The platform expects the unit to reach an annualised run rate of about $100 million in the next fiscal year, according to a source familiar with the plan.

The Microsoft-owned company introduced BrandWorks internally in March 2026. Since then, the team has expanded by roughly 60%, with new hires coming from TikTok, Meta and X.

It now focuses on building higher-performing campaigns for enterprise clients, including SAP, IBM and ServiceNow.

BrandWorks also runs programmes that link advertisers with creators. One of them, Top Voices 360, supports sponsored content partnerships and has generated over $20 million between May 2025 and May 2026.

“We’re developing services that are designed to meet the marketer where they are,” said Alex Josephson, vice president of BrandWorks, who previously built a similar offering called Twitter Next.

LinkedIn is enhancing its focus in B2B advertising, even as it competes with much larger companies in digital ads. Its advertising business brought in $8.2 billion in 2025 and is projected to rise to $9.7 billion in 2026, with a further increase to $11.3 billion expected in 2027.

Even with that growth, LinkedIn is still smaller than Meta and Google in overall ad scale. Still, it has carved out a strong niche, with about 80% of B2B marketing budgets now flowing into search and social platforms.

“We estimate that 80% of B2B budgets go into search and social media, with Google and LinkedIn the primary beneficiaries of those B2B dollars,” said Luke Stillman, managing director at trend advisory firm Madison and Wall.

LinkedIn’s ad footprint is also expanding in relative terms. It accounts for about 3.2% of US digital ad spend, 2.4% in the UK, and less than 2% across markets such as Brazil, France, Canada and Germany.

Video has become an important part of its strategy. The company reports that vertical video uploads rose by 36% in 2025. CEO video posts have also increased by 68% over the past two years.

Younger users are driving some of that transition. LinkedIn says Gen Z is its fastest-growing audience, with higher engagement in video content and creator-led posts.

BrandWorks by LinkedIn also supports BrandLink, a video-focused advertising programme. The company expects BrandLink revenue to nearly triple in the current fiscal year, although it has not disclosed the base figure.

This is reflected by market growth, with the global cloud-based communications market expected to exceed $47 billion by 2030, according to Mordor Intelligence.

The technologies evolving around cloud collaboration are enhancing productivity, lowering costs, and improving business agility and customer service.

According to IDC, cloud-based unified communications and collaboration (UC&C) deployments, including unified communications as a service (UCaaS) solutions, are replacing on-premises deployments globally.

UCaaS solutions accounted for 89% of market revenue worldwide, said IDC, with Microsoft remaining in the lead in the UC&C market with 44.7% market share.

Companies are leaning into solutions that allow them to use integrated voice, video and chat systems which enhance their decision-making and collaboration capabilities. It is a move that makes strategic and budget sense.

It is also light years away from when Alexander Graham Bell made the first call in 1876. For decades, business communication has relied on switchboards, physical wires and hardware-bound systems.

The mid-20th century office was dominated by PBX hardware and vast racks of circuitry tying workers to static locations and systems.

Companies were connected to customers by a length of wire, tethered to their desks as receptionists manually routed calls and lost calls were just that, lost conversations.

In the 1960s, PBX systems began to automate switchboard tasks but they still cost a lot of money to install and maintain.

Fast-forward to the 1990s, and voice over IP (VoIP) was the game changing technology which broke physical barriers by transmitting calls over the internet. However, even VoIP had its limitations with clunky interfaces, complex installations and limited integration with other business tools.

The true inflection point arrived with the cloud. 

The Forrester Total Economic Impact of Microsoft Teams Calling Solutions report found that small to medium companies were achieving up to 45% on total cost of ownership (TCO) savings over three years and enterprise customers were seeing a 17% TCO saving.

Both also saw impressive return on investment (ROI) with SMBs experiencing 185% over three years and enterprises 132%.

Companies were adopting the technology before 2020, but it was the pandemic that accelerated the shift to the cloud.

Before companies were reluctant to use Teams as their primary communication tool, now it’s become their backbone.

Operator Connect, Microsoft’s fully integrated voice service, is a case study in the future of telephony. It allows companies to turn Teams into a complete telephony solution without having to invest in a PBX or a third-party dialler.

