Today, we’re excited to announce that Timothy Armoo, the entrepreneur who built and sold Fanbytes for eight figures, has made a strategic investment in The Grafter and joined our team of Exiteers.
The move brings together two founders who share an unusual starting point. Both have done the work they now help other entrepreneurs through. Rachel Murphy, Founder and CEO of The Grafter, sold her previous business, Difrent, for £13.2 million before building The Grafter around the simple idea that founders shouldn't have to guess their way through an exit. Tim built Fanbytes from nothing into an agency working with some of the most iconic brands in the world, including Nike, Samsung and McDonald's. He grew the business into a team of 80 before selling to global agency Brainlabs for an eight-figure sum, all before turning 30.
"Since day one, our mission has always been to put operators who've actually been there in the corner with founders who are just a few steps behind," said Rachel Murphy. "Tim has done it, at a scale and speed most founders only dream about. He’ll be an invaluable asset for both our team and the founders we work with, and we’re incredibly excited to have him onboard.”
From Old Kent Road to an eight-figure exit
Tim grew up on Old Kent Road in South London, discovering entrepreneurship from an early age. He launched his first business at 14 and sold a media company to a US firm at 17. After what he calls a string of "pre-success lessons," he founded Fanbytes, growing the influencer marketing agency into a team of 80 people before its multi-eight-figure sale to Brainlabs.
Since exiting to Brainlabs, Tim has become a well-known voice in the UK business space. He has delivered keynotes for organisations including Dell, HSBC, and Goldman Sachs and published the Sunday Times number one bestseller What's Stopping You?. Over the past few years, he has spoken to nearly half a million people across 30 countries, was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, and now splits his time between investing in high-growth startups, advising Fortune 500 companies on Gen Z marketing strategy, and building a media platform for the next generation of entrepreneurs.
"When I was building Fanbytes, I had no one in my corner to show me what to do or how to prepare for an exit. So I learned most of my lessons the hard way,” said Timothy Armoo. "What The Grafter has built is the resource and support I wish I'd had back then. The reason I’m backing them is that I believe every founder deserves a real operator beside them, and I'm super excited to bring that to the founders in my own network, as well as The Grafter's." Timothy Armoo
A growing track record
The Grafter's methodology, Grow Raise Exit (GRE), is an AI-powered, data-driven platform built to close the gaps that often derail a sale process. To date, The Grafter has supported over 60 clients and delivered 8 completed exits, with another currently underway.
Tim's arrival comes as The Grafter pushes further into the PE-backed end of the market, where the bar for "exit ready" continues to rise. Alongside his advisory role, Tim will also be directing traffic from his own brand toward The Grafter, introducing his audience of founders and operators to The Grafter and its methodology.
Ready to find out where your business stands?
Founders interested in understanding their own exit readiness or wanting help preparing for a future exit can learn more about our 360º Business Diagnostic to learn where your current gaps are and what it would take to close them.
