Business

Months ago, half a billion dollars flowed into crypto betting startups through new investment rounds.

Behind these platforms: blockchain fused with online gambling mechanics draws serious interest. User counts climb, transaction speeds improve – founders point to real shifts underway.

Venture Capital Moves Toward Digital Betting

Half a billion dollars flowed into cryptocurrency gambling startups lately, and platforms such as 1xbet Ireland have also expanded their casino online presence by exploring faster digital payment options. Of that sum, three big investors made up close to sixty percent, showing how strongly the casino online sector continues to attract capital.

Each agreement typically involved about twenty-five million dollars, twenty times over. These backers show interest mainly in services using blockchains to handle wagers. Out in the open, every bet lands on shared records. Real-time checking lets people follow payments as they happen.

One reason these platforms gain ground? Fees take a steep drop compared to old methods. While standard networks pull out 3 percent each time, digital currency moves it under Quick movement catches interest too. Withdrawals on certain sites wrap up in under ten minutes. Meanwhile, standard methods can stretch into a forty-eight-hour wait.

What’s Fueling the Rise in Tech Investments

When picking crypto betting sites, investors look at straightforward signs of how well they perform. Evidence points to a close link between financial backing and day-to-day reliability. What pushes success includes:

Every bet shows up clear as day on public blockchains. Transparency built right into the ledger keeps it that way.
Smart contracts automate payouts within seconds.
Funds for digital protection now take up one-fifth of running expenses.
Most wagers come through smartphone applications. Around seven out of ten are placed that way.
Processing systems handle one million bets per hour.

Expanding markets and growing user base

Fresh sign-ups at crypto gambling platforms have grown two times over. More than three million people log in each month on big sites now. Bets using cryptocurrency topped two billion dollars lately. Adults under thirty like paying with digital money more often. Moving funds in and out feels easier thanks to wallet apps. More than fifteen digital currencies work across platforms, offering room to move.

Sports and gaming events pull attention from marketers, drawing steady interest. Engagement jumps thirty percent where live wagering runs active. Odds shifting by the second keep players involved more deeply. Even with fast expansion, income strategies stay level and measured. Betting odds are designed so the operator earns a steady profit. Over time, randomness favors the business side of the game.

Staying Safe While Playing Games That Change Quickly

Most sites include features meant for safer play. Wins are never guaranteed, just possible. A built-in advantage stays with the house constantly. Putting boundaries on funds spent is one way players manage risk. Fun should stay fun, nothing more. After a while, alerts pop up to let players know they have been playing long stretches.

Talking with support staff can help clarify better ways to handle gaming routines. Looking at straightforward logs helps people see exactly where money goes. Setting boundaries keeps accounts from tipping into risky zones. Start smart by deciding limits ahead of time. When spending does not spiral, fun holds steady.

Financial Trends and Sector Clues

Growth keeps building in online betting areas. Crypto sites are expected to rise by more than ten percent. Money flowing into startups shows belief in future gains. Big investors watch potential buys with sharp attention. The scene might shift if deals go through.

Now comes the time when working together pushes products faster. Because numbers talk, choices follow what data shows. Watching how users act helps shape better predictions. Getting it right more often keeps things running smoother. When big moments happen, steady money flows help hold everything in place.

Behind the scenes, backers are watching steady growth in users and backbone strength. Companies using crypto for wagers aren’t startups anymore – they’re wide open, full throttle. Fresh ideas mix steadily with careful control of dangers here. As growth moves forward, clear rules and honest actions stay at the center by design.

Read more:
Crypto Betting Companies See 500 Million Dollar Investment Jump

UK space technology firm SatVu has secured £30m ($40m) in fresh funding, including a strategic investment from the NATO Innovation Fund, as it accelerates plans to deploy a multi-satellite thermal imaging constellation.

The round brings SatVu’s total equity funding to £60m ($80m) and marks a shift from single-satellite demonstration to scaled execution of its space-based “Activity Intelligence” capability.

The investment also includes participation from the British Business Bank, Space Frontiers Fund II, managed by SPARX Asset Management, and Presto Tech Horizons, alongside existing backers including Molten Ventures and Lockheed Martin.

SatVu’s technology uses high-resolution thermal imaging from space to detect heat signatures associated with activity inside and around buildings, industrial facilities and critical infrastructure, day and night. The company says this enables governments and institutions to monitor mobilisation, operational readiness and infrastructure performance in ways that traditional commercial sensors cannot.

