British fund manager Schroders has agreed to purchase a majority stake in Swiss impact investor BlueOrchard.

Set up in 2001, BlueOrchard provides impact investment solutions across credit, private equity, and sustainable infrastructure.

The business managed around $3.5bn in assets at the end of May 2019.

Schroders believes that the deal will ramp up its growth in private debt and private equity investments in emerging markets.

BlueOrchard’s management team and strategies will be retained after deal closure in the second half of this year.

BlueOrchard chairman Peter Fanconi and CEO Patrick Scheurle will remain in their existing roles.

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“With Schroders we have found the ideal strategic partner with whom we will further increase our impact and jointly contribute to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals,” Fanconi stated.

Meanwhile, Schroders group CEO Peter Harrison, global head of private assets Georg Wunderlin, and Schroder Adveq executive chairman Stephen Mills will join the BlueOrchard board.

The deal, whose financial terms were not divulged, is pending regulatory approval.

Harrison noted: “Schroders has a strong belief in the value that investment can create in society, particularly within emerging and frontier markets.

“BlueOrchard’s expertise in this area is exceptional. They share our values, recognising that through our combined contributions, we can purposefully affect positive change.”

The latest acquisition further strengthens Schroders’ sustainable investing approach.

Last week, the firm introduced a new fund that supports clean energy investments.

Other investment managers who have been taking a similar approach include UK-based asset management consultancy MJ Hudson that acquired Dutch ESG consultant Spring Associates Responsible Investment Service.

In 2015, Goldman Sachs Asset Management announced the acquisition of US-based impact investing firm Imprint Capital.