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S3 | E7 - Xavier Collins (CEO & Co-Founder at Wonder) on AI’s creative revolution, building thriving marketplaces, and reshaping the film industry

18 April 2025

I've kind of done my time as a mercenary and I'm excited to do my time as a missionary.
Xavier Collins
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Xavier Collins, London-born and New Zealand-raised, is no stranger to building marketplaces that scale. After early days at Uber, Xavier joined Nexus Notes before launching Deliveroo into dozens of UK cities and spearheading Turo’s growth across Europe. Now he’s applying his marketplace magic to the film industry with Wonder, an AI-native creative studio backed by Blackbird, LocalGlobe, and a host of world-class angels.

In today’s episode, Xavier takes us deep into the creative frontier of AI and storytelling, exploring how technology can unlock new levels of creativity, reshape entertainment financing, and give more filmmakers a voice. We cover:

• How AI is redefining storytelling and enabling more scripts to reach production

• Lessons from building successful marketplaces at Uber, Deliveroo, Turo, and Nexus Notes

• The keys to marketplace success: seeding liquidity, focusing on quality supply, and defining user experience

• Why the entertainment industry is overdue for disruption (and how Wonder is leading the charge)

• How filmmakers and creatives can harness AI to amplify their vision

We also dive into Xavier’s unique journey—from narrowly missing a consulting career to hustling his way through startups, and the unforgettable Cannes moment that launched Wonder.

Chapters
Resources

🙋🏻‍♂️ Xavier Collins’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/xaviercollins/
✨ Wonder – AI-native creative studio: https://www.wonder.inc

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