Two satellites, HotSat-2 and HotSat-3, are scheduled for launch in 2026, with additional satellites, HotSat-4, HotSat-5 and long-lead components of HotSat-6, already under contract. While a single satellite can observe any point on Earth, a constellation increases revisit frequency, allowing persistent monitoring of patterns of life and operational change.

Anthony Baker, co-founder and chief executive of SatVu, said the funding would allow the business to scale a sovereign thermal capability built in the UK. “High-resolution thermal imagery from space reveals activity that is otherwise invisible,” he said. “From monitoring military supply chains to detecting covert activity, thermal intelligence is essential to modern ISR.”

The investment aligns with NATO’s mission to support advanced technologies that enhance allied security. Trisha Saxena of the NATO Innovation Fund said SatVu’s platform offers “a level of detailed data that was simply not available before”.

SatVu has also received backing through UK defence innovation programmes, including a Defence Innovation Loan awarded via the Defence and Security Accelerator, now part of UK Defence Innovation.

Luke Pollard said the government was committed to scaling British defence SMEs. “Our support for firms like SatVu is building sovereign capabilities while driving economic growth,” he said.

Camilla Taylor, chief financial officer at SatVu, described the raise as a pivotal step. “We now have a clear path to a multi-satellite constellation and sustained delivery,” she said, adding that the company is moving from capability demonstration to commercial scaling.

As allied governments place greater emphasis on resilience, independent intelligence and infrastructure monitoring, SatVu’s backers argue that persistent thermal Earth observation could become a critical new data layer in defence, security and economic decision-making.

The funding positions SatVu to expand its constellation rapidly and establish itself as a key supplier of sovereign thermal intelligence across NATO nations and beyond.

Read more:
NATO Innovation Fund backs SatVu with £30m investment to scale thermal intelligence

Profit margins at the world’s largest luxury goods companies have almost halved in just three years, prompting calls for more disciplined cost management that preserves brand equity while restoring profitability.

Research from supply chain consultancy Inverto, part of Boston Consulting Group, shows that the average operating margin across the 20 biggest luxury groups has fallen from 24 per cent in 2022 to 13 per cent today.

Half of those companies have seen margins decline over the period, while five are now operating at a loss.

Analysts say the slowdown in global demand, particularly in key markets such as China and the US, has combined with rising input and operational costs to squeeze profitability in a sector long associated with premium pricing power.

Traditionally, luxury houses have adopted high-cost approaches across their entire business, including areas not directly tied to product craftsmanship or customer experience, such as IT, logistics and back-office functions.

Daniela Klotz, managing director at Inverto, argues that meaningful savings can be achieved in these “indirect categories” without diluting brand identity.

“In indirect spend areas, systematic management can unlock savings of 8 to 10 per cent, or more, within six to twelve months,” she said.

One example is software licence optimisation. Many global brands overpay for unused or over-specified licences. “One client reduced software spending by 15 per cent through a rightsizing strategy,” Klotz noted.

Similarly, marketing and visual merchandising often incur heavy centralised production and international shipping costs to maintain brand consistency. By enabling approved regional suppliers to produce materials to centrally defined specifications, companies can preserve visual standards while reducing logistics and production costs.

“With the right strategy, spend in this category can fall by up to 30 per cent,” Klotz said.

Klotz said luxury brands need a clear, data-driven assessment of which elements of their supply chains are truly essential to maintaining brand equity and which can be streamlined.

Once that framework is established, artificial intelligence can help identify operational inefficiencies. AI tools can optimise transportation routes and shipping schedules, cutting freight costs while maintaining delivery standards.

In fashion, AI forecasting models can also help reduce overproduction, a persistent challenge when balancing sizes, colours and seasonal demand. Improved forecasting can limit discounting and wastage, directly protecting margins.

The luxury sector’s long-standing reliance on premium pricing and brand prestige is now being tested by softer consumer sentiment and more cautious spending.

Klotz argues that protecting margins in the current environment requires sharper focus. “With a clear cost management strategy and a disciplined approach to what is essential and what is not, fashion and luxury brands can significantly improve their margins,” she said.

As investor scrutiny intensifies and growth moderates, the sector’s next phase may depend less on headline price increases and more on operational excellence behind the scenes.

Read more:
Luxury brands urged to protect margins as profits slide

Octopus Energy Generation is investing nearly $1bn in Californian clean technology projects, deepening its exposure to the US energy transition and accelerating plans to deploy $2bn across the country by 2030.

The funding, channelled through Octopus-managed funds, spans carbon removal, heat battery technology and solar-plus-storage infrastructure, reinforcing the company’s strategy of backing next-generation decarbonisation assets in advanced markets.

