Yessica Klein
8 min read
09 November 2025
Robin Knox is a serial entrepreneur with a track record of building (and exiting) companies that solve real problems. Originally from England, he moved to Aberdeen as a teenager before eventually settling in Edinburgh, where his entrepreneurial journey began. Without a university degree, he launched a series of ventures, including Urban Paintball Edinburgh, which in 2011 was Scotland’s first indoor paintball arena, and intelligentpos®, a point-of-sale startup he cofounded to improve existing till systems and scaled into one of the UK’s leading iPad-based systems for small businesses. It was then acquired by iZettle and later PayPal. After more than a decade of navigating the startup world, he returned to the point-of-sale space with Seamless, a company focused on helping food and drink operators in the UK deliver better customer experiences through intuitive, powerful technology. Now based in between Glasgow and Edinburgh, Robin also advises early-stage founders and mentors through programs like Techscaler (in Edinburgh) and STAC (in Glasgow).
How did you get started as a founder?
I left university after a year of studying medicine. I’d already started a micro-business during that time and had a strong feeling that the university path wasn’t for me. I worked as a nightclub bouncer for a while, then moved into club management, which gave me some early experience in operations. I eventually realized that if I wanted real autonomy, I’d have to start my own thing. That first business was an indoor paintball center in Edinburgh.
What did you learn from your first venture?
That not all businesses are created equal. The paintball center had no repeat customers, was expensive to run, and wasn’t recession-proof. I spent a lot of time wondering why it was so hard and then realized the model itself was flawed. That experience pushed me toward recurring revenue models and higher-margin, more scalable products like SaaS.
When did you realize your till system could become a business?
At the time, I was building the system for our own use. But a guy starting a chicken takeaway nearby saw it and said, “I need this.” I didn’t have enough money to build two, so I gave him my hardware. He said, “You could sell this to every business on this street,” and that’s when I thought, maybe we could sell it across the country. That became intelligentpos.
What led to the exit of intelligentpos?
We found product-market fit quickly and grew fast. We knew the industry well and had a good understanding of what annoyed people about existing till systems. When we got an offer from iZettle, we saw it was a great fit for our customers. But there was also a sense of strategic urgency: consolidation was happening, and if we didn’t take the offer, someone else might get bought and become too big to compete with. It was the kind of offer you just don’t turn down.
“Every day you’re in business is a roll of the dice. My father-in-law always says it’s like swinging a tiger around your head by the tail, and if you stop, it’ll eat you.”
Why return to POS with Seamless?
The market has matured, and after some competitors were acquired, things slowed down. Our original product was sunsetted, and we kept hearing from people who missed it. We weren’t even reaching out to former customers; they were coming to us. Add to that new developments like Android-powered payment terminals, and we saw fresh opportunities. This time, we’re building something more sustainable. Still tech-focused but with a longer-term mindset.
What motivates you now, after multiple ventures?
At this point, I’m driven by purpose. I had a couple of years off after Boundary, and I still started a housebuilding company and did some mentoring. But I realized I need something to get stuck into. I like building tools that help small businesses succeed. And while that’s my focus now, I think eventually I’ll want to find a purpose that’s even more meaningful.
What’s your approach to cofounding?
Paul Walton and I have worked together since the early days. We’re both only children and have a very honest, almost brotherly relationship. We can say things like, “That’s a bit crap, isn’t it?” and not take offense. That kind of honesty is essential. I’ve also started businesses with others, like my housebuilding cofounder, who I met through a personal renovation project. It comes down to trust, integrity and knowing where your strengths lie.
What advice would you give to new founders?
If you don’t try, you’ll never know. But don’t bet the farm. I lost a lot on a business that didn’t work, but I knew when to stop. I never dragged my family through it. Test the market early, talk to professional investors, and see if your idea has the backing to go the distance. And don’t be afraid to put your idea out there: people often worry about copycats, but execution is everything.
“When I was a young manager in a nightclub, I used to just rule by absolute tyranny. Now I take a much more empathetic approach, but I still drive my teams to deliver more than they thought was possible.”