Izunna Isaac Agupusi builds the thinking behind the robots. An embedded AI engineer with an MSc in Artificial Intelligence from the University of Stirling, he connected large language models to a TurtleBot4 mobile robot, allowing operators to control it using natural, everyday speech. The system performed reliably across both simple commands and multi-step tasks—a technical achievement that hinted at something far bigger.
That work exposed a deeper industrial problem. Manufacturers, especially small and medium-sized firms, rush into automation without knowing whether a robot actually solves their problem. Consultancies are expensive. In-house expertise is scarce. The result is costly missteps that widen the productivity gap rather than close it.
In 2026, Agupusi launched Akọ AI Ltd, a UK-based decision intelligence platform built to change that. The platform does not start with robots. It starts with questions. It analyses operational data, applies industrial engineering rigour, and gives manufacturers clear, evidence-based answers on what drives waste and whether automation is genuinely the cure.
Akọ AI does not sell hardware. It sells clarity. It sells the confidence to invest wisely—or the courage to walk away. For SMEs who cannot afford a six-figure mistake, that is not a luxury. It is a necessity.
Akọ AI is live. Now the real work begins.
Article source: Africa Giant
