Nettlestone Capital Advisors, a senior-led advisory and capital raising firm, has officially launched its operations from the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), fully authorised and regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA).
Founded by industry veteran Edwin Lawrence, Nettlestone is among the few firms in the region offering DFSA-regulated fundraising services tailored to specialist investment managers targeting regional capital. With more than 20 years of experience in the region, Lawrence previously held senior distribution roles at Franklin Templeton and later served as Head of Middle East at Columbia Threadneedle Investments.
Lawrence said: “Nettlestone was born out of a belief that the Middle East deserves better alignment between local investor needs and the specialist managers seeking to serve them. Operating under DFSA regulation from within the DIFC gives us a strong governance framework – while our on-the-ground knowledge enables us to build trusted, long-term relationships in a market that values commitment and cultural fluency.”
Nettlestone Capital Advisors follows a highly selective, partnership-driven model, working with a small number of conviction-led managers primarily across alternative asset classes. Leveraging a proprietary database of over 400 institutional investors and Family Offices across six Gulf markets, the firm offers a targeted approach to distribution built on nearly two decades of local experience.
The launch of Nettlestone comes at a time of growing institutional interest in differentiated investment strategies and increasing demand for governance and alignment led capital raising models in the region.