Octopus will support two California-based carbon removal companies focused on grassland restoration and reforestation, converting degraded land into high-quality carbon-absorbing assets. Several large technology firms have already agreed to purchase carbon credits from the projects, providing long-term revenue visibility.

The investor will also back heat battery technology developed in the Bay Area, aimed at decarbonising hard-to-electrify industrial processes. The systems are designed to replace fossil-fuel boilers with renewable-powered thermal storage, cutting emissions in sectors that have proven difficult to transition.

As part of the investment drive, Octopus is acquiring a solar and battery storage project in California. The site is expected to be fully operational by July 2026, helping convert the state’s abundant solar resource into dispatchable, low-cost electricity.

The announcement builds on earlier North American investments, including backing floating offshore wind developer Ocergy and solar projects in Ohio and Pennsylvania.

The move comes as Octopus expands its international footprint while maintaining close ties to the UK market. Britain’s clean energy economy grew three times faster than the wider economy in 2024, according to CBI data, and Octopus said overseas investments would ultimately support UK returns and expertise.

Zoisa North-Bond, chief executive of Octopus Energy Generation, said California’s policy environment and technology ecosystem made it an attractive long-term partner.

“Octopus and California are both leading the way in clean energy innovation,” she said. “With supportive policy and world-class entrepreneurship in and around Silicon Valley, it’s an ideal place to back investments that will benefit the UK economy.”

California currently generates more than two-thirds of its electricity from clean sources and aims to reach 100 per cent by 2045, positioning it as one of the world’s most ambitious energy transition markets.

The announcement was made during a visit by the Governor of California to Octopus’s London headquarters, underscoring the growing transatlantic collaboration in clean technology and infrastructure investment.

Read more:
Octopus Energy Generation to invest $1bn in California clean tech

If you have ever tried to defend creator spend in front of a CFO, you know the problem. The campaign can look busy on the surface. Views are high, comments are positive, and the creators are asking when the next deal is coming.

Then the CFO asks one question: what did we get back in revenue, and how do you know it came from this spend? When the answer leans on Earned Media Value (EMV) only, engagement rate, or brand awareness, the conversation usually ends with budget pressure.

In 2026, that standard is changing. Vanity metrics might help you improve creativity, but they do not justify investment. What wins the budget is attribution to Net Revenue and profit, plus clear math that ties spend to Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC), Customer Lifetime Value (CLV), and conversion. CFOs in particular and brands in general need performance-based influencer marketing.

This guide shows how to calculate influencer marketing ROI using the same financial logic you would use for any growth channel. We will also separate Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) from profit based ROI, and walk through creator campaign attribution models and the tracking stack needed to connect an influencer post to a closed deal.

Key Takeaways

Move beyond EMV to Hard Revenue.
Include all costs (agency, product, shipping) in the formula.
Use U-Shaped or Linear attribution to see the full picture.
Automate tracking with UTMs and pixels.

ROI vs. ROAS vs. EMV: Defining Financial Success

Marketers often mix these metrics in the same report. A CFO will not. If you want influencer spend to be treated like a real growth investment, you need to be precise about what each metric measures, what it ignores, and what question it answers.

Earned Media Value (EMV)

What it is: A dollar estimate assigned to impressions, views, likes, or engagement by comparing them to what you might have paid for similar reach in ads.
What it answers: “How much would this exposure have cost if we bought it?”
Why it fails in the boardroom: EMV is built on vanity metrics. It has no direct link to net revenue, profit, or even verified customer actions. Two campaigns can have the same EMV while one drives sales and the other drives nothing but attention. EMV can be useful for creative benchmarking, but it is not a financial result.

Return on Ad Spend (ROAS)

What it is: A revenue efficiency metric.
Formula: ROAS = Gross Revenue / Ad Spend
What it answers: “How much gross revenue did we generate per dollar spent?”
Why it matters: ROAS is a clean way to compare channel efficiency when your goal is revenue generation. It forces you to connect spend to revenue. But ROAS is not profitable. It does not subtract costs like Cost of Goods Sold (COGS), shipping, discounts, refunds, or agency fees. A campaign can look strong on ROAS and still lose money.

Influencer Marketing ROI

What it is: A profitability metric for creator investment, and the primary financial KPI if you need CFO level approval.
Core logic: profit compared to Total Investment.
What it answers: “Did we make money after all costs, and how much profit did this Investment produce?”
Why it matters: ROI is what finance teams use to decide whether to scale, hold, or cut spend. It forces you to define total investment properly and connect it to profit, not just revenue.

