Pasi William Sachiti, a Zimbabwean serial entrepreneur, has established an incredible legacy in the business world, marked by successful ventures and innovative contributions. Born in Harare, Zimbabwe, and later relocating to the UK at the age of 16, Sachiti embarked on his entrepreneurial journey at the early age of 19.
His first venture, “123-registration,” a domain registration business, set the stage for his entrepreneurial prowess, eventually being acquired for an undisclosed amount. Subsequently, Sachiti founded “MyCityVenue,” an A.I.-driven experiences platform with 1.6 million users, which garnered attention and was acquired by Secret Escapes in 2015.
Before his foray into autonomous vehicles, Sachiti showcased his entrepreneurial spirit on BBC’s Dragons Den with “Clever Bins,” a solar-powered digital outdoor advertising bins startup. Despite the company trading for three years and licensing its technology to multiple countries and local governments, it closed in 2013.
Sachiti, an alumnus of the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and Aberystwyth, is currently the founder and CEO of the Academy of Robotics. Under his leadership, the autonomous vehicle “Kar-go” was introduced at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK in 2019.
Kar-go, Europe’s first road-worthy autonomous delivery vehicle, is a testament to Sachiti’s commitment to solving the last-mile delivery challenge. Developed in collaboration with the UK’s vehicle licensing authority, the DVLA, Kar-go can travel on roads at speeds up to 96km/h.
Sachiti said he utilised Zimbabwean roads to train Kar-go’s artificial intelligence, emphasising the vehicle’s adaptability to various environments. The autonomous delivery vehicle features advanced software allowing navigation on unmarked country roads without relying on GPS.
Kar-go’s operational process involves recipients tracking their deliveries through an app, meeting the vehicle like a pre-booked taxi, and using the app to open the hatch for parcel retrieval. Powered by Tesla batteries, Kar-go can reach speeds of 60mph and cover approximately 193km before requiring a recharge.
Kar-go employs advanced evolutionary artificial neural networks, mimicking aspects of nature and biology to learn from past events and apply knowledge to new situations. Sachiti’s innovative endeavours have garnered recognition, with nominations and awards such as the HSBC Start-up Stars, Zim Achievers Awards, Aberystwyth InvEnterPrize, and Wales Start-up Awards.
Named one of the top “35 under 35” entrepreneurs in Wales in 2017, Sachiti continues to make strides in the business and tech landscape, leaving an indelible mark with his groundbreaking contributions to autonomous vehicle technology. Zimbabwe has incredible talent, most of which are doing wonders in the diaspora.
