Backpacks and accessories specialist and Formula One supplier Built For Athletes secures £200,000 loan from Liverpool SME funder River Capital and will create new jobs. Tony McDonough reports

Backpacks, accessories, and apparel supplier Built For Athletes (BFA) has secured a £200,000 loan from River Capital to fund its next stage of growth.

Founded in 2018, BFA has grown from a niche supplier to the CrossFit and functional fitness community into a recognised international brand with partnerships spanning Formula 1, European football, and the US university market.

Current partnerships include Atlassian Williams Formula One, British Taekwondo, Loughborough University Sport and Alpine Formula One.

This cash injection for the Warrington venture has come from the North West Business Growth Loan Fund via River Capital in Liverpool. It will support the expansion plans and also fund the creation of several new jobs over the next three years.

River Capital has been a long-standing supporter of the business, having first invested through its Merseyside Loan and Equity Fund in October 2022.

The Business Growth Loan Fund investment marks a further milestone in that relationship, providing BFA with a more structured and cost-effective funding platform as it scales.

Danny Costello, chief executive of Built For Athletes, said: “River Capital has been with us since the early days, and this latest investment is a reflection of how far we’ve come as a business and echoes the strength of our working relationship.

“We’ve built something genuinely special with Built For Athletes — a brand with real global reach and a product people are passionate about. This funding gives us the platform to keep pushing, grow our team, and take the business to the next level.”

BFA is forecasting growth across both its direct-to-consumer and wholesale divisions through to 2029. It has appointed a new non-executive director – Matt Rogan, a sports marketing specialist and founder of renowned sports marketing agency Two Circles.

NatWest Bank has also recently boosted the firm with a six-figure trade finance facility, replacing a previous working capital arrangement.

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Chris Carter, investment manager at River Capital, added: “Built For Athletes has undergone a genuine transformation over the past 18 months. The team has built a brand with real credibility, forged partnerships that give it extraordinary international reach.

“This investment will give them the working capital headroom to continue that growth trajectory — and we’re proud to be backing them for the next chapter.”