Last Updated on: 11th October 2025, 01:12 pm
As concerns grow over inflated valuations in the artificial intelligence sector, two business leaders are taking a different route—one that prioritises human expertise over machine-driven growth.
Founded by Luke Tobin and Ali Newton-Temperley, Unusual Group has launched as an innovative “super-structure” ecosystem designed to help founder-led agencies expand, scale, and ultimately exit on their own terms. Bringing together consultancy, funding, mergers and acquisitions know-how, and operational infrastructure, the group seeks to offer the benefits of a holding company while preserving entrepreneurial independence.
The concept arose from a simple but powerful idea: that business growth and exit planning should be aligned, not separate. Tobin, best known for steering Digital Ethos towards an eight-figure sale, partnered with global strategist and author of Agency Exits, Ali Newton-Temperley, after both realised they were addressing the same challenge from different perspectives.
“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.
