The fund originated in Britain. Because the industrial revolution has greatly promoted the development of British productivity, the national income has greatly increased, and the social wealth has increased rapidly. People want to invest overseas, but they suffer from a small amount of funds and lack of international investment experience. So the idea of pooling the funds of many investors and entrusting special personnel to operate and manage came into being.

The first fund in history-"Trust Fund for Overseas and Colonial Governments" was established in Britain on 1868. At that time, the fund mainly invested in public bonds of British overseas colonies, and its establishment marked the beginning of the fund's historical stage. In the early days, most funds were contractual. 1879, the British Limited Company Act was promulgated, and the investment fund broke away from the original contract form and developed into an organizational form, called a joint stock limited company. At present, company-based funds are the main ones in Britain.