Built for Founders, Backed by Founders
We help early-stage entrepreneurs around the world scale smarter — with real-world insights, actionable playbooks, and a global community of builders.No fluff. Just what works when you're in the trenches.
Early-Stage Founders
Build smarter, Scale faster
with proven founder strategies, practical playbooks, and a global startup community.
Growth Stage Founders
From Fit to Scale
Scale faster with tested systems, expert insights, and a founder-powered network.
Smart Scaling
Only Pay for Results
No retainers. No fluff. You only pay when we generate leads, book meetings, or deliver savings.
Inside the Founder's Mind
Explore Our Founder Insights
Step into conversations with the UK’s top founders. Learn what it takes to scale fast, stay resilient, and raise big from the leaders who’ve done it.Our podcast goes beyond the headlines, giving you real lessons from the front lines of startup growth
Building Mattioli Woods: From Vision to Legacy
Mattioli Series
Featured Series
Building Mattioli Woods: From Vision to Legacy
Dive into the extraordinary journey of Ian Mattioli, from converting his garage into the powerhouse that is Mattioli Woods, to guiding Kanabo and Care Hires as chairman. Ian's story is not just about scaling a business to managing £15 bn for 15,000 clients over 900 employees; it's about the essence of entrepreneurship, the hurdles of taking a company public, and the importance of mentorship in business growth.
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The Disruptor’s Brain
The Disruptor’s Brain
Discover how ADHD fuels high-performance entrepreneurship with Dr. Nikolay Kralimarkov. From the neuroscience of focus and creativity to the work-life struggles of disruptors like Elon Musk, this conversation explores how neuroplasticity, martial arts, and mindfulness can help entrepreneurs harness their unique strengths.
University vs. The Real World
Cake Box Series
University vs. The Real World
Is university still worth the investment? In this insightful conversation, Suleman Sacranie sits down with Professor Nishan Canagarajah, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Leicester, to discuss how higher education is evolving. They explore the role of AI in learning, the balance between academic and practical skills, and how universities can better support entrepreneurs.
Check out all our video series
Episode 1
2
Minutes
Mattioli Woods' Rise: From Garage Startup to Managing £15 Billion
Explore how Ian Mattioli's fascination with finance at a young age blossomed into the establishment of Mattioli Woods Plc. This episode covers Ian’s selfdriven learning, expertise in pensions, and how he grew his vision into a leading financial firm.
EPISODE 2
2
Minutes
Power Pair: How Ian Mattioli and Bob Woods Built a Financial Giant
Learn how it took 14 years for Ian Mattioli to build Mattioli Woods, from starting in a garage to transforming it into a structured business with a balance between work and family life. Ian shares insights on business setup, market fit, and evolving from pensions to wealth management.
EPISODE 3
2
Minutes
Embracing Humility: A Leadership Lesson from Ian Mattioli of Mattioli Woods
Discover how the relationship between Ian Mattioli and Bob Woods helped scale Mattioli Woods. This episode highlights how their differences became assets, the market expertise they developed, and how they started in Leicester markets before growing into the finance sector.
Trailer
2
Minutes
ADHD, High Performance & The Entrepreneurial Mindset
Is ADHD a challenge or a hidden strength? In Disrupter's Brain Podcast, Dr. Nikolay Kralimarkov explores how hyperfocus fuels success, why entrepreneurs like Elon Musk thrive under pressure, and how neuroplasticity, martial arts, and yoga can help rewire the brain.
16
Minutes
ADHD, Mental Health & Entrepreneurship: A Deep Dive with Dr. Nikolay Kralimarkov
Is ADHD a challenge or a hidden strength? Suleman Sacranie speaks with Dr. Nikolay Kralimarkov about how ADHD influences focus, creativity, and leadership, the hidden struggles of high-performance individuals, and how neuroplasticity, martial arts, and mindfulness can support mental resilience.
