Business Daily

We’re in Sierra Leone where the gems have helped to fuel war and, many would say, decades of corruption. The closure of the country’s biggest diamond mine has added to the economic uncertainty as well as the fear of further conflict. In the first of two programmes, we look at the clouds hanging over West Africa’s diamond industry. To get in touch with the team, send us an email to businessdaily@bb...

We meet Kate Kallot, the founder and CEO of Amini AI, a startup working to make farming and environmental data easier to obtain across Africa and other emerging economies. The entrepreneur set up the company with the aim of improving access to reliable information, shaped in part by her family’s experience fleeing the Central African Republic after her grandfather, an Interpol agent, was assassina...

We explore the costly and growing problem of cheating in video games. It’s an issue that frustrates many players, but what about the impact it’s having on the multi-billion-dollar industry? We reveal how cheats undermine online play, harm reputations in esports, and cost studios big money, speaking to those who’ve made the cheats, and those trying to stop them. If you'd like to get in touch with t...

Kenya is emerging as one of Africa’s leading producers of geothermal power. While it remains a niche but growing industry globally, in Kenya it has become a vital and reliable source of electricity. We explore how this energy is harnessed, why it has become so central to the country’s power supply, and the plans to build what some are calling Africa’s first geothermal‑powered city. If you'd like t...

Have you ever travelled to another city to run a marathon? Or gone away to train with your amateur tennis or hockey club? Millions of holidaymakers are opting for sport-focused breaks over sun loungers, and the trend is contributing to a sector that's experiencing rapid growth. If you'd like to get in touch with the team, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.ukPresented and produced by Daniel...

In one of the most remote and unforgiving regions on the planet, the final stretch of any delivery becomes a test of endurance, ingenuity, and sheer determination. In this episode, Jane Chambers travels deep into Chilean Patagonia, where last mile delivery, or last-mile logistics, collides with hundreds of kilometres of rugged terrain, unpredictable weather, unpaved roads, and ferry routes that ca...

Isaac Larian left Iran as a 17 year-old with $750 and went on to build a successful career in the US toy industry. Today, at 72, he’s the founder and chief executive of MGA Entertainment, one of the largest privately owned toy companies in the United States. Over the years, he’s been involved in several high-profile toy launches: from Bratz in 2001 to the acquisition of Little Tikes in 2006, and m...

Professional wrestling has grown into a global entertainment industry worth billions of dollars, driven by sponsorships, new broadcasting deals, and a growing online audience. We step inside the ring, exploring how wrestling has become big business, from streaming and new sponsorships to the global fanbase willing to pay for multiple subscriptions. We also hear from the new and emerging wrestling...

Kodak was written off as a casualty of the digital age. Now, it's betting on film again. We hear from the chief executive, Jim Continenza, on rebuilding manufacturing, reviving analogue, and turning an industrial icon back around. And we learn why going backwards can be harder than going forwards. We also hear how a conversation with Hollywood director Christopher Nolan got him truly interested in...

Iran’s economy is under strain from war, long-standing sanctions and a nationwide internet shutdown. We hear from people inside the country, and ask how much damage has been done, and how recovery could begin. If you'd like to get in touch with the team, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.ukPresenter: Rahul Tandon Producer: David CannBusiness Daily is the home of in-depth audio journalism d...

Today - a Dutch fishing village that could be wiped off the map to make room for a mega‑energy hub. We visit Moerdijk, to meet families, eel‑smokers and shopkeepers. What does their fight tell us about the quiet dilemmas in the global race for clean energy? If you'd like to get in touch with the team, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.ukPresented and produced by Anna HolliganBusiness Daily...

We meet Alexander Rinke, the co-CEO and co-founder of Celonis, a billion-dollar company that started life as a university project between three friends. We learn how the Munich-based company raised capital like a Silicon Valley startup without ever having to go to Silicon Valley. And we hear how its pioneering "process intelligence" idea, which he likens to "x-raying" a business, is used by some o...

