Your Fund makes distributions,

•

You sell your Shares listed on the Exchange, and

•

You purchase or redeem Creation Units.

To maintain its status as a RIC, the Fund must meet certain income, diversification and distributions tests. For purposes of the diversification test, the identification of the issuer (or, in some cases, issuers) of a particular Fund investment can depend on the terms and conditions of that investment. In particular, there is no published IRS guidance or case law on how to determine the “issuer” of certain derivatives that the Fund will enter into. Therefore, there is a risk that the Fund will not meet the Code’s diversification requirements and will not qualify, or will be disqualified, as a RIC. The Fund intends to treat FLEX Options referencing an index as “issued” by the securities underlying the index. This, in turn, would allow the Fund to count the FLEX Options as automatically diversified investments under the Code’s diversification requirements. This position is consistent with informal guidance from the IRS but has not be confirmed by published guidance or case law. If the FLEX Options are not treated as issued by the issuer of the securities underlying the index for diversification test purposes, there is a risk that the Fund could lose its RIC status.

Taxes on Distributions

The Fund’s distributions are generally taxable. After the end of each year, you will receive a tax statement that separates the distributions of the Fund into two categories, ordinary income distributions and capital gain dividends. Ordinary income distributions are generally taxed at your ordinary tax rate; however, as further discussed below, certain ordinary income distributions received from the Fund may be taxed at the capital gains tax rates. Generally, you will treat all capital gain dividends as long-term capital gains regardless of how long you have owned your Shares. To determine your actual tax liability for your capital gains dividends, you must calculate your total net capital gain or loss for the tax year after considering all of your other taxable transactions, as described below. In addition, the Fund may make distributions that represent a return of capital for tax purposes and thus will generally not be taxable to you; however, such distributions may reduce your tax basis in your Shares, which could result in you having to pay higher taxes in the future when Shares are sold, even if you sell the Shares at a loss from your original investment. The tax status of your distributions from the Fund is not affected by whether you reinvest your distributions in additional Shares or receive them in cash. The income from the Fund that you must take into account for federal income tax purposes is not reduced by amounts used to pay a deferred sales fee, if any. The tax laws may require you to treat distributions made to you in January as if you had received them on December 31 of the previous year.

Income from the Fund may also be subject to a 3.8% “Medicare tax.” This tax generally applies to your net investment income if your adjusted gross income exceeds certain threshold amounts, which are $250,000 in the case of married couples filing joint returns and $200,000 in the case of single individuals.

If you are an individual, the maximum marginal stated federal tax rate for net capital gain is generally 20% (15% or 0%) for taxpayers with taxable incomes below certain thresholds). Capital gains may also be subject to the Medicare tax described above.

Net capital gain equals net long-term capital gain minus net short-term capital loss for the taxable year. Capital gain or loss is long-term if the holding period for the asset is more than one year and is short-term if the holding period for the asset is one year or less. You must exclude the date you purchase your Shares to determine your holding period. However, if you receive a capital gain dividend from the Fund and sell your Shares at a loss after holding it for six months or less, the loss will be recharacterized as long-term capital loss to the extent of the capital gain dividend received. The tax rates for capital gains realized from assets held for one year or less are generally the same as for ordinary income. The Code treats certain capital gains as ordinary income in special situations.

An election may be available to Shareholders to defer recognition of the gain attributable to a capital gain dividend if they make certain qualifying investments within a limited time. Shareholders should talk to their tax advisor about the availability of this deferral election and its requirements.

Ordinary income dividends received by an individual shareholder from a regulated investment company such as the Fund are generally taxed at the same rates that apply to net capital gain (as discussed above), provided certain holding period requirements are satisfied and provided the dividends are attributable to qualifying dividends received by the Fund itself. The Fund will provide notice to its shareholders of the amount of any distribution which may be taken into account as a dividend which is eligible for the capital gains tax rates.

Taxes on Exchange Listed Shares

If you sell or redeem your Shares, you will generally recognize a taxable gain or loss. To determine the amount of this gain or loss, you must subtract your tax basis in your Shares from the amount you receive in the transaction. Your tax basis in your Shares is generally equal to the cost of your Shares, generally including sales charges. In some cases, however, you may have to adjust your tax basis after you purchase your Shares.

Taxes and Purchases and Redemptions of Creation Units

If you exchange securities for Creation Units you will generally recognize a gain or a loss. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Units at the time and your aggregate basis in the securities surrendered and the cash component paid. If you exchange Creation Units for securities, you will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between your basis in the Creation Units and the aggregate market value of the securities received and any cash redemption amount. The Internal Revenue Service, however, may assert that a loss realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units or Creation Units for securities cannot be deducted currently under the rules governing “wash sales,” or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position.

