Award-Winning Entrepreneur, Business Motivational Speaker, Co-Founder of UK Start-Up of the Year, Former Eidos plc Director

Colin Wilkinson is a business motivational speaker and award-winning entrepreneur, recognised as UK Business Start-up of the Year and UK Most Innovative Business of the Year. He has also appeared on The Apprentice: You’re Fired alongside Dara Ó Briain, sharing insights with a wider audience. His talks focus on three core areas: building a multi-million-pound company from minimal resources, developing the mindset required to launch and grow a business, and raising capital from private investors, drawing on his experience of securing backing from more than 80 individuals and institutions in under three years.

At a major start-up conference, Colin’s story was told before he even took the stage. A fellow panellist described how he raised £2.75 million from 58 investors in just three months at the start of 2009, during one of the most turbulent financial periods in recent history. While others hesitated, he kept moving forward. That determination led to the co-founding of a business that went on to win UK Start-up of the Year and approach £10 million in turnover within its first year. The audience rose to their feet in applause, not for a performance, but for the scale of belief and action behind it.

What makes Colin stand out is his relatability. Unlike many high-profile figures associated with shows like Dragons’ Den, he presents himself as grounded and accessible. He speaks in practical terms, sharing lessons that feel achievable rather than abstract. His story is recent and still evolving, which gives his talks a sense of immediacy. Audiences leave with clear, usable ideas, whether that is how to approach investors, refine a pitch, or maintain momentum when conditions are uncertain. For example, he often explains how a simple, well-structured phone call led directly to securing early investor interest.

Colin describes belief as a form of “alchemy”, a force that turns ideas into reality when combined with action. He distinguishes it from wishful thinking by anchoring it in discipline and persistence. His track record includes founding several ventures, among them the UK’s largest dedicated video conferencing company with Noel Edmonds, and contributing to the growth of Eidos plc, where he was once the youngest director of a PLC in Britain. Today, he focuses on launching new businesses and turning around existing ones. His approach is driven by energy, humour, humility, and a belief captured in a single line from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: dream no small dreams, for they lack the power to move hearts.

Why Hire Colin Wilkinson?