Conflict in the Middle East has sent shockwaves through the global food system. Even with signs of a ceasefire, the impact may not be over. Disruption to fertiliser supplies, combined with rising energy and shipping costs, is pushing up the price of growing food around the world. Farmers are facing tough choices over how much to plant and how much to spend, while global markets aren’t always keepi...

Anthropic’s rise from startup to one of the world’s leading players in artificial intelligence has been staggering, but so in recent weeks has been its row with the US Government. Today, we look at that journey to becoming a 380 billion dollar company, ask why Claude has become one of the hottest names in AI, and question whether its fall out with the Pentagon over how its software is used in war...

Headspace started life as a mindfulness app. Now it's partnering with the US Navy and investing in artificial intelligence for mental health support. The company's CEO Tom Pickett speaks to us about therapy, the increasing role of technology, and tackling burnout at scale. If you'd like to get in touch with the team, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.ukPresented and produced by Leanna Byrn...

Highly exposed to volatile fossil fuel prices and intensifying climate change, island nations around the world are starting to ask: could they make a fortune from the gusty seas that surround them? Advances in offshore wind technology are prompting island communities to consider whether they can become energy independent - or even electricity exporters. If you'd like to get in touch with the team,...

We hear from a founder who taught himself how to code as a child, set up several businesses, and now with his drone delivery firm Manna Air Delivery - one of the largest in Europe - is trying to challenge aviation regulations around the world. Serial entrepreneur Bobby Healy talks about how being from a poor background helped him build a leading company, which is now becoming a major global player...

We look at the fallout from the recent court case which found Meta and Google liable for harming the mental health of one their young users and deliberately making their platforms addictive. Some have suggested this is “a tobacco moment” for Big Tech – comparable to the time when cigarette companies were forced to acknowledge that their products were harmful. We ask if social media companies shoul...

We explore the growing industry built around the legacies of celebrities after their deaths. We hear from estate managers, the agents representing the deceased and from those reviving these stars in a market the ethics of which are still being debated. To get in touch with the team, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.ukPresented and produced by Sean AllsopBusiness Daily is the home of in-de...

We hear from a man who was once a high-earning, high flyer in the finance industry. But, after he blew the whistle on a major financial scandal, he found himself unemployable and being sued for every cent he owned. Jas Bains tells us his story. If you'd like to get in touch with the team, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.ukProducer/presenter: Theo LeggettBusiness Daily is the home of in-d...

For nearly 12 months, a raft of import duties - tariffs - have made it much more expensive to ship consumer goods into the United States. They have shaken up global trade and according to the Federal Reserve, significantly raised inflation. But who is really footing the bill for all of them? To get in touch with the team, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.ukPresenter: Ed Butler Producers:...

We meet the founder of Hero Cosmetics, the brand behind Mighty Patch, a skin patch that's designed to improve the appearance of acne. Patches like these have become increasingly mainstream. We hear how Ju Rhyu went from being jobless during two recessions to creating a global, best-selling product. And we learn why she prefers being an employee now, rather than the boss. If you'd like to get in to...

With a state of emergency in the Philippines and a series of four-day working weeks and fuel rationing across many countries, the global energy crisis caused by the war in Iran is wreaking havoc on Asia's economies. We look at why the continent seems so exposed, and what governments and businesses are doing in response, with some extreme steps being taken including four-day weeks and the ditching...

Last year, around 4000 federal officers were deployed in Minneapolis in a major immigration crackdown. Local firms say the resulting upheaval and protests didn’t just disrupt local people’s lives, they also damaged the economy. But has the anti-immigration drive had a similar impact across the US?If you'd like to get in touch with the team, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.ukPresenter: Ed...

We explore the potential and the challenges for Arctic shipping. As global warming causes sea ice to retreat, passages are opening up through this vast frozen Arctic Ocean. We explore what these routes are, who’s using them, and examine the players with big ambitions to develop these shipping shortcuts. We also take a closer look at the realities of operating in extreme conditions so far north, as...