Treatment of the FLEX Options

The Fund’s investments in offsetting positions with respect to the S&P 500 Price Index may be “straddles” for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The straddle rules may affect the character of gains (or losses) realized by the Fund, and losses realized by the Fund on positions that are part of a straddle may be deferred under the straddle rules, rather than being taken into account in calculating taxable income for the taxable year in which the losses are realized. In addition, certain carrying charges (including interest expense) associated with positions in a straddle may be required to be capitalized rather than deducted currently. Certain elections that the Fund may make with respect to its straddle positions may also affect the amount, character and timing of the recognition of gains or losses from the affected positions.

The tax consequences of straddle transactions to the Fund are not entirely clear in all situations under currently available authority. The straddle rules may increase the amount of short-term capital gain realized by the Fund, which is taxed as ordinary income when distributed to U.S. shareholders in a non-liquidating distribution. Because application of the straddle rules may affect the character of gains or losses, defer losses and/or accelerate the recognition of gains or losses from the affected straddle positions, if the Fund makes a non-liquidating distribution of its short-term capital gain, the amount which must be distributed to U.S. shareholders as ordinary income may be increased or decreased substantially as compared to a Fund that did not engage in such transactions.

The FLEX Options included in the Fund’s portfolio are exchange-traded options. Under Section 1256 of the Code, certain types of exchange-traded options are treated as if they were sold (i.e., “marked to market”) at the end of each year. Gain or loss is recognized on this deemed sale. Such treatment could cause the Fund to have taxable income without receiving cash. In order to maintain its RIC qualification, the Fund must distribute at least 90% of its income annually. If the FLEX Options are subject to Section 1256 of the Code and the Fund is unable to distribute marked-to-market gains to its shareholders, the Fund may lose its RIC qualification and be taxed as a regular corporation. On the other hand, positions that are subject to the Section 1256 mark-to-market rules statutorily produce gain or loss that is 60% long-term capital gain and 40% short-term capital gain. In addition, offsetting positions that are both subject to Section 1256 are not subject to the straddle rules discussed above. Thus, positions subject to Section 1256 may force the Fund to make increased distributions, but also increase the amount of long-term capital gain recognized as compared to positions subject to the straddle rules.

Treatment of Fund Expenses

Expenses incurred and deducted by the Fund will generally not be treated as income taxable to you. In some cases, however, you may be required to treat your portion of these Fund expenses as income. You may not be able to take a deduction for some or all of these expenses, even if the cash you receive is reduced by such expenses.

Backup Withholding

The Fund may be required to withhold U.S. federal income tax (“backup withholding”) from dividends and capital gains distributions paid to Shareholders. Federal tax will be withheld if (1) the Shareholder fails to furnish the Fund with the Shareholder’s correct taxpayer identification number or social security number, (2) the IRS notifies the Shareholder or the Fund that the shareholder has failed to report properly certain interest and dividend income to the IRS and to respond to notices to that effect, or (3) when required to do so, the Shareholder fails to certify to the Fund that he or she is not subject to backup withholding. The current backup withholding rate is 24%. Any amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules may be credited against the Shareholder’s U.S. federal income tax liability.

Non-U.S. Investors

If you are a non-U.S. investor (i.e., an investor other than a U.S. citizen or resident or a U.S. corporation, partnership, estate or trust), you should be aware that, generally, subject to applicable tax treaties, distributions from the Fund will generally be characterized as dividends for U.S. federal income tax purposes (other than dividends which the Fund properly reports as capital gain dividends) and will be subject to U.S. federal income taxes, including withholding taxes, subject to certain exceptions described below.

However, distributions received by a non-U.S. investor from the Fund that are properly reported by the Fund as capital gain dividends may not be subject to U.S. federal income taxes, including withholding taxes, provided that the Fund makes certain elections and certain other conditions are met. Distributions from the Fund that are properly reported by the Fund as an interest-related dividend attributable to certain interest income received by the Fund or as a short-term capital gain dividend attributable to certain net short-term capital gain income received by the Fund may not be subject to U.S. federal income taxes, including withholding taxes when received by certain non-U.S. investors, provided that the Fund makes certain elections and certain other conditions are met.