Comparison table: EMV vs. ROAS vs. ROI

Metric
What it measures
Core inputs
Best use
Main weakness

EMV
Estimated value of exposure
Vanity metrics like views, impressions, engagement, plus assumed media rates
Creative comparison, top of funnel reporting
Not tied to net revenue, profit, or verified outcomes

ROAS
Revenue efficiency
Gross revenue, ad spend
Comparing efficiency across paid and creator programs
Ignores costs, so it can overstate success

ROI
Profitability
Net profit, total investment
Budget justification and scale decisions
Requires clean cost accounting and attribution

The math difference that matters

ROAS uses Revenue, not profit:

ROAS = Gross Revenue / Ad Spend
Useful when you need to show Revenue per dollar, but it does not tell you if the campaign was profitable.

ROI uses profit and full Investment:

ROI is built on Profit compared to Total Investment, not just the creator fee.
Finance cares about Profit, because Profit is what remains after costs.

If you want a creator report to survive a CFO review, treat EMV as supporting context, not the headline. Lead with investment, revenue, and profit. Then back it up with transparent assumptions and a repeatable tracking method. For more on this, see metrics that matter.

The Exact Formulas to Calculate Creator ROI in 2026

1. ROI

Start with the only ROI formula a CFO will accept. Influencer marketing ROI is a profitability metric, not a feelings metric. The standard formula is:

ROI (%) = (Net Profit – Total Cost) / Total Cost x 100

This is the formula you should use when you want to claim a creator campaign “paid back” the budget.

2. Total Cost

Define Total Cost correctly, or your ROI will be wrong. Most influencer reports quietly treat the influencer fee as the whole cost. That is the fastest way to lose credibility with finance. Total Cost must include every real expense required to produce and fulfill the sale.

Include in Total Cost:

Creator fees (and usage rights if paid separately)
Agency fees or internal labor allocation (if you report that way)
Product seeding costs (free product sent to creators)
Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) for units sold
Shipping and handling
Payment processing fees and platform fees
Returns, refunds, chargebacks (treat as revenue reduction or as cost consistently)
Discounts and coupons (again, handle consistently)

If you leave out COGS and shipping, you can show a positive ROI on paper while the business loses money on every order.

3. Net Profit

Calculate Net Profit the same way your finance team does. Net Profit is what remains after costs. A simple way to structure it for creator campaigns is:

Net Profit = Net Revenue – Total Cost

Where Net Revenue is revenue after refunds, returns, and any adjustments your finance team uses. This is why Net Revenue matters more than top line gross sales when you are trying to prove real ROI.

4. Break-even Revenue

Know your break-even point before you scale. Before you ask for more spend, you should know the Break-even Point, meaning the minimum revenue you must generate to avoid losing money.

Break-even Revenue = Total Cost / Gross Margin %

Example:

Total Cost of the influencer program this month: $50,000
Your gross margin is 60% (0.60)
Break-even Revenue = $50,000 / 0.60 = $83,333.33

If your attributed revenue is below $83,333.33, you are not breaking even yet. If it is above it, you have room to scale, assuming the attribution is credible.

5. CAC

Calculate Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) for creator campaigns. ROI tells you profitability. CAC tells you efficiency of acquiring new customers, which is often how senior teams compare channels.

Influencer CAC = Total Spend / New Customers

Important details:

Total Spend should match your Total Cost logic, not just creator fees.
New Customers must be net new customers, not all purchases. Otherwise CAC looks artificially low.

Example:

Total Cost: $50,000
New customers attributed to creators: 250
CAC = $50,000 / 250 = $200

If your blended CAC target is $150, creator CAC at $200 might still be acceptable if it brings higher CLV, stronger retention, or higher average order value. For a deeper breakdown, see calculating CAC: /marketing-efficiency-ratio.

6. CLV

Bring in Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) to judge payback, not just first purchase. Influencers often drive higher trust and higher intent, which can affect retention. That is why CLV matters, especially for subscriptions, high ticket items, or products with repeat purchase behavior.

A simple CLV model:

CLV = Average Order Value x Purchase Frequency x Gross Margin x Average Customer Lifespan

Then compare CLV to CAC:

If CLV / CAC is healthy (many teams target 3x or more), the channel can be worth scaling even if first purchase ROI looks modest.
If CLV is unknown, at least estimate the payback period: how long it takes gross profit to recover CAC.

7. What about brand awareness campaigns?

Use cost efficiency, not fake ROI. If the campaign truly has no conversion event to measure, you do not calculate financial ROI honestly. You measure cost efficiency for awareness outcomes, and you keep it separate from performance claims.