Calls are routed through any one of Microsoft’s certified telecom partners directly into Teams, effectively bypassing the need for hardware, cables or wires. Everything sits in the cloud and on the device.

It’s a leapfrog moment, taking telephony away from its reliance on hardware and the costs that come with it, such as upgrades and maintenance, and instead putting it into the cloud.

Cloud also brings with it the added layer of security which means rapid patch deployment, encrypted communications and granular access controls, minimising the risk of unexpected vulnerabilities.

Mobility is also changing. Employees can use any device with connectivity to make and receive calls from any location.

The technology has removed the need for traditional network operators – bringing the corporate reliance on telecom providers under scrutiny – and simplified remote and hybrid working.

Companies also create a communication platform that can be enhanced with additional technologies, such as AI.

The technology can detect stress and agitation in a caller’s voice in real-time and use this data to prompt support staff to de-escalate the situation, record and transcribe calls to improve training and compliance, and offers a variety of intelligent capabilities that include workflow automation, keyword tracking and reporting.

Where just a few years ago, evolution meant switching boxes or pulling new lines, today communication is AI, online, and intelligent. And in the next five years?

Expect more AI, more integration with omnichannel platforms like WhatsApp and Linkedin, and more control over call data, costs and outcomes.

A detailed review by cybersecurity firm Surfshark reveals that five major social media platforms, Meta’s Facebook and Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and X (formerly Twitter), have together gotten fines amounting to €3.9 billion. Meta alone is responsible for nearly 70% of that figure.

The most eye-opening fine came in 2022, when Instagram was ordered to pay €405 million. The offence? Automatically setting business accounts created by children to public, exposing sensitive information without consent. 

Then came another blow in late 2024, Facebook was fined €251 million following a data breach that compromised the personal data of minors. These incidents make Meta the most penalised company under the GDPR framework.

TikTok hasn’t escaped this either. Its failure to properly handle children’s data has led to three separate fines, with the most recent one issued this year. 

Together, these penalties total €890 million. The platform allowed underage accounts to default to public failed to provide privacy policies in local languages like Dutch, and permitted adults to falsely register as legal guardians, without verifying their authority to do so.

LinkedIn and X have each received single fines, €310 million and €450,000 respectively. Platforms like YouTube, Snapchat, Pinterest, Reddit, and Threads have so far avoided penalties, but experts caution that this is not necessarily evidence of full compliance.

“The current enforcement efforts by data protection authorities are rather reactive, sometimes they are non-existent at all,” said Felix Mikolasch, a data protection lawyer at NOYB, a European privacy advocacy group. 

Over one-third of all GDPR fines issued to social platforms relate specifically to mishandling children’s data.

We see that the European Union is stepping up its enforcement of GDPR rules, particularly as digital platforms increasingly target younger audiences and collect vast amounts of personal information. 

Since Surfshark’s last report in October 2023, there has been a 30% jump in the total value of fines, driven by four new cases, two linked to Meta, one to LinkedIn, and another to TikTok.

Meanwhile, here in Nigeria, social media companies including Meta and TikTok operate freely, despite evidence of similar data practices. No major fines have been announced. The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has opted for a softer, compliance-first approach.

“Usually, when we investigate and find a breach, if they are ready to comply with the law, what is the point of making noise?” said the NDPC’s National Commissioner, Dr. Vincent Olatunji. “It’s only when an organisation is unwilling to comply with the law that we are forced to impose sanctions.”

Dr. Olatunji added that the Commission also considers the economic impact. Penalising foreign tech companies could send the wrong signals to investors. 

That rationale might explain why, despite operating under Nigeria’s Data Protection Act, which mirrors many of GDPR’s core principles, no social media platform has yet been held publicly accountable for breaches.

This raises a fundamental question which says can a model based on dialogue and remediation work where enforcement by example has already proven effective elsewhere?

Europe’s approach is that any company that breaks the rules pays the price. Nigeria’s model, however, leans heavily on trust, hoping compliance will come without punishment. 

As confirmed by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella during the company’s Q2 earnings report on Wednesday, overall, LinkedIn’s revenue grew by 9% year-on-year, steadily expanding though there were challenges in some of its business segments.

