MOBILISING MALAWI'S CAPITAL
Optimise your business investments in Malawi with globally experienced professionals
MOBILISING MALAWI'S CAPITAL
Local advisory services for investing and doing business in Malawi delivered by professionals with global experience
About Foster Lewis
Foster Lewis is a highly skilled business advisory firm focusing on financial services, inward investment and governance in Malawi. Our mission is to break down the barriers to investing and doing business in Malawi and the Southern African region. We achieve this by developing innovative ways to overcome market information asymmetries, filling capacity gaps and strengthening governance practices.
Originally founded in London in 2011, in April 2016 Foster Lewis established a regional office in Lilongwe, Malawi. This has enabled us to offer an unrivalled local team of professionals with experience stretching across sub-Saharan Africa. Our consultants and associates deliver a unique blend of international expertise in finance, investment and governance that is rooted in local insight.
Core services
Investment support
We work with businesses and investors looking to establish and scale in the region. On the sell side, our team is experienced in transactional assistance including business plan analysis, financial modelling and investment promotion. On the buy side, we specialise in investment profiling, deal pipeline building and commercial due diligence.
Business development
Optimising operations and strategy is key to scalability and often a pre- requisite for raising investment. We have expertise in developing business plans, designing and drafting operational policies and procedures, troubleshooting and strategic development.
Research and innovation
We believe that the foundations of business success are built on offering something new that solves real problems for clients. We continually research and innovate to identify how cutting edge new technologies, such as cryptocurrency and blockchain, can be adopted to solve development challenges.
What sets us apart
A no nonsense approach
We deliver concise, insightful reports that put the key facts front and centre, helping you make the best business decisions quickly.
Respected by the biggest names
Because we are a boutique firm, we offer a personalised service and are trusted by the biggest names in business and in the development sector.
Client confidentiality
Respecting the privacy of our clients is a key value of Foster Lewis and is strictly enforced through our Information Handling Policy.
Pro-innovation
Africa is ripe for disruptive technologies and Foster Lewis is an advocate of relevant technologies that solve African problems.
Executive Directors
Ian Foster | Managing Director
- Chartered Accountant
- >15 years professional experience
- >40 assignments completed successfully in Malawi
- Co-founder: afriCUBE.com
- British national
Ian is a Chartered Accountant, business consultant and entrepreneur with over 15 years’ professional experience and 40 engagements in Malawi with some of the largest businesses, financial institutions and development partners. He is co-founder and Managing Director of Foster Lewis with a mission to increase investment flows to Malawian enterprises.
Ian has successfully completed projects for clients including European Investment Bank, Spear Capital, the Malawi Agricultural and Industrial Investment Corporation (MAIIC), FCDO, UNDP, GIZ, EY, Invegrow, ACE commodity exchange, Universal Industries, Central Poultry, Nyama World and many more. Ian also co-founded afriCUBE.com, bringing high impact deal flow from Africa to the world.
Abena Lewis | Director
- Attorney at Law (New York)
- Former Non-Executive Director, FCB, Malawi
- Alumni Draper University
- Co-Founder: afriCUBE.com
- Ex-private equity (London)
- Malawian national
Abena is an Attorney-at-Law and specialist in financial services regulation and compliance. She is a Co-founder and Director of Foster Lewis and previously worked with top private equity firms (Duke Street LLP and AnaCap Financial Partners LLP) and law firms (Clifford Chance and Macfarlanes) in London. Between 2017 and 2021 Abena was a Non- Executive Director of First Capital Bank (FCB) in Malawi. She holds an LLB Law (Hons) from King’s College University, London as well as a Post Graduate Diploma in Law (Distinction) from BPP Law School London.
Abena is committed to supporting and promoting African entrepreneurship. She recently completed Draper University’s Entrepreneurship Hero Training in Silicon Valley.
Global strategic partners
Joint Venture Partner
afriCUBE.com is our flagship product, connecting African enterprise to global capital. afriCUBE helps investors to cast a wide net in an efficient and cost effective way to capture opportunities from diverse and often unexpected sources.
Joint Venture Partner
Imani Development International is a leading development consultancy. As a joint venture partner, Imani provides us with a global presence and deep insights into a full spectrum of agricultural value chains and trade policy throughout the region.
Global Ambassador
We are official Global Ambassadors of Draper University in Silicon Valley, the mecca of entrepreneurship and innovation. We have partnered in their mission to inspire entrepreneurs, accelerate ideas and ignite the entrepreneurial spirit globally.
Strategic Alliance
In November 2019, LFS - a leading global impact advisory firm based in Berlin - and Foster Lewis formed a strategic alliance to provide investment advisory and capital market services to investors and impact-generating enterprises in Southeastern Africa.
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