ONE8 Signs Smriti Mandhana to Strengthen Women’s Sportswear Category
ONE8, the performance sportswear brand backed by Agilitas, has signed Indian cricket star Smriti Mandhana to a long‑term partnership. Mandhana will serve as brand ambassador and co‑creator, working with design and R&D teams to develop women’s high‑performance apparel, especially for cricket and intense training. The deal reinforces ONE8’s push to become India’s first premium performance‑focused sportswear label and highlights the growing emphasis on athlete‑led product innovation in the women’s sports segment.
INova Pharmaceuticals Appoints Sarvesh Sahni as Marketing Director AMENA
iNova Pharmaceuticals announced the appointment of Sarvesh Sahni as Marketing Director for Skincare & Women’s Health across the AMENA region, operating from Singapore. Sahni brings more than 15 years of consumer‑health and FMCG leadership, most recently at Johnson & Johnson and Kenvue, where he...
Frasers Group in Talks to Acquire Two McArthurGlen-Managed Outlet Centres
Frasers Group is negotiating to buy two McArthurGlen‑managed outlet centres in York and the East Midlands from Aviva Investors. The sites total about 600,000 sq ft and host brands ranging from luxury label Paul Smith to mass‑market retailers such as H&M, Nike and...
Colleges to Share £175m to Meet Future Jobs Need
The UK government is allocating £175 million (approximately $219 million) to three West Midlands colleges under the Technical Excellence Colleges (TECs) programme. City of Wolverhampton College, Newcastle and Stafford College Group, and Birmingham Metropolitan College will become hubs for advanced manufacturing, digital,...
China Exports Growth in March Misses Estimates, Imports Surge Most in over Four Years
China’s exports rose 2.5% year‑on‑year in March, well below the 8.6% analysts expected, marking the slowest growth in six months. Imports surged 27.8% YoY, the strongest increase since November 2021, driven by tighter global supply and higher commodity prices. The trade...
CommsCon Catchup: Want to Survive the AI Revolution? Make Sure You’re in the ‘Trust’ Business
At CommsCon, Peter Wilkinson warned that by 2030 the chief corporate‑affairs officer will eclipse the CMO as AI reshapes buying decisions. He argues that AI gives consumers direct access to data on price, ethics and risk, making trust the key...
Emergent Launches VibeCon India, Offers Direct YC Interview to Winning Team
Emergent is launching VibeCon India, a high‑signal AI hackathon in Bengaluru on April 16‑17, after filtering more than 20,000 applicants. The event offers winners a direct interview with a Y Combinator partner and cash prizes, plus mentorship and credits from top...
Holidays Take a Hit as UK Cost of Living Fears and Iran War Bite
UK consumers reduced travel spending by 3.3% in March, marking the first decline since 2021, as cost‑of‑living worries and the Iran‑related Middle East conflict weigh on confidence. Overall card spending rose modestly 0.9% year‑on‑year, while domestic hotel bookings increased 1.2%...
US Trade Chief Says Tech Restrictions to Block Chinese Carmakers
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer announced that new restrictions on foreign‑entity connected‑vehicle technology will take effect over the next 12‑18 months, effectively blocking Chinese automakers from entering the U.S. market. The rules target "foreign entities of concern" such as BYD...
Kelluu Raises €15m to Secure Europe’s Skies with Autonomous Airships
Finnish autonomous‑airship startup Kelluu raised €15 million ($16.3 million) in a Series A round led by the NATO Innovation Fund, its first Finnish investment. The company operates the world’s largest fleet of hydrogen‑powered, unmanned airships that can stay aloft for more than 12 hours...
5 Signs Your Team Isn’t Aligned Even if They’re All Nodding
Steve, CEO of a fast‑growth fintech, believed his leadership team was "AI‑first" aligned, but execution revealed deep mis‑alignment. Operations interpreted AI as job cuts, Marketing treated it as a slogan, and Product saw it as a decision aid, exposing a...
AI in B2B Marketing: Where the Real Advantage Lies in 2026
AI has shifted from experimental projects to core operational use in B2B marketing, with firms leveraging machine learning for high‑intent account prioritization, real‑time campaign optimization, and pipeline forecasting. G2’s Spring 2026 Report shows 68% adoption of marketing automation platforms, while AI‑driven...
