Xavier Collins
Co-Founder & CEO at Wonder Studios
Xavier Collins is co-founder and chief executive of Wonder Studios, an AI-native film and content studio he launched with Justin Hackney in January 2025 after showing an AI-generated trailer at Cannes. He spent more than a decade in operating roles at Uber, Deliveroo — where he was one of its first 30 employees — and Turo, where as vice-president he helped grow European revenue to US$60 million a year. Wonder Studios has raised a US$3.25 million pre-seed round backed by Blackbird and LocalGlobe, followed by a US$12 million seed round led by Atomico in October 2025.
In their own words
From S3 | E7 - Xavier Collins (CEO & Co-Founder at Wonder) on AI’s creative revolution, building thriving marketplaces, and reshaping the film industry · Diaspora NZI've kind of done my time as a mercenary and I'm excited to do my time as a missionary.
Career
- Now Co-Founder & CEO · Wonder Studios
- Earlier · Scale-up Vice President, Europe · Turo
- Earlier · Scale-up General Manager, UK · Deliveroo
Sources: blackbird.vc
Key moments
Jump straight to the part of S3 | E7 - Xavier Collins (CEO & Co-Founder at Wonder) on AI’s creative revolution, building thriving marketplaces, and reshaping the film industry you want.
- 2:49 The Cannes moment: Realising AI will reshape filmmaking
- 7:18 Using AI to rescue stories that wouldn’t otherwise be told
- 10:56 The life-changing phone call that sent Xavier into startups
- 19:37 Early lessons on marketplace liquidity from Deliveroo and Turo
- 25:52 Price, selection, and service: The three pillars of marketplace success
- 32:16 Services vs SaaS: Rethinking business models in the AI age
- 41:05 Financing films 101: Inside Xavier’s other venture, Lumiere Ventures
- 48:26 Xavier’s advice to young people: Lean into AI now
Connections
Spot something wrong? Suggest a correction Updated 25 September 2026
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