Practical options:

Brand lift studies (awareness, consideration)
Share of voice or search lift
Cost per qualified visit, cost per email signup, or cost per lead, as a proxy when you are building the funnel

The key is consistency. If you want to say influencer marketing ROI improved, you must anchor it to profit math and full cost accounting, and then validate the attribution method you used to assign revenue and customers to influencers.

Attribution Models: Tracking the Invisible Touchpoints

If your influencer marketing ROI looks weaker than Facebook or Google, there is a good chance the campaign is not actually underperforming. You are likely seeing an attribution problem, not a performance problem. Influencer campaigns often create demand at the top of the funnel, while paid search, retargeting, or email captures the final click that converts. If you rely on Last-Click Attribution, creators will look expensive even when they are the reason the customer entered your world in the first place.

Below are the attribution models you can use to assign credit across touchpoints. The goal is not to “make influencers look good.” The goal is to assign credit in a way that reflects how people actually buy in 2026.

Last-Click Attribution

What it does: Gives 100% credit to the final touchpoint before purchase.
Why it breaks influencer campaign attribution: An influencer post might drive the first site visit, the email signup, or the app install. Then the customer returns later through Google search, a retargeting ad, or a branded direct visit. Last click gives all credit to the closer and none to the introducer.
When it is acceptable: Rarely. It can work for impulse purchases with one session conversion, but most creator driven journeys are not one session.

First-Touch Attribution

What it does: Gives 100% credit to the first recorded touchpoint.
Why it helps: It credits discovery, which is often the influencer’s true role. It is useful when your objective is growing new demand and you need to prove the creator’s “opening” value.
What it misses: It can undervalue the channels that do the heavy lifting in the middle and at close, like retargeting, email, sales, or affiliates.

Linear Attribution

What it does: Splits credit equally across every touchpoint in the journey.
Why it helps: It prevents one channel from stealing all credit and gives creditors a fair share when they are part of a longer path.
What it misses: Not all touchpoints are equally important. Some are decisive. Some are noisy.

U-Shaped Attribution

What it does: Assigns more credit to the first touchpoint and the last touchpoint, with the remaining credit spread across the middle touches. The model in this brief is: 40% First, 40% Last, 20% Middle.
Why it is often best for creator campaigns: It matches how many influencer paths work. Influencers introduce the brand and frame the intent. Retargeting or search closes the deal. The middle touches still matter, but they should not erase discovery.
How to use it in reporting: Treat the creator as the 40% opener when they are the first recorded touchpoint, or when they are the first meaningful engagement that can be verified (click, signup, install, or survey confirmed source).

Multi-Touch Attribution as the Umbrella Concept

Multi-Touch Attribution is any approach that assigns credit across multiple touchpoints instead of one. First touch, linear, and U shaped are common “rules based” versions. More advanced versions use data driven weighting, but the principle is the same: share credit across the journey.

Why your influencer ROI can look lower than Facebook ads ROI

In many stacks, Facebook is the closest because it retargets the people who first visited from creators. If your reporting uses last click, Facebook appears to generate the sale “cheaply,” and creators appear to “not convert.” That is an attribution error. The sale was assisted by creators, but the credit was not assigned.

Visual description for a U-Shaped model diagram

Imagine a path that goes left to right with five boxes:

Influencer Post
Website Visit
Email Signup
Retargeting Ad
Purchase

Above each box is a percentage.

The Influencer Post box has 40% credit
The Purchase box, labeled Retargeting Ad as the last touch, has 40% credit
The three middle boxes share the remaining 20% credit equally, so each middle box gets about 6.7%

The diagram makes one point clear: the model gives real credit to both introduction and close, instead of letting Last-Click Attribution erase the first touchpoint.

The Tech Stack: Automating the Tracking Loop

A strong attribution model only works if you can capture the right data. The goal is simple: every creator touchpoint should leave a measurable trail that can be tied to a user, a lead, and eventually net revenue in your reporting. You do not need a perfect setup to start, but you do need a consistent one.

UTM Parameters for every single creator link

Create UTM Parameters for each influencer, each platform, and ideally each post.

Minimum fields to standardize:

utm_source (influencer name or handle)
utm_medium (influencer)
utm_campaign (campaign name)
utm_content (platform or post identifier)

UTMs make the first click traceable, which protects Creator Campaign Attribution from being erased by Last-Click Attribution in your analytics.

Promo codes to track conversions that happen without a click

Not every customer clicks a link. Some see a post and search your brand later, or share it in a chat. This is dark social, and it is common for influencer driven demand.

Promo codes give you a second line of tracking when link data is missing.

Best practice:

Unique code per creator for clean attribution.
A consistent code structure (for example INFLUENCER10 or BRAND CREATOR).
A defined policy for discounting so codes do not destroy profit while chasing revenue.