REMINDER: Capped Contingency Liquidity Facility Test – April 2026
The Fixed Income Clearing Corporation (FICC) issued a reminder that its annual Capped Contingency Liquidity Facility (CCLF) test will occur April 20‑24, 2026 in three parts. The test aims to raise members’ awareness of potential capital commitments, verify operational understanding of CCLF...
Synclicity Sees More Sync Opportunities for Emerging Artists
James Lloyd has launched Synclicity, a boutique sync‑licensing agency that debuted this week with a roster of 18 emerging artists spanning alt‑rock, indie pop, punk and folk. The firm targets placement opportunities across television, film, advertising, sports and the rapidly...
Your Party Goes Extinct in Scotland
Your Party’s Scottish branch effectively collapsed on 13 April when all 12 members of its interim executive committee resigned en masse, citing contempt from the national leadership. The resignations followed a March vote by Scottish members to abstain from fielding candidates...
Cadbury Debuts ‘&MORE’, Its Most Significant Brand Debut In More Than A Decade
Cadbury has unveiled &MORE, its most significant brand debut in over ten years, targeting Australian chocolate lovers seeking heightened indulgence. The line introduces five premium flavors—Hazelnut Praline, Tiramisu Swirl, Caramel Crème Brûlée, Roasted Macadamia and Raspberry Cheesecake—each featuring larger pieces, richer...
Ex-Mars, Global Growth Powerhouse Najoh Tita-Reid Confirmed For Crocs
Cairns Crocodiles, the marketing festival presented by Pinterest, has confirmed former Mars Petcare global chief growth officer Najoh Tita‑Reid as a keynote speaker for its 2026 program. Tita‑Reid, celebrated for integrating AI, creativity and data‑driven strategy at brands like Mars...
Iran Oil Hoard at Sea Shields China’s Refiners From US Blockade
A stockpile of about 38 million barrels of Iranian crude sits on tankers in Asia, with over a third anchored near China’s Yellow Sea. Chinese independent refiners—known as “teapots”—have built near‑record on‑shore inventories in Shandong, giving them roughly two‑and‑a‑half months of...
BharatPe Co-Founder, Shashvat Nakrani Steps Back to Build Something New
BharatPe co‑founder Shashvat Nakrani announced he will step back from day‑to‑day operations on May 1, moving into a strategic advisor role while remaining a board director and the company’s largest individual shareholder. The fintech unicorn, valued at $2.7 billion, has raised $584 million...
China’s Xi Warns Iran Conflict Leaves World ‘Beset by Disarray’
Chinese President Xi Jinping warned that the escalating Iran conflict is leaving the world "beset by disarray," emphasizing the risk of broader geopolitical instability. He called on all sides to pursue diplomatic channels and warned that unchecked escalation could ripple...
Burjis Godrej Elevated as Agrovet Chair Amid Leadership Shift
Godrej Industries Group announced a generational leadership shift, elevating 34‑year‑old Burjis Godrej to chair of Godrej Agrovet. His father, 75‑year‑old Nadir Godrej, will retire in August and assume the honorary title of chairman emeritus, while son Pirojsha Godrej will take...
Five Smart Questions to Optimise Your Business Payments Setup
Payments are a core business function but often go unchecked after initial setup. The article outlines five questions merchants should ask their banks or payment service providers, covering fee structures, Merchant Choice Routing, system resilience, alignment with Australian consumer habits,...
Gymshark Moves Beyond Retail to Open First-Ever Gym in Miami
Gymshark will launch its first dedicated gym, the Gymshark Lifting Club, in Wynwood, Miami later this year. The move pushes the UK‑based fitness apparel brand beyond its digital‑first roots and a string of flagship stores in London, Manchester, Amsterdam, Dubai...
Assembly Global APAC CEO Departs After 16 Years
Assembly Global’s APAC division, now a $5 billion‑billings network of 1,500 staff across 20 countries, announced the departure of CEO Richard Brosgill after six years. Brosgill highlighted completing an award‑winning, technology‑driven transformation and plans to recharge before his next challenge. The...
Flipkart and Leo India Turn Billy Bowden’s Iconic Signals Into Real-Time Shopping Moments
Flipkart has teamed with Leo India to turn umpire Billy Bowden’s iconic cricket gestures into real‑time shopping triggers on its platform. Viewers snap a photo of a signal during a live match, send it to a WhatsApp bot, and receive...
