Diary of a Zebra | William Pasi Sachiti from Academy of Robotics
Powered by The Africa Centre charity's entrepreneurship pillar, with support from Temu.
Why? With AI Awareness Day and SXSW in play, there are so many events and activities to pick from. This exciting community mixer highlights a dynamic AI & robotics inventor, William Sachiti, that the Daily Mail dubbed as a "real-life supervillain" due to his secluded compound, legions of robots, and his expansive command centre. Event starts at 5pm.
📁 Session takes place in the Feeny space, on the 3rd floor:
5pm: Arrivals and registration
5.30pm: Fireside chat with Academy of Robotics Founder/CEO
6pm: Q&A from the audience
6.15pm: Live demo of Athena Mind AI
7pm until 9pm: Networking drinks and cash bar (1st floor, Malangatana space)
The event will be hosted by Nzube Ufodike, a trustee at The Africa Centre charity. Outside of the charity, he is an investor, entrepreneur, and trusted advisor. He sits on the Industrial Advisory Board of the School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science at Queen Mary University of London, where he also obtained his Computer Science BSc & MSci degrees. He also chairs the board of The British Computer Society Foundation.
The fireside chat will be moderated by the award-winning Catherine Munyarari, Chair of the Young Africa Centre in London, where she has a proven track record of community building and organising impactful events and collaborations. Through her work at the Africa Centre, she empowers young Diaspora to become leaders and trailblazers. Catherine has extensive experience coordinating multi-million-pound renewable energy projects across Africa, and through her work as a Business Transformation coach, she has supported over 100 business leaders to lead transformation and change in the UK.
📊 Who is our special guest: William Sachiti?
William is a Zimbabwean-born British entrepreneur, inventor, and serial technology founder. He began his entrepreneurial career at age 19 in 2003, founding 123 Registration before completing his studies.
In 2009, he launched Clever Bins, solar-powered litter bins with digital ads. The company was acquired in 2012. He then co-founded mycityvenue in 2011, an AI-driven concierge platform that grew to 1.6 million users and was acquired by Secret Escapes in 2014.
Currently best known as the CEO of Academy of Robotics, a company pioneering autonomous vehicles and AI-driven solutions for logistics, mobility, and education. His innovations include the Kar-go, Europe's first street-legal self-driving delivery robot launched in 2020, and the 2025 introduction of the Kar-go Road-BOT, a semi-autonomous electric two-seater vehicle designed for personal and commercial use in the UK.
🎯 Who this event is for?
Entrepreneurs, business leaders, investors, family offices, impact funds, tech specialists, policy makers, enthusiasts, journalists, innovators, and post-grad students.
After the talk, drinks happy hour starts at 7pm, at the award-winning Manya London Bar, on the first floor of The Africa Centre. Cash bar.
🔥 What is a Zebra?
In the business world, the choice between being a unicorn or a zebra represents a fundamental split in how start-ups approach growth and success. While unicorns are mythical, denoting privately-held high-stakes entities valued at 1B USD or more through rapid venture capital (VC) backing, zebras are real, and encapsulate profitable companies that balance sustainable growth with a social or community-driven purpose.
About The Africa Centre charity (TAC): Originally conceived to foster non-governmental relations between newly independent Africa and Britain, The Africa Centre has since evolved into a forward-thinking, inclusive, and respected cultural institution that promotes positive conversations about Africa. Our mission is to educate, connect and advocate for Africa and its diaspora.
About The Young Africa Centre (YAC): YAC is the youth arm of TAC, focusing on empowering and engaging young people aged 18–35 in London, nationally, and globally. Driven by a vision to be a home for a new generation of Africans in the Diaspora, our mission is to build community, break barriers, and lead bold change.
About Temu: Global e-commerce company that connects consumers with millions of merchandise partners, manufacturers and brands with the mission to empower them to live a better life. Recently launched in the UK to support local e-commerce within the UK.
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