LONDON, UK. October 13th, 2025 – As global headlines focus on rising fears of an AI-driven valuation bubble, two entrepreneurs are taking a different path, one that puts people back at the centre of business.
Unusual Group, founded by Luke Tobin and Ali Newton-Temperley, has officially launched as a “super-structure” ecosystem built to help founder-led agencies grow, scale, and exit strategically. Combining consultancy, capital, M&A expertise, and back-office infrastructure, Unusual Group aims to deliver the leverage of a holding company, without sacrificing independence.
Born from a simple insight that growth and exit planning must work hand in hand. Tobin, who previously led Digital Ethos to an eight-figure exit, joined forces with Ali Newton-Temperley, a global growth strategist and author of Agency Exits, after the two discovered they were tackling the same problem from opposite sides.
“Growth without exit planning leaves value on the table, and exit planning without growth will fail,” Ali Newton-Temperley said.
Together with Daniel Rose and Paul Allen, they’ve built a “super-structure” model that combines consultancy, investment, M&A support and operational infrastructure, giving independent founders access to the same advantages as major holding groups, without losing control.
The launch of Unusual Group comes amid a 34% year-on-year drop in agency M&A activity (Trading View) in the first half of 2025, even as AI valuations soared to unprecedented heights – OpenAI at $500 billion and Anthropic at $170 billion. Some investors, like veteran fund manager James Anderson, have compared today’s AI frenzy to the dot-com bubble.
Luke Tobin, CEO and serial exit specialist said: “AI can supercharge tactical execution, but strategic thinking, cultural intuition, and relationship capital remain irreplaceable.”
Unusual Group’s strategy focuses on acquiring minority stakes in standout founder-led agencies and supporting them with capital, infrastructure, and expertise, helping them scale and prepare for higher value future exits.
Positioning itself as a new category in the agency landscape, Unusual Group is a modern holding company built for the age of AI. Members gain access to institutional-grade finance, legal, HR, and operations support, along with proven scale-to-sale playbooks and peer collaboration. Agencies can pursue three exit paths, trade sale, private equity roll-up, or IPO, all designed to maximise founder outcomes.
“Growth is harder, capital is tighter, and founders need more support than ever,” Tobin added. “Our model gives them leverage without losing independence.”
As AI transforms the industry, Unusual Group stands for a more balanced approach, one that blends technology with human ingenuity.
For agencies not yet ready to join the group, Agency Growth Pad by Unusual Group offers tailored consultancy to support early-stage scaling with whether or not they have the intention to sell one day.
ENDS