responsAbility Wins EUR 200 Million Emerging Markets Impact Mandate from Stella Foundation

Stella, the investment entity of the Heinz Hermann Thiele Family Foundation, has appointed M&G's impact investing unit responsAbility to manage a EUR 200 million private equity impact fund targeting UN SDG-aligned investments in emerging markets across Africa, Asia and Latin America. The mandate aims to improve living standards, generate employment, and support environmentally sustainable business models while delivering financial returns.

The fund will deploy capital in regions where the opportunity to create impact is greatest and where private sector investment can help close critical funding gaps, targeting what the firms describe as a triple bottom line of profit, people, and planet. A substantial portion of Stella's private market allocation is dedicated to growth equity impact investments, with the majority deployed in emerging markets where the impact per euro invested is considered higher than in developed markets. The mandate covers growth-focused companies contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The selection of responsAbility was based on M&G's commercial backing, the firm's global investment team, and responsAbility's exclusive mandate from SIFEM, the Swiss development finance institution, to manage a global portfolio of private equity and private capital funds in emerging markets. Stella's managing director said he is convinced the investment will achieve both deep social impact in emerging markets and returns in line with the family foundation's mainstream investment portfolio.

The mandate is a significant milestone for responsAbility as it continues to scale private capital mobilisation for sustainable development in emerging markets. India, South and Southeast Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa are expected to be key investment geographies given their combination of SDG funding gaps and growth potential. The EUR 200 million mandate adds to responsAbility's USD 460 million Asia Climate Strategy, further establishing M&G's impact investing unit as a major allocator of private capital to emerging market climate and development opportunities.

Key figure — EUR 200 million