The professional networking platform, which has over a billion users, has not disclosed its total revenue for the period or the specific performance of its other business divisions. 

However, past figures reveal some perspective—by March 2024, LinkedIn’s Premium subscriptions had brought in $1.7 billion, and estimates show that its total revenue for 2024 reached approximately $16.2 billion. This implies Premium subscriptions account for around 12.5% of LinkedIn’s overall earnings.

Nonetheless, LinkedIn has to compete within Microsoft’s portfolio, particularly with artificial intelligence (AI) services. Nadella highlighted in his comments that AI contributed $13 billion in annual revenue this quarter alone, a 175% increase from the previous year. 

LinkedIn has also warned that its revenue growth could slow in the coming months due to challenges in its Talent Solutions division, which provides recruitment-related services.

Even at that, the company is positive about the future of its Premium offerings. LinkedIn has been enhancing its paid tiers with additional features, including AI-driven job search tools and career development assistance. 

These initiatives appear to be resonating with subscribers, as nearly 40% of Premium users are actively engaging with the platform’s AI capabilities.

Speaking on LinkedIn’s success in growing its subscription business, CEO Ryan Roslansky said, “Building a $2B revenue subscription business is something only a handful of digitally native companies in history have ever accomplished. We’re focused on designing and continuing to iterate on a model that is value-orientated to meet the needs of our subscribers—those who want to accelerate their career or grow their business.”

While Microsoft’s overall earnings report revealed a slowdown in its cloud business, LinkedIn’s Premium revenue growth reveals its strategy of integrating AI-powered tools and exclusive features into its paid tiers is proving effective. 

However, with growth projections in the “low- to mid-single digits” for the near future, the company will need to continue enhancing its services to sustain growth.

Helping to reshape sales prospecting, Persana AI has pioneered a fresh approach and is today announcing a $2.3M funding round to accelerate the growth of its powerful platform, setting new standards for GTM (go-to-market) teams seeking data-driven transformation.

The Persana AI $2.3M seed funding round attracted investors including Y Combinator, Race Capital, Stage 2 Capital, and is supported by industry experts like Dharmesh Shah, CTO of HubSpot. 

Despite advancements in data and AI, GTM teams still lose 80% or more of their time to manual tasks. Persana AI’s solution is groundbreaking: autonomous AI agents powered by a robust, multi-source data consolidation model. 

Unlike traditional CRMs or siloed systems, which often function as “data tombs,” Persana’s agents operate as digital co-workers, handling prospect qualification, personalization, and high-intent monitoring, maximizing engagement opportunities.

Key platform features include: 

• Real-Time Multi-Source Data Consolidation: With 75+ sources and destinations Persana AI offers a comprehensive, dynamic view of each prospect, setting a new standard for data quality and accuracy. New data sources get added almost weekly, making Persana AI a powerful data layer.
• Agentic Prospecting: AI agents identify, qualify, and prioritize leads in real-time, automating research-heavy tasks.
• Smart Personalization: Outreach is tailored to each prospect’s specific business needs, increasing relevance and conversion rates.

These features enable enterprises to achieve up to a 25% reduction in sales cycle time and a 30% boost in conversion rates. Deb Pratiher, co-founder at Quest Labs said “Persana did in three minutes what used to take my team three weeks.”

Co-founded by LinkedIn veterans Rush Shahani and Sriya Maram—drawing on further expertise from roles at Shopify, Stripe, and ElementAI—Persana AI addresses a pivotal GTM challenge: the high costs and inefficiencies of manual data entry, research, and prospecting that slow revenue growth. 

Rush, a leading authority on AI reliability and a published expert, and Sriya, with a deep background in AI innovation, set out to redefine prospecting and engagement with a focus on automation, precision, and strategic impact. 

Together, they aim to empower GTM teams with tools that streamline workflows and drive growth in today’s data-driven landscape.

“Our vision for Persana AI is to create the ultimate prospecting super app, merging advanced data consolidation with intelligent automation,” said Rush Shahani, co-founder of Persana AI.

“By bringing real-time data from an extensive array of sources, Persana equips GTM teams with insights that once demanded dedicated data science resources. This platform not only saves users over 20 hours each week but also enhances conversion rates and drives pipeline growth. Persana is more than a tool—it’s a strategic advantage for modern, growth-focused teams.”

