Patrick Collison
Encyclopedia
Patrick Collison is an Irish
scientist and entrepreneur from County Limerick
. He was the winner of the 41st Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition
in 2005 at the age of sixteen. He was also the individual runner-up at the 40th Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition.
and began learning to program computers at the age of ten.
Collison was educated in Gaelscoil Aonach Urmhumhan, Nenagh, before attending Castletroy College
in Castletroy
, County Limerick.
(nicknamed 'Isaac' after the famed English physicist
whom Patrick admired), finishing as individual runner-up. He re-entered the following year, and won first place at the age of sixteen on January 14, 2005. His project involved the creation of Croma
a LISP
type programming language. His prize of a €3,000 cheque and a trophy of Waterford Crystal
was presented to him by President
Mary McAleese
. His younger brother Tommy participated with his project on blogging in the Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition in 2010.
in the United States
for a time Collison dropped out. In 2007 he set up software company 'Shuppa' (a play on the Irish word 'siopa') in Limerick
with his brother John Collison
. Enterprise Ireland
did not allocate funding to the company, prompting a move to California
after Silicon Valley
's Y Combinator
showed interest. Here, they merged with two Oxford graduates, Harjeet and Kulveer Taggar
, and the company became Auctomatic.
On Good Friday
of March 2008 Collison, aged nineteen, and his brother, aged seventeen, sold Auctomatic to Canadian company Live Current Media, becoming overnight millionaires. In May 2008 he became director of engineering in the company's new Vancouver
base. Collison attributes the success of his company to his win in the Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition.
On July 18, 2009, at the age of 20 and following the publication of Bord Snip Nua
, Collison outlined his ideas for the future of Ireland on popular talk-show Saturday Night with Miriam
.
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
scientist and entrepreneur from County Limerick
County Limerick
It is thought that humans had established themselves in the Lough Gur area of the county as early as 3000 BC, while megalithic remains found at Duntryleague date back further to 3500 BC...
. He was the winner of the 41st Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition
Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition
The BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition , commonly called "the Young Scientist", is an annual competition that has been held in Dublin, Ireland every January since 1965 for encouraging interest in science in secondary and primary schools, currently sponsored by BT Ireland...
in 2005 at the age of sixteen. He was also the individual runner-up at the 40th Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition.
Early life
Patrick Collison was born to Lily and Denis Collison in 1988. The oldest of three children (two younger brothers, John and Tommy), Collison took his first computer course when he was eight years old at the University of LimerickUniversity of Limerick
The University of Limerick is a university in Ireland near the city of Limerick on the island's west coast. It was established in 1972 as the National Institute for Higher Education, Limerick and became a university by statute in 1989 in accordance with the University of Limerick Act 1989...
and began learning to program computers at the age of ten.
Collison was educated in Gaelscoil Aonach Urmhumhan, Nenagh, before attending Castletroy College
Castletroy College
Castletroy College is a mixed community secondary school in Newtown, Castletroy, County Limerick, Ireland. It was founded in December 2000 and has over 100 rooms. It has over 1000 students.-Sport:...
in Castletroy
Castletroy
Castletroy is a rapidly growing and predominantly middle-class suburb of Limerick, Ireland and is the largest suburb in Munster. Its population is estimated at 40,000 as of 2010....
, County Limerick.
Young Scientist
He entered the 40th Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition with his project on artificial intelligenceArtificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
(nicknamed 'Isaac' after the famed English physicist
Isaac Newton
Sir Isaac Newton PRS was an English physicist, mathematician, astronomer, natural philosopher, alchemist, and theologian, who has been "considered by many to be the greatest and most influential scientist who ever lived."...
whom Patrick admired), finishing as individual runner-up. He re-entered the following year, and won first place at the age of sixteen on January 14, 2005. His project involved the creation of Croma
Croma
Croma is a dialect of Lisp created by the 2005 Irish Young Scientist of the Year, Patrick Collison.This language went on to take second place at the 17th European Contest for Young Scientists in Moscow....
a LISP
Lisp programming language
Lisp is a family of computer programming languages with a long history and a distinctive, fully parenthesized syntax. Originally specified in 1958, Lisp is the second-oldest high-level programming language in widespread use today; only Fortran is older...
type programming language. His prize of a €3,000 cheque and a trophy of Waterford Crystal
Waterford Crystal
Waterford Crystal is a trademark brand of crystal glassware, previously produced in Waterford, Ireland, though the factory there was shut down after the receivership of Waterford Wedgwood plc in early 2009...
was presented to him by President
President of Ireland
The President of Ireland is the head of state of Ireland. The President is usually directly elected by the people for seven years, and can be elected for a maximum of two terms. The presidency is largely a ceremonial office, but the President does exercise certain limited powers with absolute...