15
Minutes
Unlocking Potential: ADHD & High Performance
In this episode, Dr. Nik and Suleman explore how ADHD shapes high-performing professionals - its challenges, hidden potential, and impact on careers and entrepreneurship. From workplace struggles to the power of the right support, they highlight why awareness and guidance are key.
1
Minutes
University vs. Real-World Success: Is Higher Education Still Worth It?
Is university still worth it? Suleman Sacranie and Professor Nishan Canagarajah dive into the value of higher education, its role in entrepreneurship, and how AI is reshaping learning. Watch now!
28
Minutes
The Future of Universities: Education, AI & Entrepreneurship
Is university still worth it? 🎓 Suleman Sacranie and Professor Nishan Canagarajah - Vice-Chancellor of the University of Leicester, explore the evolving role of higher education, AI’s impact on learning, and how universities can better support entrepreneurs.
Our Proven Track Record
Explore Our Ventures
The GP Service
From Startup to £14M Exit
What I Learned Before launching Prime Start Capital, I built The GP Service from the ground up connecting 4,000+ UK pharmacies, pioneering same-day prescriptions, and scaling into one of the country’s leading digital healthcare platforms. In 2022, we were acquired by Kanabo Group Plc in a £14M exit.
What I wish I had back then?
- Playbooks. Community. Honest conversations with founders who’ve been there.
That’s why I started Prime Start — to give founders what I didn’t have: battle-tested tools, real stories, and a space to scale smarter.
Explore How We Grew
Care Hires
Scaling a Team of 15,000+ Carers — The Hidden Complexity
Care Hires was built to solve a major problem: helping care homes find reliable staff, fast.
Over time, we connected 15,000+ care workers to homes across the UK, raised £4M+ from West Hill Capital and Mattioli Woods Plc, and digitised a deeply broken system.
What did it take?
Relentless iteration. Smart go-to-market moves. And real-world discovery — the kind of lessons we now share through Prime Start.
Explore How We Grew
Your Team in Asia
Offshoring That Actually Works — Trusted by Our Founder Network
Scaling a startup often means doing more with less. That’s why we connected with the team behind Your Team in Asia — a vetted offshore staffing partner helping founders cut costs by up to 60%.
From sales to operations to tech, they build remote teams that plug directly into your systems no overhead, just output
Explore How We Grew
Accelerate Your Business Growth
Discover how Prime Start helps ambitious founders go further, faster — without burning out.
We share the tools, real founder stories, and a supportive community to help you scale smarter, automate what’s slowing you down, and connect with peers facing the same challenges.
Joining the Community
Who is Prime Start for?
We’re for ambitious founders who are building early-stage or scaling startups and want to learn directly from those who’ve done it before. Whether you’re landing your first customers, preparing to raise, or scaling your team, Prime Start connects you to playbooks, tools, and founders who’ve been there.
What does Prime Start actually offer?
1. Weekly insights from experienced founders
2. Deep-dive podcast episodes and case studies
3. Tactical playbooks and templates you can use today
4. A growing founder community to learn, share, and stay sane with There’s no fee, no catch — just founder-first content that works.
Do you offer funding or services ?
No. We’re not a VC, accelerator, or service provider. Prime Start is a content and community platform designed to help founders grow smarter through shared experience and execution-tested strategies.
What kind of founders do you work with?
We typically work with:
- Founders with an MVP or early traction
- UK/Ireland-based startups (or targeting this market)
- Builders solving real problems and open to learning
- Teams preparing for seed, Series A, or building toward scale
Do I need to be technical or in a specific industry?
Not at all. We work with founders across SaaS, digital health, marketplaces, consumer brands, and more. The common thread? Real traction, strong vision, and a desire to scale sustainably.
What’s the cost to join?
Zero. Our resources, newsletter, playbooks, and founder groups are completely free. If we ever offer premium content or curated groups, you'll be the first to know — and it’ll always be founder-friendly.
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