Persana AI distinguishes itself from incumbents like Apollo, ZoomInfo, and Clay with its advanced, agent-driven approach to prospecting. 

While both Persana and Clay aggregate data sources, Persana’s AI agents offer a superior level of insight and automation, acting as digital co-workers that dynamically qualify leads, personalize outreach, and prioritize high-intent engagement. 

This intelligent, agentic model transforms raw data into actionable intelligence, empowering GTM teams to make faster, more strategic decisions and ultimately gain a competitive edge. With Persana, prospecting moves beyond data collection to deliver high-impact results that drive growth.

“Our long-term vision is for Persana AI to become the central GTM platform for managing the entire customer journey, from prospecting through post-sale engagement. Agents are only as good as the data they access and we at Persana are working to build the best agents powered by our expansive data foundation,” said Sriya Maram, co-founder and CEO of Persana AI. 

“By advancing our AI and ML infrastructure, we enable GTM teams to scale effortlessly, shifting their focus to strategic customer relationships and growth.”

With this funding round, Persana AI is set to expand its platform’s capabilities with specialized task-specific autonomous agents tailored to each stage of the GTM cycle:

• Research Agents: The new Quantum Agent, already widely used by Persana’s clients, automates real-time data gathering for deep account insights.
• Autopilot Agents: Future agents will automate comprehensive follow-up and outreach tasks, adapting to dynamic prospect behaviour for enhanced engagement.
• Predictive Agents: By analyzing emerging trends, these agents will identify high-priority prospects and suggest optimal next steps, helping teams stay proactive and competitive.

“Rush Shahani and Sriya Maram effectively built technologies that scaled to billions at Linkedin, solving complex data challenges with advanced AI and search capabilities, and at Race Capital, we are thrilled to partner with them to deliver this solution to the broader industry,” said Edith Yeung, general partner at Race Capital. 

“Customers at fast-growing enterprises are thrilled with Persana, with their sales teams experiencing a boost in productivity and efficiency in their prospecting efforts.”

These cyber actors masquerade as recruiters, luring job seekers with fake employment offers that lead to malware infections. 

NITDA Director of Media and Corporate Communications, Mrs Hadiza Umar, disclosed that these cyber attackers manipulate LinkedIn users into downloading harmful files or clicking on suspicious links, allowing CovertCatch to infiltrate their devices. 

Once embedded, the malware can steal sensitive data, log keystrokes, and record screen activity—all without detection, posing severe security risks.

The ramifications of a CovertCatch attack are extensive. Victims could suffer financial losses, reputational damage, and large-scale data breaches. 

NITDA warns that the malware goes beyond compromising individual devices to infiltrating organisational networks, potentially resulting in wider attacks like ransomware or even entire system takeovers. 

Key sectors reliant on data security, such as critical infrastructure services, are particularly vulnerable to these cyber incursions.

To guard against this emerging threat, NITDA has laid out essential security guidelines. Both organisations and individuals are urged to scrutinise unsolicited LinkedIn job offers, particularly those involving file downloads or external links. 

Added to these, implementing Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) and regularly monitoring account activity for unusual behaviour are strongly recommended.

The advisory also stresses the importance of up-to-date antivirus software, which should be used routinely to scan and identify anomalies promptly. Further, NITDA suggests that organisations periodically audit LinkedIn connections and enforce access controls based on roles to limit exposure to sensitive data.

This follows an investigation into the platform’s handling of personal data, specifically concerning its methods for behavioural analysis and targeted advertising.

The inquiry, prompted by a complaint from the French Data Protection Authority, concluded that LinkedIn had failed to comply with provisions of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). 

Notably, the DPC identified serious violations regarding the legality, fairness, and transparency of how LinkedIn processed user data.

Key findings revealed that LinkedIn did not secure valid consent from users for the utilisation of their personal data in targeted advertising, breaching Article 6(1)(a) of the GDPR. 

The consent that was acquired was deemed neither freely given nor sufficiently informed, infringing on the fundamental rights of the platform’s users. Furthermore, the DPC also noted that LinkedIn misrepresented its use of user data under the guise of legitimate interests, as outlined in Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR.