Attribution pixels and conversion events

Use attribution pixels (your ad platform pixel or a server side event) to capture key actions:

View content
Add to cart
Lead form submit
Purchase or subscription start

Pixels let you build remarketing audiences and connect creator driven traffic to later conversions. They also help you see assisted conversions inside multi-touch views.

CRM integration from click to closed won

If you sell B2B, high ticket, or anything with a sales cycle, you cannot stop at checkout tracking. You need CRM Integration so each lead keeps its original source through the pipeline. Tools that are commonly used are HubSpot, Salesforce, and the like.

Minimum setup:

Capture UTMs on the first visit and store them in hidden form fields.
Push those fields into the CRM as lead properties.
Maintain the original source through deal stages, not just last activity.

This is where creator programs become CFO friendly, because you can show an influenced pipeline, closed won revenue, and payback timing.

Post purchase surveys to fill attribution gaps

A simple “How did you hear about us?” questions at checkout can catch what UTMs miss.
Offer structured answers that include top influencers or “Creator on TikTok” or “YouTuber.”
This is not perfect data, but it is often the only way to capture dark social influence when links are not clicked.

A practical reporting view that finance can trust

Build a weekly or monthly report that includes:

Total Investment by influencer and by platform
Attributed Net Revenue by model (first touch, U-shaped, or linear)
Profit and Influencer Marketing ROI
Creator CAC and payback period where possible

The point is to show the same language finance uses: Investment, Revenue, Profit, and time to recover spend.

The ROI Tracking Setup Checklist

UTMs on every creator link, standardized naming convention
Promo codes, ideally unique per creator
Attribution pixels with key conversion events configured
CRM Integration that stores original source and ties leads to closed won revenue
A post checkout or post signup survey to capture dark social touchpoints
A consistent attribution rule (often U shaped or linear) applied across reports

Conclusion

Influencer programs do not fail in finance reviews because creators “do not convert.” They fail because the measurement is incomplete. If you report EMV, views, or engagement as the headline, you are asking a CFO to fund feelings. In 2026, budget is won with revenue attribution, transparent cost accounting, and a repeatable method for assigning credit across touchpoints.

The fastest path to credible influencer marketing ROI is simple: pick an attribution model that reflects how people buy, and build a tech stack that captures the data consistently. For most teams, that means moving away from Last-Click Attribution, applying a U-Shaped or Linear approach for influencer campaign attribution, and enforcing tracking hygiene with UTMs, pixels, and CRM fields that survive the full journey to closed won.

If you want more budget next year, audit your current campaigns this month. Replace vanity reporting with Net Revenue, profit, CAC, and payback. Then you will have numbers that hold up in the boardroom.

Read more:
The Ultimate Guide to Calculating Real Influencer Campaign ROI

The British Business Bank has committed up to £45m as a cornerstone investor in Redrice Ventures’ £75m Fund II, aiming to strengthen early-stage investment across the UK’s creative industries.

The commitment, made through the Bank’s Enterprise Capital Funds programme, builds on a previous £36m cornerstone backing for Redrice’s first fund in 2021, which helped catalyse additional private capital into what became an oversubscribed vehicle.

Founded in 2018, London-based Redrice specialises in seed-stage investments in premium, purpose-driven consumer brands and related B2B technology. The firm focuses on companies operating at the intersection of creativity and commerce, with investments spanning media, sport, health and wellness, sectors where brand identity, storytelling and cultural relevance are central to growth.

The creative industries remain a significant contributor to the UK economy, employing around 2.4 million people and generating £124bn in gross value added. Consumer brands play a critical role within that ecosystem, driving demand for design, advertising, content production and innovation, while the broader creative sector enhances brand reach and international appeal.

Redrice’s portfolio also extends into sport and entertainment, supported by its Redrice Sports Collective, led by Sir Andy Murray and Alistair Brownlee OBE. Sport is regarded as a core creative export sector, combining live performance, media production and digital storytelling into globally marketable experiences.

The British Business Bank said its role as a cornerstone investor enables funds to achieve first close and scale more effectively. The Enterprise Capital Funds programme has backed 51 funds to date, representing more than £3bn of finance.

Christine Hockley, managing director and co-head of funds at the Bank, said the investment was aligned with the government’s growth agenda. “The creative industries are central to the UK’s growth mission,” she said. “As a cornerstone investor, we aim to crowd in additional capital and expand finance options for companies looking to scale.”