Beauty Briefing: The Business of Being Rachel Zoe
Fashion influencer Rachel Zoe is capitalizing on her recent stint on "Real Housewives" to secure high‑value brand partnerships, expanding her beauty empire beyond traditional styling services. The exposure has translated into multiple endorsement deals and a surge in her social...
Courteney Cox’s Homecourt Doubles Down on Luxe Hand Care with New Exfoliating Product
Homecourt, the home‑care brand founded by Courteney Cox, is expanding its hand‑care line with a new Exfoliating Hand Wash priced at $38. The product, scented with the bestselling Cece fragrance, combines organic rosella, saccharide isomerate and argan oil for up to...
Transcript: OpenAI Investors Question Its Valuation
Investors are scrutinising OpenAI’s roughly $850 bn valuation as the company pivots toward enterprise AI tools. The shift follows strong consumer performance with ChatGPT but raises doubts about competing with Anthropic and Google in the business market. OpenAI’s planned public listing...
MrBeast Is so Big, Beast Industries Turns Down Eight-Figure Brand Deals if They Aren’t the Right Fit
Jimmy "MrBeast" Donaldson’s Beast Industries has become a magnet for Fortune 1000 CMOs, leveraging a billion‑plus viewership to command multi‑year, category‑exclusive brand deals. Under CEO Jeff Housenbold, the company now fields a 25‑person partnership team and routinely rejects eight‑figure offers that...
Inside The Trade Desk’s Programmatic Power Struggle
The Trade Desk, the world’s largest independent demand‑side platform, is under fire as major agencies Dentsu, WPP and Publicis pull spend from its OpenPath marketplace over transparency concerns. The DSP is also revising payment terms for identity data providers while...
Agentic Coding at Enterprise Scale Demands Spec-Driven Development
AWS’s Kiro platform demonstrates that spec‑driven development can shrink enterprise software cycles dramatically, turning multi‑week feature builds into multi‑day sprints. By anchoring AI agents to rich, structured specifications, teams can generate code, run property‑based tests, and let agents self‑correct without...
The 6 Best Revenue Intelligence Platforms in 2026
Revenue intelligence software aims to replace guesswork in sales forecasting by automatically ingesting calls, emails and CRM activity. After extensive testing, Zapier identifies six top platforms—Clari, HubSpot Sales Hub, Gong, Salesloft, Salesforce Revenue Intelligence, and People.ai—each excelling in a different...
Why Brands Can’t Stop Acting Like Reply Guys and Jumping Into Viral Comment Threads on Social Media
Brands are increasingly using comment threads on TikTok, Instagram and X to spark real‑time conversation and drive organic reach. Companies like Dude Wipes and Vita Coco treat replies as a core engagement tactic, inserting witty remarks into viral posts to attract...
CRM System Examples: What CRMs Do (with Real Workflows)
The article explains how modern CRM platforms turn fragmented customer data into a single source of truth by centralizing contacts, deals, and support interactions. It highlights essential features such as pipeline tracking, task automation, reporting, and AI‑driven insights, stressing that...
PXG Partners With PGA Tour Superstore For Custom-Fit Clubs At Retail
PXG, the high‑performance golf club maker, has partnered with PGA Tour Superstore to sell its custom‑fit clubs, bags, balls and apparel in retail locations. The rollout begins today at select stores and is slated to reach all 75 PGA Tour...
Lowe’s Leans on Its 35 Million Loyalty Members as It Expands Into Kids’ Programs and Subscriptions
Lowe’s has expanded its MyLowe’s Rewards ecosystem to cover homeowners, professional contractors, families and kids, now boasting over 35 million members. The unified program uses a single currency and mobile app, and members spend about 50 % more than non‑members. New initiatives...
Can Nutella Keep Its Viral Cosmic Moment in Orbit?
Nutella’s jar briefly floated on a NASA livestream, sparking a viral surge that amassed millions of engagements across platforms. The unplanned, absurd juxtaposition of a familiar spread with a high‑tech space mission resonated as an authentic cultural signal rather than...
AB 1940: California Moves to Expressly Protect Employees Experiencing Menopause Under FEHA
California Assembly Bill 1940, introduced in February 2026, seeks to explicitly add perimenopause, menopause and postmenopause to the definition of “sex” under the state Fair Employment and Housing Act. The bill would require updated workplace discrimination posters and a statewide...