In this case, the company’s interests were found to be overridden by the rights of its users, thereby rendering the processing unlawful.

In its assessment, the DPC also determined that LinkedIn wrongly relied on Article 6(1)(b) of the GDPR, which pertains to contractual necessity, to justify its data processing for behavioural analysis—asserting this was not essential for fulfilling user agreements. 

Added to these, LinkedIn failed to provide users with clear information regarding the legal bases upon which it relied for processing their data, violating Articles 13(1)(c) and 14(1)(c) of the GDPR.

Graham Doyle, deputy commissioner of the DPC, stressed the importance of lawful data processing in protecting user rights. He stated, “The lawfulness of processing is a fundamental aspect of data protection law, and processing personal data without an appropriate legal basis is a clear and serious violation of a data subject’s fundamental right to data protection.”

In light of the ruling, LinkedIn has been directed to reform its data processing methods to align with GDPR requirements. 

Without any prior announcement or consent from its users, the social networking platform is now using user-generated content to enhance its AI tools.

Users can, however, opt out of this arrangement by navigating to their account settings. Under the ‘Data Privacy’ section, a feature labelled “Data for Generative AI Improvement” allows individuals to disable the use of their data for AI training. 

While this stops LinkedIn from using your data in the future, it does not reverse the use of information already processed for this purpose.

This issue has led to complaints regarding transparency and user autonomy, particularly as LinkedIn rolled out this update without making a public announcement. 

Users argue that defaulting users into such programmes without their informed consent is a violation of privacy. In response, LinkedIn has added details about its generative AI practices to its privacy policy, which now explicitly states that the platform may use personal data to develop AI-driven services and insights.

The company claims it employs privacy-enhancing technologies to anonymise or redact personal data from its AI training sets. However, some users remain uneasy about the potential misuse of their data, particularly given the broader concerns over privacy in the digital space.

Notably, LinkedIn has confirmed that the use of personal data for AI training does not affect users residing in the European Union (EU), European Economic Area (EEA), or Switzerland due to stricter data protection regulations in those regions.

Users outside these regions who wish to prevent further use of their data must manually opt-out.

Apart from generative AI, LinkedIn also relies on machine learning for content personalisation and moderation.

Opting out of the generative AI training does not exclude users from other data-driven activities unless they also submit a LinkedIn Data Processing Objection Form, which offers more comprehensive data protection.

This is why millions of people in, and outside Nigeria are increasingly choosing Verve Card for its unmatched convenience and seamless transactions.

in a world where balancing work, family, and social commitments is a constant challenge, finding better and faster ways of doing the things that matter and keep our lives going is essential.

That’s where Verve, Naija’s Agba and Odogwu Card, comes in—as that trusted companion that simplifies payments and enhances daily experiences without the hassle.

Let’s be honest, who doesn’t love a soft life? A critical part of the soft life experience includes making payments like a breeze, transactions like smooth sailing, and shopping sprees with pure joy! Verve transforms simple transactions into moments of joy.

Whether swiping, tapping, or clicking, Verve promises a stress-free path to managing finances and enjoying life.

Verve has become a dominant force and thought leader in the payment space, not just in Nigeria but Africa.

It continues to delight consumers and partners with its agility and dedication to their yearnings, creating a portfolio of solutions and tokens such as its Debit, Contactless, Credit, Prepaid cards and more.

It is further changing the narrative with its smart Identity Card solutions giving multi-purpose expressions to what used to be known only for identification.

Have you heard about the Lagos State multi-purpose ID – LAG ID? It serves as a government-issued means of identification and provides access to loans, LAG bus rides, and more. Verve enriches everyday life with these practical conveniences.

For over 15 years, Verve has been synonymous with enabling cardholders to enjoy a good life. Whether binge-watching Netflix, streaming on Prime or Showmax, or enjoying music on Spotify, Verve Card unlocks endless entertainment at users’ fingertips.

Verve offers shoppers various discounts, including a 10% discount on shopping sprees at Addide stores, allowing them to save while they spend.