Tom March, founder and partner at Redrice Ventures, said the UK’s depth of creative and technical talent positioned it well to produce globally ambitious brands. “In a content-saturated world, the brands that win don’t just acquire customers — they build fanbases,” he said. “Fund II is about backing founders who understand that authentic connection is everything.”

The investment underscores growing institutional support for creative and consumer-focused startups as policymakers seek to strengthen high-growth sectors within the UK’s modern industrial strategy.

Read more:
British Business Bank commits up to £45m to Redrice Ventures to back creative industries

Graduates are increasingly missing out on job offers because they are not considered ready for the workplace, according to new research that suggests a widening gap between academic achievement and professional expectations.

A survey commissioned by Regent’s University London found that 80 per cent of recruiters believe graduates are losing out on roles due to a lack of professional maturity and work readiness. A further fifth described some candidates as “work shy” and lacking self-awareness.

Recruiters said a strong work ethic was the most commonly missing attribute among graduates, followed by communication skills, decision-making ability and accountability. These softer skills are now seen as more important than academic credentials, with 78 per cent of employers saying they prioritise candidates with strong interpersonal skills over those with top grades or technical expertise.

Practical experience is also viewed as critical. Nearly one in five recruiters said graduates fail to secure roles because they lack hands-on, on-the-job experience. As a result, 79 per cent said they favour applicants who have practical work exposure over those without it.

The findings reflect broader concerns about how well traditional university education prepares students for employment. More than 70 per cent of recruiters surveyed said higher education does not adequately equip graduates to thrive in professional environments, suggesting many are struggling not because of academic shortcomings but because of a disconnect between theory and real-world capability.

One in five recruiters said they had rejected candidates directly because of skills gaps they attributed to shortcomings in university preparation.

The pressures are compounded by rising competition for graduate roles and a softening labour market. Data from Jisc show graduate unemployment increased from 5.6 per cent to 6.2 per cent between 2021/22 and 2022/23, while the proportion in full-time employment fell from 59 per cent to 56.4 per cent.

Even when graduates do secure roles, employers report longer periods before they are deemed fully effective. Seventy-one per cent of recruiters said they have extended probation periods for graduate hires because of misaligned expectations around work ethic and softer skills.

Professor Geoff Smith, vice-chancellor and chief executive of Regent’s University London, said the findings highlighted the need for reform in higher education.

“It’s increasingly clear that traditional approaches to higher education are no longer preparing students for the realities of employment,” he said. “Universities must evolve to ensure students can communicate effectively and thrive in professional settings.”

He said Regent’s prioritises experiential learning, collaborative projects and practical engagement with businesses to bridge the gap between academic study and workplace expectations.

The research underscores growing employer concerns that academic success alone is no longer sufficient in a competitive labour market where adaptability, resilience and interpersonal capability are increasingly prized.

Read more:
Graduates missing out on jobs due to lack of workplace readiness, recruiters say

Warrington-based fitness brand Built For Athletes has secured £1.025m in funding from NatWest as it accelerates plans for global expansion and product innovation.

The facility comprises a £525,000 trade loan and £500,000 in invoice finance, providing the fast-growing business with additional financial flexibility to invest in new product lines, scale operations and expand its international footprint.

Founded in 2018 by brothers Daniel and Nicholas Costello, Built For Athletes has established itself as a category-defining backpack brand within the fitness sector. The company is known for its premium, design-protected functional backpacks tailored to gym users and competitive athletes, and has secured high-profile partnerships with Alpine F1 Team, Williams Racing, Red Bull Racing, Borussia Dortmund and fitness competition brand Hyrox.

Chief executive Danny Costello said the funding marks a significant milestone. “This facility provides enhanced financial flexibility to invest confidently in product development, operational capability and international expansion,” he said. “NatWest’s commitment to our long-term vision underpins the sustainable growth of the business.”

The company plans to use the funding to broaden its product range, deepen its global brand presence and invest further in digital marketing, creator partnerships and technology to strengthen direct-to-consumer sales.

Nathan Johnson, senior relationship manager at NatWest, said the bank was keen to back innovative, high-growth firms. “Built For Athletes exemplifies the kind of ambitious UK business shaping the future of sports retail,” he said.

Sustainability remains central to the company’s strategy. Built For Athletes designs durable products to counter fast-fashion waste, partners with BSCI-audited manufacturers, uses fully recyclable packaging and prioritises eco-efficient logistics. It also promotes employee wellbeing, diversity and transparent governance, aligning with NatWest Group’s broader focus on supporting sustainable business growth.

With new capital secured, Built For Athletes is positioning itself to move from a UK success story to a truly global fitness lifestyle brand.