Mary McAleese
Mary McAleese
Mary Patricia McAleese served as the eighth President of Ireland from 1997 to 2011. She was the second female president and was first elected in 1997 succeeding Mary Robinson, making McAleese the world's first woman to succeed another as president. She was re-elected unopposed for a second term in...
. His younger brother Tommy participated with his project on blogging in the Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition in 2010.
Auctomatic
After attending Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyMassachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
for a time Collison dropped out. In 2007 he set up software company 'Shuppa' (a play on the Irish word 'siopa') in Limerick
Limerick
Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the...
with his brother John Collison
John Collison
John Collison is an Irish student and entrepreneur.-Biography:In 2007, Collison founded "Shuppa" with his brother's Patrick Collison automatic car in Limerick, Ireland. The company later merged with Auctomatic, which was funded by Y Combinator, and Collison moved to Silicon Valley. Auctomatic was...
. Enterprise Ireland
Enterprise Ireland
Enterprise Ireland is the Irish leading state economic development agency focused on helping Irish-owned business deliver new export sales. The core mission of Enterprise Ireland is to accelerate the development of Irish enterprises capable of achieving strong positions in global markets resulting...
did not allocate funding to the company, prompting a move to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
after Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley is a term which refers to the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California in the United States. The region is home to many of the world's largest technology corporations...
's Y Combinator
Y Combinator
Y Combinator is an American seed-stage startup funding firm, started in March 2005. Y Combinator provides seed money, advice, and connections at two 3-month programs per year...
showed interest. Here, they merged with two Oxford graduates, Harjeet and Kulveer Taggar
Kulveer Taggar
Kulveer Taggar is a British entrepreneur who was the CEO of Auctomatic, a start-up he co-founded with Harjeet Taggar and Patrick Collison. In 2008, he gained international press coverage when he sold the company for $5 million at the age of 24....
, and the company became Auctomatic.
On Good Friday
Good Friday
Good Friday , is a religious holiday observed primarily by Christians commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary. The holiday is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum on the Friday preceding Easter Sunday, and may coincide with the Jewish observance of...
of March 2008 Collison, aged nineteen, and his brother, aged seventeen, sold Auctomatic to Canadian company Live Current Media, becoming overnight millionaires. In May 2008 he became director of engineering in the company's new Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
base. Collison attributes the success of his company to his win in the Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition.
Recent events
Both Collison and his younger brother John were featured on a young Irish persons rich list aired on an RTÉ television show during the 2008 Christmas period.On July 18, 2009, at the age of 20 and following the publication of Bord Snip Nua
Bord Snip Nua
The Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes was an advisory committee, headed by the right-wing economist Colm McCarthy, established by the Irish government in 2008 to recommend cuts in public spending. It issued its findings, commonly known as the McCarthy report, on 16...
, Collison outlined his ideas for the future of Ireland on popular talk-show Saturday Night with Miriam
Saturday Night With Miriam
Saturday Night with Miriam is a television chat show which was first broadcast in Ireland on RTÉ One in the summer of 2005. The show runs for six weeks as a summer filler, and is presented by Miriam O'Callaghan, the co-host of Prime Time.- Format :...
.
External links
- Official website
- Short interview with Patrick Collison
- Patrick Collison's lecture at Science Week IrelandScience Week IrelandScience Week Ireland is an annual week-long event in Ireland each November, celebrating science. It is the largest science festival in the country, involving tens of thousands of members of the general public in workshops, talks, laboratory demonstrations, science walks and other science-related...
- Patrick Collison's appearance on Saturday Night with MiriamSaturday Night With MiriamSaturday Night with Miriam is a television chat show which was first broadcast in Ireland on RTÉ One in the summer of 2005. The show runs for six weeks as a summer filler, and is presented by Miriam O'Callaghan, the co-host of Prime Time.- Format :...