Distributions to, and gross proceeds from dispositions of Shares by, (i) certain non-U.S. financial institutions that have not entered into an agreement with the U.S. Treasury to collect and disclose certain information and are not resident in a jurisdiction that has entered into such an agreement with the U.S. Treasury and (ii) certain other non-U.S. entities that do not provide certain certifications and information about the entity’s U.S. owners may be subject to a U.S. withholding tax of 30%. However, proposed regulations may eliminate the requirement to withhold on payments of gross proceeds from dispositions.

The foregoing discussion summarizes some of the possible consequences under current federal tax law of an investment in the Fund. It is not a substitute for personal tax advice. You also may be subject to state and local taxes on Fund distributions and sales of Shares.

Consult your personal tax advisor about the potential tax consequences of an investment in Shares under all applicable tax laws. See “Distributions and Taxes” in the statement of additional information for more information.

Distributor

Foreside Fund Services, LLC (the “Distributor”) serves as the distributor of Creation Units for the Fund on an agency basis. The Distributor does not maintain a secondary market in Shares.

Net Asset Value

US Bancorp Fund Services LLC (“USBFS”), the Fund’s administrator and fund accounting agent, calculates the Fund’s NAV at the close of regular trading (ordinarily 4:00 p.m. E.S.T.) every day the New York Stock Exchange is open. The NAV for one Share is the value of that Share’s portion of all of the net assets of the Fund. In calculating NAV, the Fund generally values its investment portfolio at market price.

FLEX Options will be valued at a model-based price provided by the exchange on which the option is traded at the official close of that exchange’s trading date. If the exchange on which the option is traded is unable to provide a model price, FLEX Options prices will be provided by a backup provider. Otherwise, the value of a FLEX option will be determined by the Pricing Committee (as defined below) in accordance with the Valuation Procedures (as defined below).

Common stocks, preferred stocks and other equity securities listed on any national or foreign exchange (excluding the NASDAQ National Market (“NASDAQ”) and the London Stock Exchange Alternative Investment Market (“AIM”)) will be valued at the last sale price on the exchange on which they are principally traded or, for NASDAQ and AIM securities, the official closing price. Securities traded on more than one securities exchange are valued at the last sale price or official closing price, as applicable, at the close of the exchange representing the principal market for such securities. Securities traded in the over-the-counter market are valued at the mean of the bid and the asked price, if available, and otherwise at their closing bid price.

Exchange-traded options (other than FLEX Options) and futures contracts will be valued at the closing price in the market where such contracts are principally traded. If no closing price is available, they will be fair valued at the mean of their most recent bid and asked price, if available, and otherwise at their closing bid price. OTC options and futures contracts are fair valued at the mean of the most recent bid and asked price, if available, and otherwise at their closing bid price.

USBFS may obtain all market quotations used in valuing securities from a third-party pricing service vendor (a “Pricing Service”). If no quotation can be obtained from a Pricing Service, then USBFS will contact the Trust’s pricing committee (the “Pricing Committee”). The Pricing Committee is responsible for establishing the valuation of portfolio securities and other instruments held by the Fund in accordance with the pricing and valuation procedures adopted by the Board (the “Valuation Procedures”). The Pricing Committee will then attempt to obtain one or more broker quotes for the security daily and will value the security accordingly.

If no quotation is available from either a Pricing Service, or one or more brokers, or if the Pricing Committee has reason to question the reliability or accuracy of a quotation supplied or the use of amortized cost, the value of any portfolio security held by the Fund for which reliable market quotations are not readily available will be determined by the Pricing Committee in a manner that most appropriately reflects fair market value of the security on the valuation date. The use of a fair valuation method may be appropriate if, for example: (i) market quotations do not accurately reflect fair value of an investment; (ii) an investment’s value has been materially affected by events occurring after the close of the exchange or market on which the investment is principally traded (for example, a foreign exchange or market); (iii) a trading halt closes an exchange or market early; or (iv) other events result in an exchange or market delaying its normal close.

Fair valuation of an equity security will be based on the consideration of all available information, including, but not limited to, the following: (a) the type of security; (b) the size of the holding; (c) the initial cost of the security; (d) transactions in comparable securities; (e) price quotes from dealers and/or pricing services; (f) relationships among various securities; (g) information obtained by contacting the issuer, analysts, or the appropriate stock exchange; (h) an analysis of the issuer’s financial statements; and (i) the existence of merger proposals or tender offers that might affect the value of the security.

