What does the BrewDog collapse reveal about startup investing — and who really holds the power?BrewDog was once valued at over £1 billion. In 2026, it was sold for just £33 million. More than 75,000 investors backed the company through equity crowdfunding. Many are now likely to receive nothing.In this episode of Office Hours, Dr Robyn Klingler-Vidra (King’s Business School, author of Startup Capitalism) explains what this case tells us about how startup investing really works.You’ll learn:Why equity crowdfunding investors often have less power than they thinkThe difference between ordinary shares and preferred sharesWhy the UK doesn’t have a “scale-up problem” — but an exit problemHow global factors like market volatility, geopolitics and tariffs shape startup outcomesWhat the UK can learn from Japan and South Korea’s industrial strategiesWhy South Korea’s dominance in shipbuilding matters for innovation and growthThis episode breaks down the hidden mechanics of startup capitalism, from BrewDog to Silicon Valley and beyond.

Skiing and Formula One sit at opposite ends of the sustainability debate. One is fighting to survive. The other is often criticised for excess.

But both reveal something important about how industries respond when the pressure builds.

In this episode, Professor Paolo Aversa (King’s Business School) explains why artificial snow may be keeping skiing alive in the short term while quietly making its long-term future more fragile.

As costs rise and conditions worsen, the sport risks becoming more exclusive and less viable for the communities built around it.

Then we turn to Formula One. Despite its image, could it actually be one of the few sports that delivers real technological value? From hybrid engines to net zero fuels, F1 positions itself as a high-performance lab for innovation.

But how much of that promise translates into meaningful change?

Two very different sports. One shared question:when does innovation solve a problem, and when does it just delay it?

00:00 Artificial snow and the illusion of control

01:00 Why climate change is reshaping sport

02:00 Why skiing is under pressure

05:30 Artificial snow becomes essential

08:00 The hidden costs: energy and water

11:30 When adaptation becomes a trap

14:30 Who can still afford to ski?

17:00 Why Formula One is different

18:00 F1 as a lab for innovation

21:00 Net zero fuel explained

23:30 The limits of electric vs fuel

26:00 Can F1 technology scale?

Is AI revolutionising healthcare or just the latest tech hype? This episode of Office Hours looks at how it, and other technologies, are reshaping what it means to stay healthy.

Join host Sophia, a King's College London student, as she interviews Lara Lewington, a tech presenter, journalist and author of Hacking Humanity: How technology can save your health and your life, and King's Business School’s Professor Gerry McGivern.

Together, they navigate the benefits and drawbacks of health technology, from personalised medicine to data privacy.

They explore:

🤖 The impact of AI on extending ‘health span’

🔬 Personalised medicine and who benefits

🌐 Data privacy concerns in digital health

💰 The cost of innovative health tech

Get the real story on how technology is shaping the future of healthcare, and what this means for you.

#HealthTech #AI #DigitalHealth #FutureOfHealthcare #OfficeHoursPodcast