Senior AI expertise.
Direct access.
No layers.
Agathon is a boutique AI consultancy founded by Dr Colin Kelly. When you work with Agathon, you work with me directly, bringing fifteen years of experience to every conversation.
The short version
I'm Colin Kelly. I have a PhD in Natural Language Processing from Cambridge and have spent the last fifteen years building AI systems in commercial environments, from early-stage startups to major financial institutions.
I've led applied AI research teams, architected production ML pipelines, helped companies raise funding, and advised executives on AI strategy. I've seen what works, what doesn't, and what the gap looks like between AI hype and AI reality.
Now I help organisations navigate AI with clarity and confidence. You can find more about my background on LinkedIn.
Why I started Agathon
I spent years watching companies struggle to get good AI advice. The big consultancies send junior staff who learn on your dime. The freelance market is full of people who completed an online course last month. The genuine experts are either in academia, working at major tech companies, or too expensive for anyone but enterprises.
Meanwhile, I kept meeting founders and executives who were smart, capable people, but completely lost when it came to AI. They didn't know what questions to ask, couldn't evaluate the answers they got, and were making decisions based on vendor pitches and conference keynotes.
I started Agathon because I wanted to offer something different: direct access to someone with genuine expertise, without the enterprise consultancy overhead or the lottery of freelance platforms.
The name comes from the Greek word for "excellence", and from the Athenian poet who hosted the dinner party in Plato's Symposium. It's a reminder that the best work happens through thoughtful conversation, not PowerPoint decks.
What I believe
AI will fundamentally change how we work
Not in some distant future, but now. The organisations that adapt thoughtfully will thrive; those that ignore it or panic will struggle.
Most AI systems are not well understood
Even by the people building them. This creates real risks, but also opportunities for those willing to develop genuine expertise.
Your concerns about AI are probably valid
Whether it's about job displacement, quality, ethics, or hype cycles. Dismissing concerns doesn't make them go away.
Small, focused teams beat large ones
Especially in AI, where the difference between a good implementation and a great one often comes down to a handful of critical decisions.
Work should matter
Life's too short to build things that don't help people or solve real problems. I choose projects where I can make a genuine difference.
The journey
University of Oxford: BA in Mathematics & Computer Science
Where I first encountered machine learning and realised that teaching computers to learn was more interesting than programming them directly.
University of Cambridge: Masters and PhD in Natural Language Processing
Four years developing systems that could extract common-sense knowledge from text. Learned that the gap between academic research and practical application is wider than most people think.
IBM: Strategic Analytics Consultant
Delivered AI value assessments worth €50m+ across telco, automotive, and financial services. Learned how large organisations think about technology investments.
PA Consulting: Analytics Principal Consultant
Led data science strategy for government, policing, and financial services clients. Saw how different sectors approach the same underlying problems.
Adarga: Head of Applied AI Research
Built and led the applied research team at an AI scale-up. Founded the company's Responsible AI committee. First experience shaping AI culture from within.
Unlikely AI: Language Engineering Manager
Led development of advanced language reasoning systems within a neuro-symbolic AI framework. Explored the frontier of combining neural and symbolic approaches.
Agathon: Founder
After years of watching companies struggle to find trustworthy AI expertise, I decided to offer what I wished had existed: senior-level guidance without the enterprise consultancy overhead.
How I work
You get me
Not a junior consultant who googles things while you wait. When you hire Agathon, you're working directly with someone who's been doing this for over fifteen years.
I take limited engagements
I'd rather do fewer things well than many things adequately. This means I can give your project the attention it deserves.
I collaborate with specialists
For larger projects, I work with a network of trusted experts rather than maintaining a large permanent team with overhead to feed.
I aim to make myself unnecessary
The goal is to build your capability, not your dependency. Success means you don't need me anymore.
Let's talk about your AI challenges
Whether you're exploring what AI could do for your business or knee-deep in implementation challenges, I'm happy to have an initial conversation.
Get in touch