Thibault Louis-Lucas (Tibo)
@tibo_maker France211K followers
Built and sold Tweet Hunter and Taplio; now runs a $1M/month AI portfolio led by Revid
Revid, Outrank, SuperX +6~$1M/mo across products
exit story · 2022 · marketing & seo tools
How Thibault Louis-Lucas (Tibo) Sold Tweet Hunter to lempire (2022)
Tweet Hunter was built by Thibault Louis-Lucas (Tibo) and sold to lempire in 2022 for Up to $10M (Tweet Hunter and Taplio together: $2M upfront + earnout; ~$8M received in total, self-reported). At the time of the sale it made ~$1.5M ARR (Tweet Hunter and Taplio combined, reported).
Key facts
- Buyer
- lempire ↗
- Year
- 2022
- Price
- Up to $10M (Tweet Hunter and Taplio together: $2M upfront + earnout; ~$8M received in total, self-reported)
- Revenue at sale
- ~$1.5M ARR (Tweet Hunter and Taplio combined, reported)
- Years operated
- 1 year
- Channel
- Direct sale
Why they sold: Tweet Hunter and Taplio depended heavily on social platforms, which could shut them down at any moment, so the founders wanted a deal that rewarded their fast growth while protecting the buyer from platform risk.
The story of Tweet Hunter
Tibo Louis-Lucas and Tom Jacquesson started their studio Pony Express in early 2021, shipping new products quickly until one stuck. In May 2021 Tweet Hunter took off: it began as a search tool for viral tweets and grew into a Twitter growth suite with scheduling, AI writing and relationship management. About six months later they launched Taplio, a sister product for LinkedIn.
They started looking for a buyer in January 2022. Larger acquirers found through a broker wanted them to stay for two years, which put them off. Tibo then reconnected with a middle-school friend, Guillaume Moubeche, whose company lempire (maker of lemlist) offered to buy both products. The deal was negotiated over WhatsApp in about two weeks: $2M upfront plus an earnout tied to revenue growth.
The founders stayed on and grew combined ARR to about $8M, unlocking most of the earnout for roughly $8M in total. Tibo later called the deal a financial mistake, since the structure effectively valued the business at about 1x its final revenue.
Lessons Thibault Louis-Lucas (Tibo) shared
- 1.Treat an earnout as conditional pay for future work, not as part of the purchase price.
- 2.Value the business as it exists today separately from the growth you're expected to create after the sale.
- 3.Getting acquired takes deliberate work, such as picking a space with many potential buyers, sharing KPIs and making growth less dependent on the founders.
Paraphrased from the maker's public posts and interviews (see sources).
The maker
See the Tweet Hunter product page or Thibault Louis-Lucas (Tibo)'s full profile for everything they have built since.
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Sources
- theygotacquired.com — theygotacquired.com/saas/pony-express-acquired-by-lempire/
- nocodeexits.substack.com — nocodeexits.substack.com/p/the-10-million-exit-that-became-a
Facts are taken from the maker's and buyer's public statements and press coverage. Prices and revenue are shown only when publicly stated; self-reported figures are not independently verified.
Keep exploring
Tweet Hunter acquisition FAQ
Who bought Tweet Hunter?
Tweet Hunter was acquired by lempire in 2022 from Thibault Louis-Lucas (Tibo).
How much did Tweet Hunter sell for?
Tweet Hunter sold for Up to $10M (Tweet Hunter and Taplio together: $2M upfront + earnout; ~$8M received in total, self-reported), as publicly stated. At the time of the sale it made ~$1.5M ARR (Tweet Hunter and Taplio combined, reported).
Why did Thibault Louis-Lucas (Tibo) sell Tweet Hunter?
Tweet Hunter and Taplio depended heavily on social platforms, which could shut them down at any moment, so the founders wanted a deal that rewarded their fast growth while protecting the buyer from platform risk.
How long did it take Tweet Hunter to get acquired?
Tweet Hunter was sold about 1 year after launch, through a direct sale (sold directly to a buyer, often a competitor, customer or acquirer that reached out).
What did Thibault Louis-Lucas (Tibo) learn from selling Tweet Hunter?
Treat an earnout as conditional pay for future work, not as part of the purchase price. Value the business as it exists today separately from the growth you're expected to create after the sale.