# Charles Armitage

> Charles Armitage is the London-based co-founder and CEO of Florence, which he began developing with Dan Blake in 2016. A University of Edinburgh medicine graduate and former NHS doctor, he built a staffing marketplace that expanded into workforce software and international markets. His public interviews describe early product failures, a preference for calculated risks, collaborative leadership and an enthusiasm for gardening.

- **Role:** Co-founder and CEO at Florence
- **Organizations:** Florence, NHS
- **Education:** Undergraduate degree in Medicine and Surgery, University of Edinburgh
- **Known for:** Co-founded Florence with Dan Blake., Led Florence through a $35 million Series B funding announcement in 2022., Florence selected for Future Fifty in 2022.

## Career timeline

- **2007-2013** — Studied medicine and surgery at the University of Edinburgh.
- **Before 2017** — Worked as an NHS doctor before moving into entrepreneurship.
- **2016** — Met Dan Blake and developed the idea for Florence; the company timeline dates their meeting to October.
- **2017** — Florence filled its first marketplace shift.
- **2019** — Florence raised Series A funding and opened a Glasgow office.
- **2021** — Florence introduced Rota and Academy SaaS products for organisations.
- **2022** — Florence announced a $35 million Series B round in June, joined Future Fifty in September and launched in France in November.
- **2023** — Florence launched in Canada in February and was ranked 21st in the Sunday Times 100 in June.
- **2024** — Florence expanded its agency-management and neutral-vendor offering in January.
- **2026** — Appeared on Master Your Mistakes to discuss early product decisions, founder relationships and business lessons.

## Achievements

- Co-founded Florence with Dan Blake.
- Led Florence through a $35 million Series B funding announcement in 2022.
- Florence selected for Future Fifty in 2022.
- Florence ranked 21st in the Sunday Times 100 fastest-growing private companies list in 2023.
- Built a business that expanded from the UK to France and Canada.

## Latest updates

- **2026-03** — Master Your Mistakes episode 27, released 18 March, featured Armitage discussing founding decisions, an unsuccessful first product and lessons from expansion.
- **2026-09** — Listed as a speaker for the Healthcare Summit scheduled for 22 September 2026 at the Business Design Centre in London.

## Links

- Website: https://www.florence.co.uk/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-charles-armitage/
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/DrCArmitage

---

Profile page: https://yespress.io/charles-armitage
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-21