Verve, the largest PAN African Card Scheme, has over 280 scheme members. Verve is more than just a payment card – it’s a lifestyle enabler! Cardholders can manage their favorite services such as funding their Uber Wallet, Google Play Store contents – LinkedIn, and TikTok, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Spotify, Facebook Ads and more, all in Naira, eliminating concerns about dollar rates or additional fees.

More merchants, partners and global brands around the world now choose Verve Card. Verve is now accepted on Udemy and by many others. The list is endless and still growing.

Let’s face it, we’ve all been there. Going shopping or on a date and forgetting your ATM card at home. That is no longer an issue, because with Verve Paycode, cardholders can make payments without their ATM card. This feature enables cardholders to withdraw cash even without their card.

So, here’s the best part – Verve prioritizes convenience over complications. With over 65 million Verve cards in circulation, it’s clear that millions of people find it a trusted choice.

Users appreciate Verve for its seamless transactions and hassle-free experience, making it an essential part of their daily lives.

So, why settle for anything less? Many are switching to Verve today and discovering the benefits of enjoying a more convenient lifestyle.

Verve is not just a payment card; it’s a lifestyle. With its increasing offers, premium access, and a world of boundless possibilities, it’s the perfect companion.

So, what are you waiting for? Join the millions who have already chosen Verve and start living the Verve life, the good life!

The Programme, Techeconomy gathered, is an early-career development programme for engineering talents to develop competencies in end-to-end electronic funds transfer technology and operations.

Through this new programme, which will incorporate six months of intensive and hands-on training and global exposure to latest dynamics and best practices in Switching and Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) technologies, Interswitch hopes to onboard up to 40 EFT engineering talents.

The programme is targeted at young graduates and engineering talents with 0-5 years of work experience, incorporating fundamental skills in technical support/implementation within banking & fintech environments, and some programming proficiency.

According to the company’s official announcement unveiling the programme, the initiative follows career development opportunities which were announced in the course of the highly topical 3rd edition of its annual career fair a few weeks back, which was themed “Reimagining Work: People, Culture, Technology”, essentially highlighting the need for young upwardly mobile talent to view the future of work from a different lens by leveraging innovative technologies to enhance productivity in the modern workplace.

• As a way of consolidating the gains from the career fair, Interswitch had also indicated that it has forged strategic partnerships with leading organisations such as LinkedIn, ProductDive, ALX, Oscar Temple, Kendor, Udemy, Decagon, and Semicolon, ensuring that attendees have ongoing direct access to a vast pool of expertise and unparalleled upskilling opportunities delivered by renowned experts.

Interswitch describes the new EFT Engineering Programme as “the most comprehensive, six-month intensive, hands-on payments engineering programme that will offer successful participants an exciting opportunity to learn from the very best in EFT engineering and operations locally and globally, hitting the road running by working on real projects that impact Africa’s digital banking landscape, and progressively shaping the future of payment technology in Africa, a continent that’s ranked the 2nd most innovative on the global payments innovation matrix.”

According to a 2023 study by SAP Africa, firms across West and East Africa continue to grapple with acute tech talent shortages, with the challenges expected to intensify over the next few years.

The report specifically indicates that 93% of organisations across the two regions say their needs for tech skills have increased in the past 24 months and 80% of Nigerian firms surveyed indicated they currently experience significant tech skill shortages.

A statement by Interswitch asserts that the frontline technology company has resolved to take the bull by the horns in re-writing the narrative around the issue of brain-drain from Africa.

Interswitch expresses strong conviction that;

“The onus lies on tech firms of African origin like ours to aggressively raise a new generation of talent, not just to meet our own company-specific recruitment requirements, but to replenish the talent pipeline holistically for the local industry, which underscores such talent development interventions like our latest EFT Engineering Programme, as well as through distinctive approaches to internal and external talent development and management, which have consistently been recognized at the annual Linkedin Talent Awards and Linkedin’s Top Employers in Nigeria series in 2019, 2022 and 2023, include the Interswitch Engineering Academy, the pioneering #InterswitchJobShadowing Program, and the Interswitch Career Fair Series, arguably Africa’s biggest annual technology career fair, now in its 3rd year.”

Applications for the inaugural Interswitch EFT Engineering Programme are ongoing and can be accessed on the company’s recruitment portal via the link here.