Sustainable sportswear brand Reflo has launched a £2.5 million crowdfunding campaign, giving the public the chance to invest in the fast-growing company alongside England captain Harry Kane.
The fundraising round, which launches on March 5 via the investment platform Crowdcube, marks a conscious departure from traditional venture capital financing. Instead, Reflo’s founders say they want the brand’s customers and community to become part-owners of the company as it expands globally.
Founded in 2021 by childhood friends Rory MacFadyen and Peter Philippou, Reflo has quickly become one of the UK’s fastest growing challenger sportswear brands. The company generated sales of around £5 million in 2025 and achieved gross margins of around 60 percent while building a diversified business including direct-to-consumer sales, wholesale partnerships, corporate apparel and collaborations with sports teams.
The decision to open the investment round to the public reflects the company’s philosophy that the people who buy its products should have the opportunity to participate in the brand’s growth.
MacFadyen said the founders were approached by venture capital firms but ultimately chose a different path.
“VC money was an option, but Reflo was always structured differently,” he said. “We’re challenging an industry that is responsible for up to 10 percent of global carbon emissions, and we believe the people who wear the product should have the chance to be part of that mission. Harry Kane believed in what we were building and decided to invest. Now others can too.”
Kane joined the company in 2024 as both a lead ambassador and investor, supporting the brand’s focus on sustainability and long-term innovation rather than marketing-based environmental promises.
The England striker said he was attracted by the founders’ ambition to revolutionize the sportswear industry.
“I was really impressed with Rory and Pete’s vision for the brand and wanted to get involved,” said Kane. “It’s growing quickly and it’s exciting for me to be a part of it.”
Rapid expansion in top-class sport
In just a few years, Reflo has partnered with several high-profile sports organizations, positioning the brand as a credible alternative to the legacy sportswear giants.
The company has produced apparel for Atlassian Williams Racing as well as several Formula E teams, including Jaguar TCS Racing and the Nissan Formula E Team.
Reflo has also worked with major global sporting events such as the Open Championship and the DP World Tour, alongside football clubs such as Luton Town FC and Forest Green Rovers.
These partnerships have helped increase the brand’s visibility while demonstrating the power of Reflo’s sustainable apparel.
The company says it has already recycled the equivalent of five million plastic bottles into its clothing and planted more than 200,000 trees as part of its sustainability commitment.
Reflo’s business model is based on three core divisions designed to capture multiple segments of the sportswear market.
The first pillar is the core direct-to-consumer sportswear brand, producing apparel for activities such as golf, running, training and padel.
The second company, TeamLabs, focuses on sustainable equipment solutions for elite sports teams and major sporting events, delivering performance apparel that meets professional standards while reducing environmental impact.
The third division, SupplyLabs, offers corporate and B2B apparel partnerships, working with companies seeking sustainable branded clothing and goods.
By collaborating with these three revenue streams, Reflo has built a diversified commercial platform that, according to the founders, strengthens its long-term growth prospects.
The company is targeting a global sportswear market worth $335 billion in 2023, which analysts say will grow to $646 billion by 2030 as demand for fitness wear and sportswear continues to rise.
At the same time, increasing scrutiny of environmental impacts is putting pressure on clothing brands to improve transparency and reduce carbon emissions along supply chains.
Reflo’s founders believe that this shift in consumer behavior is creating space for new entrants who combine high performance with true sustainability expertise.
Philippou said building a brand around responsible manufacturing required the company to take a more sophisticated approach to product design and sourcing.
“We make our lives more difficult by doing things the right way,” he said. “Cleaner materials, responsible manufacturing and better design. It proves that sustainability and profitability can coexist.”
He added that the crowdfunding round would allow the company to scale its model internationally.
“This increase is about expanding what we have built globally.”
The founders say the crowdfunding campaign will allow thousands of smaller investors to participate in Reflo’s growth story while strengthening customer loyalty to the brand.
Crowdcube has become a popular platform for consumer brands looking to raise capital while building engaged shareholder communities.
The Reflo campaign is expected to be one of the most prominent consumer brand fundraising efforts to Crowdcube’s investor base this quarter.
Investors participating in the round will support a company that is positioning itself as a sustainability-focused challenger brand capable of competing with established global sportswear manufacturers.
For MacFadyen, the crowdfunding campaign is more than just a financing measure.
“Our goal is to build a brand that proves that sustainability and performance go together,” he said. “And we want the people who believe in this vision to be part of this journey.”
