Castore

Castore is a British premium sportswear brand founded in 2016 by brothers Tom and Phil Beahon from Merseyside. It designs and manufactures technical performance apparel — including training t-shirts, hoodies and shorts — and supplies technical kit and replica merchandise to professional sports teams. The business is organised around two main strands: a Team Sports platform, which manages full omni-channel retailing (online, offline and event-based) for partner clubs and organisations, and a Mainline brand, which produces sportswear using advanced materials and precision engineering aimed at improving athlete performance.

Team Sports partners have included Everton Football Club, Burnley FC, Rangers, Feyenoord, Athletic Club (Bilbao), Club Brugge, McLaren F1, Oracle Red Bull Racing, BWT Alpine F1 Team, the England & Wales Cricket Board, Saracens Rugby, Harlequins, Scarlets and Republic of Ireland Football (FAI). Earlier contracts covered the West Indies cricket team, the Lawn Tennis Association, McLaren Automotive and Australian rugby league sides Sydney Roosters and Melbourne Storm. Individual athlete ambassadors have included Andy Murray, Owen Farrell, Jos Buttler, Matt Fitzpatrick, Ben Duckett, Cadan Murley, Maddie Feaunati and Tatyana Heard, plus Gary Neville.

The group has expanded through acquisition and brand ownership: it acquired 100% of British heritage brand Belstaff from INEOS on a debt-free, cash-free basis, acquired the rights to the Umbro brand in the UK in spring 2024, and in June 2026 acquired a controlling interest in the 1866-founded Northamptonshire shoemaker Grenson through its corporate vehicle J Sporting Club. It has also pursued collaborations outside sport, including with Reiss and Paul Smith.

Founding story

Tom and Phil Beahon, brothers from Merseyside, had both played professional sport — Tom football at Tranmere Rovers and Phil cricket at Lancashire — before those careers ended earlier than planned. They then took short-term roles in the City, Tom at Lloyds Bank and Phil at Deloitte, to raise startup capital, and launched Castore in 2016 on the view that performance sportswear had lost its technical edge. Their parents remortgaged the family home to help fund the launch, a detail the company presents as foundational to its identity. The stated ambition from the outset was to create premium sportswear engineered for elite athletes.

Business model

Castore sells premium performance apparel direct to consumers, historically primarily online, and supplies technical kit to professional teams and organisations. For selected team partners it operates an end-to-end model that combines kit manufacturing with running the partner's omni-channel retail operations (online, offline and event-based), a manufacturer-retailer structure first used with Rangers and which the company has sought to replicate with other clubs. The group also owns and operates additional apparel and footwear brands acquired over time, including Belstaff, UK rights to Umbro, and a controlling interest in Grenson.

Revenue comes from sales of own-brand premium sportswear (direct-to-consumer and retail), team kit supply contracts, and retail/merchandise revenues generated on behalf of partner clubs under its Team Sports retailing platform.

Traction

After five years selling mainly online, revenue was forecast to reach £100m in 2021, with the company stating it had doubled in size every year since inception; management said pandemic-driven digitisation and rising health consciousness boosted demand, including running gear and a spike in Rangers replica kit sales. The 2020 Rangers agreement was a five-season deal reported at £25m. Partner rosters have spanned Premier League, Eredivisie, La Liga, Bundesliga, Formula 1, international cricket and rugby, and brand athletes have won major titles including the 2022 U.S. Open (golf) and the 2022 ICC Men's T20 World Cup.

Latest developments

In November 2023 Castore announced a £145m growth investment round led by Raine Partners. It acquired 100% of Belstaff from INEOS, with INEOS making a significant strategic investment in Castore at holding company level. It acquired UK rights to Umbro in spring 2024. Reporting in June 2025 detailed the loss of six major football kit deals while noting retained partners and a rumoured deal to replace Nike at Hertha Berlin. In June 2026 corporate filings showed Castore, via its vehicle J Sporting Club, had acquired a controlling interest in Grenson, with owners Tim and Julia Little stepping down from the board. Through 2025 and into its tenth year the brand expanded beyond sport with collaborations including Paul Smith.