A milestone and another example of the mainstreaming of impact investing.
BlueOrchard Finance is a pioneer in microfinance and impact investing. Founded in 2001, the company launched the world’s first commercial microfinance debt investments. As of May 2019, the company had circa USD 3.5bn in assets under management.
From their news release:

Schroders’ partnership with BlueOrchard supports the expansion of its sustainability capabilities. This will help to better serve clients who are increasingly seeking investments which have a beneficial impact on society and the environment, as well as generating positive financial returns. It also accelerates the growth of Schroders in private debt and private equity investments in emerging markets.
Partnering with Schroders enables BlueOrchard to further drive innovation and growth and increase its impact across emerging and frontier markets. Schroders’ stable ownership structure and heritage is aligned with BlueOrchard’s longterm investment philosophy. Sharing values and the desire to generate substantial impact together, Schroders is BlueOrchard’s preferred strategic partner.
There will be no changes to the management team, processes or strategies that BlueOrchard manage