Read more:
Built For Athletes secures £1m NatWest funding to fuel global expansion

Nominations have opened for the 2026 edition of the Black British Business Awards (BBBAwards), marking the 13th year of a programme dedicated to recognising exceptional Black British talent across the UK’s corporate and entrepreneurial landscape.

With nearly 500 professionals and entrepreneurs already honoured since its launch, the awards continue to serve as a prominent platform for celebrating leadership, innovation and impact across British business. Organisers are calling on companies to put forward visionary leaders, high-performing executives and entrepreneurial achievers whose work is shaping industries nationwide.

This year’s programme expands to nine categories, offering broader recognition than in previous years. The STEM category has been split into Science & Engineering and Technology, while Consumer & Luxury now spans Fashion & Beauty, FMCG and Retail & Hospitality. These sit alongside Arts & Media, Entrepreneur, Financial Services and Professional Services.

From the category winners, one overall Black British Business Person of the Year will be selected, joining a distinguished alumni that includes leaders from S&P Global, Microsoft and Netflix.

The 2026 theme, #SHINE, is designed to celebrate visibility, brilliance and measurable impact. BBBAwards chair and executive founder Dr Sophie Chandauka MBE said the theme reflects the importance of authentic growth and collective progress.

“#SHINE recognises those who illuminate pathways for others, drive measurable change and lead innovation across industries and communities,” she said. “When individuals have a platform to grow and shine authentically, collective success follows.”

Nominations close on Wednesday 11 March, with finalists and winners to be celebrated at a ceremony on 9 October at Hilton Park Lane. The event is expected to draw senior business leaders and influencers from across the UK economy.

Sponsors for 2026 include Baker McKenzie, Morgan Stanley, Ralph Lauren and S&P Global.

Last year’s Black British Business Person of the Year was Yvonne Kunihira-Davidson, managing director and EMEA head of tax solutions at S&P Global Market Intelligence. The 2025 Impact Award went to Anne Mensah, vice-president of UK content at Netflix, while the inaugural Icon Award honoured Kanya King CBE, founder and chief executive of MOBO Group.

Organisers say the awards remain a vital forum for recognising excellence and ensuring that Black British professionals receive the visibility and recognition their achievements merit.

Read more:
Nominations open for the 2026 Black British Business Awards

Topshop is making a nationwide return to bricks-and-mortar retail, launching in 32 John Lewis stores in its most significant high street comeback since the collapse of Arcadia Group in 2020.

The relaunch, which also sees Topman stocked in seven John Lewis locations, marks the first time in four years that the brand has returned to physical retail at scale.

Topshop’s original Oxford Street flagship was once a defining force in British fashion, famously drawing crowds when Kate Moss launched her collection in 2007. Its revival within John Lewis stores aims to recapture some of that cultural resonance.

After Arcadia entered administration, Topshop was acquired by Asos, which later sold a 75 per cent stake in the brand to Heartland, the investment arm of Danish billionaire Anders Holch Povlsen, founder of Bestseller.

Historically associated with shoppers aged 16 to 24, Topshop now returns via a retailer traditionally known for appealing to an older demographic. John Lewis said the move is designed to broaden its appeal to younger consumers while reconnecting with millennials who grew up with the brand.

The department store chain has been rebuilding its position after years of intense competition from rivals such as Marks & Spencer, a pandemic-driven shift towards online shopping and previous expansion missteps that left it with excess retail space.

Under a new leadership team, John Lewis has pursued a back-to-basics strategy, focusing on customer service, reintroducing its “never knowingly undersold” pledge and investing heavily in its in-store experience.

The Topshop relaunch coincides with London Fashion Week and features around 130 pieces across denim, tailoring, outerwear and wardrobe staples. Signature styles such as the Jamie and Joni jeans return alongside updated designs. Cara Delevingne fronts the new campaign.

Peter Ruis, managing director of John Lewis, described the partnership as a significant step in its fashion strategy. “To be the exclusive home of an iconic brand like Topshop signals our ambition to be the definitive style authority on the British high street,” he said.

Michelle Wilson, managing director of Topshop, said the partnership would bring the brand back to high streets across the UK “with the level of service our customers expect”.

The relaunch forms part of a wider £800m multi-year investment by John Lewis, which includes refurbishments of key stores, notably its Oxford Street flagship, and the introduction of 14 new fashion brands across womenswear and menswear.

For Topshop, the move represents a symbolic return to physical retail. For John Lewis, it is a calculated bet that brand nostalgia and refreshed fashion credentials can help reignite footfall on Britain’s struggling high streets.

Read more:
Topshop returns to the high street in John Lewis stores