With respect to any non-U.S. securities held by the Fund, the Fund may take factors influencing specific markets or issuers into consideration in determining the fair value of a non-U.S. security. International securities markets may be open on days when the U.S. markets are closed. In such cases, the value of any international securities owned by the Fund may be significantly affected on days when investors cannot buy or sell Shares. In addition, due to the difference in times between the close of the international markets and the time the Fund prices its Shares, the value the Fund assigns to securities generally will not be the same as the quoted or published prices of those securities on their primary markets or exchanges. In determining fair value prices, the Fund may consider the performance of securities on their primary exchanges, foreign currency appreciation/depreciation, securities market movements in the U.S., or other relevant information as related to the securities.

For more information about how the Fund’s NAV is determined, please see the section in the statement of information entitled “Determination of Net Asset Value.”

Fund Service Providers

US Bancorp Fund Services LLC is the administrator and transfer agent for the Trust. U.S. Bank, N.A. serves as the custodian for the Trust.

Chapman and Cutler LLP, 111 West Monroe Street, Chicago, Illinois 60603, serves as legal counsel to the Trust.

Cohen & Company, Ltd., 1350 Euclid Avenue, Suite 800, Cleveland, Ohio 44115, serves as the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm and is responsible for auditing the annual financial statements of the Fund.

Financial Highlights

The Fund is new and has no performance history as of the date of this prospectus. Financial information therefore is not available.

Premium/Discount Information

The market prices of the Shares generally will fluctuate in accordance with changes in NAV, as well as the relative supply of and demand for Shares on the Exchange. Innovator cannot predict whether the Shares will trade below, at or above their NAV. The approximate value of the Shares, which is an amount representing on a per Share basis the sum of the current market price of the securities held by the Fund, will be disseminated every 15 seconds throughout the trading day through the facilities of the Consolidated Tape Association. This approximate value should not be viewed as a “real-time” update of the NAV per Share of the Fund because the approximate value may not be calculated in the same manner as the NAV, which is computed once a day, generally at the end of the business day. The Fund is not involved with, or responsible for, the calculation or dissemination of the approximate value, and the Fund does not make any warranty as to its accuracy.

Information regarding how often the Shares traded on the Exchange at a price above (at a premium) or below (at a discount) the NAV of the Fund during the past four calendar quarters, when available, will be found at www.innovatoretfs.com.

Investments by Other Investment Companies

Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act restricts investments by investment companies in the securities of other investment companies, including Shares. Registered investment companies are permitted to invest in the Fund beyond the limits set forth in Section 12(d)(1) subject to certain terms and conditions set forth in an SEC exemptive order issued to the Trust, including that such investment companies enter into an agreement with the Trust on behalf of the Fund prior to exceeding the limits imposed by Section 12(d)(1).

Innovator S&P 500 Buffer ETF™ – May

For more detailed information on the Fund, several additional sources of information are available to you. The Statement of Additional Information, incorporated by reference into this Prospectus, contains detailed information on the Fund’s policies and operation. Additional information about the Fund’s investments is available in the annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders. In the Fund’s annual reports, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly impacted the Fund’s performance during the last fiscal year. The Fund’s most recent Statement of Additional Information, annual or semi-annual reports and certain other information are available free of charge by calling the Fund at (800) 208-5212, on the Fund’s website at www.innovatoretfs.com or through your financial advisor. Shareholders may call the toll-free number above with any inquiries.

You may obtain this and other information regarding the Fund, including the Statement of Additional Information and Codes of Ethics adopted by the Adviser, Sub-Adviser, Distributor and the Trust, directly from the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Information on the SEC’s website is free of charge. Visit the SEC’s on-line EDGAR database at http://www.sec.gov or in person at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C., or call the SEC at (202) 551-8090 for information on the Public Reference Room. You may also request information regarding the Fund by sending a request (along with a duplication fee) to the SEC’s Public Reference Section, 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549-1520 or by sending an electronic request to publicinfo@sec.gov.

Innovator Capital Management, LLC

109 North Hale Street

Wheaton, Illinois 60187

(800) 208-5212

www.innovatoretfs.com

SEC File #: 333-146827

811-22135

Subject to Completion

Dated February April 27, 2020

Prospectus

Innovator S&P 500 Power Buffer ETF™ — May

(Cboe BZX—PMAY)

May 1, 2020

Innovator S&P 500 Power Buffer ETF™ — May (the “Fund”)
is a series of Innovator ETFs Trust (the “Trust”) and is an actively managed ETF.

