BT Investment Management, the investment management firm formerly operated by BT Financial Group, has launched a new emerging market offering for Australian clients.

The BT Global Emerging Markets Opportunities fund is from JO Hambro Capital Management, the UK-based investment house that BTIM acquired in October 2011.

The launch is meant to satisfy the growing local demand for investments that are focused on high-growth markets like emerging market funds. The firm said that around A$2.4 billion ($2.5 billion) worth of investments have flowed into emerging markets in the last three years as more investors made these a part of their portfolios. 

The new fund is managed by Paul Wimbrone of JO Hambro and BTIM senior fund manager James Syme. The two had worked together when they were still with Baring Asset Management's global emerging markets unit. 

BT Investment Management was formally separated from BT Financial Group on 19 October 2007, with Westpac retaining majority ownership. JO Hambro had around A$10.7 billion in funds under management when BT Investment Management took over in 2011.