LONDON - British insurer Phoenix Group and fund firm Schroders have agreed to launch a private markets investment firm, with the aim of investing up to 20 billion pounds ($25.68 billion) into unlisted assets over the next decade.

Asset managers have been jockeying for a competitive edge in private markets, with several such as BlackRock and Amundi buying specialist firms to bolster their offerings.

The two British companies said in a statement on Wednesday that their new venture, called Future Growth Capital (FGC), would align with the UK government's aim of driving more pension savings into private businesses.

Phoenix has made an initial commitment of 1 billion pounds to the venture, with the aim of deploying 2.5 billion pounds over three years, the statement said.

The companies added that the venture would support the objectives of Britain's 'Mansion House Compact' (MHC), a policy launched last year to help channel private pension cash into unlisted companies.

The new Labour government elected this month, which has said it faces a 22 billion pound overspend in the country's finances, has backed the MHC, and launched a review of the pensions industry in a bid to increase private investment.

An update on the MHC published on Tuesday found that progress was being hampered by barriers that need removing.

Last July, the then finance minister Jeremy Hunt said that under the compact, nine insurers and pension funds would voluntarily commit to investing 5% of their direct contribution pension schemes in unlisted companies by 2030.

($1 = 0.7788 pounds)

(Reporting by Iain Withers, editing by Sinead Cruise)