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The Fund’s strategy has been specifically designed to produce the Outcomes based upon the S&P 500 Price Index’s returns over the duration of the Outcome Period. The Outcomes may only be realized if you are holding shares on the first day of the Outcome Period and continue to hold them on the last day of the Outcome Period. If you purchase shares after the Outcome Period has begun or sell shares prior to the Outcome Period’s conclusion, you may experience investment returns very different from those that the Fund seeks to provide. Please note, if the Outcome Period has begun and the Fund has increased in value to a level near to the Cap, an investor purchasing at that price has little or no ability to achieve gains but remains vulnerable to downside risks. There is no guarantee that the Fund will successfully achieve its investment objective.

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Fund shareholders are subject to an upside return cap (the “Cap”) that represents the maximum percentage return an investor can achieve from an investment in the S&P 500 Price Index for the Outcome Period. Therefore, even though the Fund’s returns are based upon the S&P 500 Price Index, if the S&P 500 Price Index experiences returns for the Outcome Period in excess of the Cap, you will not experience those excess gains. The Cap is set on the first day of the Outcome Period and is expected to be between 12.58% and 16.23% prior to taking into account any fees or expenses charged to shareholders (based upon the 20 trading days prior to the date of this prospectus). When the Fund’s annual Fund management fee of 0.79% of the Fund’s average daily net assets is taken into account, the Cap is expected to be between 11.79% and 15.44% (based upon the 20 trading days prior to the date of this prospectus). The Cap will be further reduced by any shareholder transaction fees and any extraordinary expenses incurred by the Fund. For the purpose of this prospectus, “extraordinary expenses” are non-recurring expenses that may be incurred by the Fund outside of the ordinary course of its business, including, without limitation, costs incurred in connection with any claim, litigation, arbitration, mediation, government investigation or similar proceedings, indemnification expenses and expenses in connection with holding and/or soliciting proxies for a meeting of Fund shareholders. The Cap may rise or fall from one Outcome Period to the next. There is no guarantee that the Cap will remain the same upon the conclusion of the Outcome Period.

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The Fund only seeks to provide shareholders that hold shares for the entire Outcome Period with a buffer against the first 15% of S&P 500 Price Index losses (based upon the value of the S&P 500 Price Index at the time the Fund entered into the FLEX Options on the first day of the Outcome Period) during the Outcome Period. You will bear all S&P 500 Price Index losses exceeding 15% on a one-to-one basis. The buffer is provided prior to taking into account annual Fund management fees equal to 0.79% of the Fund’s daily net assets, transaction fees and any extraordinary expenses incurred by the Fund. A shareholder that purchases shares at the beginning of the Outcome Period may lose their entire investment. While the Fund seeks to limit losses to 85% for shareholders who hold shares for the entire Outcome Period, there is no guarantee it will successfully do so. (continued on next page)

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Depending upon market conditions at the time of purchase, a shareholder that purchases shares after the Outcome Period has begun may also lose their entire investment. For instance, if the Outcome Period has begun and the Fund has decreased in value beyond the pre-determined 15% buffer, an investor purchasing shares at that price may not benefit from the buffer. Similarly, if the Outcome Period has begun and the Fund has increased in value, an investor purchasing shares at that price may not benefit from the protection offered by the buffer until the Fund’s value has decreased to its value at the commencement of the Outcome Period. An investment in the Fund is only appropriate for shareholders willing to bear those losses.

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The Fund’s website, www.innovatoretfs.com/pmay, provides important Fund information (including Outcome Period start and end dates and the Cap and buffer), as well information relating to the potential outcomes of an investment in the Fund on a daily basis. If you are contemplating purchasing shares, please visit the website. Investors considering purchasing shares after the Outcome Period has begun or selling shares prior to the end of the Outcome Period should visit the website to fully understand potential investment outcomes.

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• Although the Fund’s shares are listed for trading on a national securities exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for the shares will develop or be maintained.

Although the Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective, there is no guarantee that it will do so. The returns that the Fund seeks to provide do not include the costs associated with purchasing shares of the Fund and certain expenses incurred by the Fund. The Fund has characteristics unlike many other traditional investment products and may not be suitable for all investors. The table on the following page provides considerations for determining whether an investment in the Fund is appropriate for you.

Investor Suitability Considerations

You should only consider this investment if:

You should not consider this investment if:

• you fully understand the risks inherent in an investment in the Fund;

• you desire to invest in a product with a return that depends upon the performance of the S&P 500 Price Index over the Outcome Period;

• you are willing to hold shares for the duration of the Outcome Period in order to achieve the outcomes that the Fund seeks to provide;

• you fully understand that investments made when the Fund is at or near to the Cap may have limited to no upside;

• you seek the protection of a 15% buffer on S&P 500 Price Index losses for an investment held for the duration of the entire Outcome Period and understand that there is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in its attempt to provide protection through the buffer;