Stabilization Fund to Not Intervene Despite Middle East Conflict
Taiwan’s National Financial Stabilization Fund announced it will not intervene in the stock market despite heightened volatility from the Israel‑Iran conflict. The Ministry of Finance cited the island’s solid economic fundamentals and existing price‑stabilization measures that have cushioned crude‑oil price...
Cosmos Unveils New Brand Campaign ‘TRAVEL DEALS YOU CAN TRUST’ via Town Square
Cosmos, a 65‑year‑old value tour operator, has launched a new brand campaign titled “Travel Deals You Can Trust” across Australia and New Zealand. Developed with Melbourne‑based agency Town Square, the campaign spotlights low‑cost, no‑frills tours that deliver reliable, experience‑rich travel. It...
How Will AI Affect the US Labor Market?
Goldman Sachs researchers project that AI adoption across U.S. firms will span roughly a decade, potentially displacing 6‑7% of the workforce. If the transition is evenly paced, unemployment could rise by about 0.6 percentage points, with larger spikes if adoption...
DryFlow Magnetics Ramps up Manufacturing for Waterless Iron Ore Tech
DryFlow Magnetics, an Adelaide‑based industrial tech firm, has secured an additional seed‑funding round following a $10 million AUD (~$6.6 million USD) raise in December 2025. The capital will fund manufacturing and installation of its first commercial pilot plant at a South Australian...
Futures Dip, Oil Prices Climb as US Plans to Blockade the Strait of Hormuz
U.S. President Donald Trump announced an immediate naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, prompting Iran to threaten retaliation against Persian Gulf ports. The announcement sent Dow futures down 0.9% and pulled S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 futures lower by...
DOJ Announces First False Claims Act Settlement Under Civil Rights Fraud Initiative: IBM to Pay $17 Million to Resolve Allegations...
On April 10, 2026 the Justice Department announced its first False Claims Act settlement under the Civil Rights Fraud Initiative, with IBM agreeing to pay $17,077,043 to resolve allegations that its DEI‑related hiring and compensation practices violated anti‑discrimination rules in federal contracts....
Deals in Brief: Three Singapore Startups Raise AI Funding; SC Ventures Leads Keyrock’s Series C Round; Six China Investments; and...
Singapore’s AI ecosystem saw a flurry of capital this week, with Muun AI closing a $700,000 pre‑seed round, OnSite raising $1.3 million seed funding for its construction‑focused communication platform, Injewelme securing $1.2 million to broaden contactless health‑monitoring capabilities, and NeuBird AI attracting...
Hot Flashes, New Laws: The Rise of State Menopause Protections
State-level momentum is reshaping workplace protections as Rhode Island became the first U.S. state to explicitly ban menopause discrimination and mandate reasonable accommodations. The law fills a gap left by federal statutes, which only offer indirect recourse through sex, age,...
Apac (Ex Japan) Investment Banking Fees Fell 5% in Q1 as ECM Fees Grew 62%: LSEG
LSEG data shows APAC (ex‑Japan) investment‑banking fees fell 5% YoY to $5.3 billion in Q1 2026. Despite the decline, equity capital markets (ECM) fees surged 62%, driven by Hong Kong activity. Conversely, M&A fees plunged 47% across the region. The mixed results highlight...
Purpose Before Position: Singapore’s First Female President Halimah Yacob on Earning Trust and Leading Through Uncertainty
Singapore’s first female President, Halimah Yacob, joined DBS CEO Tan Su Shan for a fireside chat at the bank’s International Women’s Day 2026 event. She emphasized that purpose and trust are the foundations of effective leadership, drawing on her labour‑movement...
M&A Boom in Japan Is Fuelling Record Corporate Bond Sales
Japan's corporate bond market is set to break records as M&A activity drives unprecedented funding demand. Yen‑denominated issuance surged 94% year‑over‑year in March, and Daiwa estimates total sales will reach ¥16.5 trillion (about $110 billion) this fiscal year, up from ¥15.9 trillion last...
Nollywood Needs to Get on the Microdrama Train Now
Microdramas are exploding worldwide, with China’s revenue soaring from $500 million in 2021 to $7 billion in 2024 and global earnings projected at $9.5 billion by 2030. The United States alone generated $800 million in 2024, while Nigeria’s Nollywood cinema made a modest $10 million...