Christian Alexander Timms

Christian Alexander Timms (British, born July 1976) is a UK-based internet entrepreneur and angel investor best known as the co-founder of The Mandy Network (Mandy.com), the long-running online marketplace and networking platform for the creative industries. According to UK Companies House records, Timms was appointed a director of The Mandy Network Ltd (company no. 04749221) on 30 April 2003 and served until 30 November 2020. He built the business alongside long-time partner Simon Charles Dale (born August 1972), with whom he has co-founded and run multiple ventures. Timms is reported to have studied at Cambridge University.

The Mandy Network grew into one of the most recognised platforms connecting actors, film and TV crew, theatre professionals, voiceover artists, dancers, musicians, models and other creative professionals with work opportunities. In February 2021, The Mandy Network was acquired by Backstage, consolidating it into a larger casting and creative-careers group — the exit that defines Timms and Dale's track record as operators.

Timms and Dale operate Blue Compass Investments as the holding and investing vehicle behind their portfolio of recruitment and networking websites across "the full spectrum of the UK's Arts and Media industry." Beyond Mandy, this family of products has included Remotegoat (events/shows listings), Festival Focus (film-festival content), and Theatre Digs Booker (accommodation booking for touring theatre professionals). Blue Compass both incubates its own web services and provides seed funding to outside startups in adjacent spaces.

Today Timms is based in Bath and describes himself as a pre-seed and angel investor with a particular interest in data aggregation and categorisation. He is active as a startup mentor (including programs such as the Founder Institute and student hackathons), drawing on his experience building and exiting a creative-industries marketplace.

• Invests at pre-seed and seed stage, reflecting his own background bootstrapping and scaling early-stage web products.
• Strong affinity for marketplaces, recruitment/networking platforms, and data-aggregation businesses — the model he proved with The Mandy Network.
• Deep domain conviction in the creative industries (arts, media, film/TV, theatre) where he has operating credibility and a network.
• Will back founder-led teams building niche, community-driven products rather than broad horizontal plays; values clear monetisation and durable user communities.
• Has shown willingness to invest internationally and in fintech when the opportunity fits, e.g., participating as an investor in Philippines-based payments startup Ayannah.
• Typically co-invests within syndicated rounds alongside other angels and funds rather than leading large checks.