The newly registered UK AI company is developing a platform that helps small and medium-sized manufacturers make smarter, evidence-based decisions about automation, placing industrial engineering rigour at the centre of a technology-driven process for the first time. Akọ AI Ltd, an artificial intelligence company incorporated in the United Kingdom on 25 December 2025, has formally launched with a mission to transform how manufacturing businesses evaluate and pursue automation. The company is building a decision intelligence platform targeted at UK manufacturing SMEs, a segment that has historically lacked affordable, expert-quality guidance on whether, when, and what to automate. For most small and medium-sized manufacturers, the path to automation currently runs through one of two options: a costly, months-long engagement with an automation consultancy, or a procurement decision made without adequate operational evidence. Akọ AI is entering the market to address this gap directly, offering structured, validated intelligence that tells manufacturers what is actually driving inefficiency in their operations and what the realistic options are for addressing it. The company’s founding philosophy sets it apart from the dominant approach in the automation technology sector. Where most platforms begin with automation as the assumed solution, Akọ AI begins with analysis. Before any recommendation is made, the platform applies a methodology grounded in industrial engineering principles to evaluate whether a given process should be automated at all, and what alternatives exist. Automation, in this framework, is the conclusion of a rigorous process, not the starting premise. “Anyone can tell a manufacturer to buy a robot,” said Izunna Isaac Agupusi, founder and CEO of Akọ AI. “The more valuable service is telling them whether a robot is actually the answer to their problem. That is the question the industry has not been asking rigorously enough, and it is the question our platform is built to answer.” Target Market and Commercial Focus Akọ AI’s initial commercial focus is the United Kingdom manufacturing SME market, specifically businesses employing between ten and two hundred and fifty people, operating repetitive manual processes, and without in-house automation engineering capability. This segment represents a significant share of UK manufacturing output and accounts for a disproportionate share of the productivity gap the sector faces relative to comparable European economies. The company’s launch comes at a moment of structural opportunity in the market. The 2023 acquisition of Drishti Technologies by Apple removed one of the few players operating in AI-driven manufacturing process intelligence at scale, leaving the SME segment without a credible, accessible alternative. Akọ AI is positioning itself to serve that underserved market with a platform designed from the ground up for the operational realities, budget constraints, and decision-making processes of smaller manufacturers. Company Background and Development Akọ AI was conceptualised in November 2024 and spent over a year in active development before its formal registration. The company built its technical architecture, conducted market research, and established operational infrastructure during this period, ensuring that the launch represents a substantive milestone rather than a preliminary announcement. Akọ AI is a member of ScotlandIS, Scotland’s digital technology industry body, and has received training funding through the organisation. The company has also been offered a Cyber Essentials funding grant through ScotlandIS, reflecting early recognition of the company’s operational development and infrastructure standards ahead of commercial deployment. About the Founder Akọ AI was founded by Izunna Isaac Agupusi, an industrial and production engineer and AI specialist based in Edinburgh. Agupusi holds a BSc in Industrial and Production Engineering from the University of Ibadan and a Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence from the University of Stirling. His career spans embedded systems, automation, and intelligent systems engineering, including his current role as Lead Embedded AI Engineer at Raygonal Ltd, where he is stationed at the Roslin Institute at the University of Edinburgh. He was named Raygonal’s Employee of the Year for 2025 in recognition of his technical leadership on a flagship intelligent monitoring project. Agupusi is a member of the International Association of Engineers (IAENG) and the Nigerian Society of Engineers, Glasgow chapter. In 2025, he was named a recipient of the Africa Illustrious Award in Technology, one of the continent’s most prestigious recognitions for individuals whose work has created demonstrable impact in Africa and internationally. He presented as an undergraduate at the Industrial and Production Engineering Students Association (IESA) Conference on the systems and human dimensions of industrial processes, a line of inquiry that directly informs the philosophy underpinning Akọ AI. Strategic Outlook While the company’s immediate focus is the UK manufacturing SME market, Akọ AI’s long-term roadmap is explicitly international. The company intends to expand through platform development, industry partnerships with system integrators and automation consultancies, and entry into adjacent industrial sectors. International expansion, including markets across Europe, the United States, and Africa, is a core strategic objective rather than a secondary consideration. The company’s founder has been direct about the scale of the opportunity in African manufacturing markets, where the need for accessible, credible operational intelligence is acute and the supply of affordable specialist expertise remains limited. Akọ AI regards this not as a future opportunity to be addressed once the UK market is established, but as a parallel strategic priority embedded in the company’s founding intent. About Akọ AI Ltd Akọ AI Ltd is a United Kingdom-registered artificial intelligence company building a decision intelligence platform for manufacturing SMEs. The company’s platform is designed to analyse operational processes and produce structured, expert-validated automation feasibility intelligence, enabling manufacturers to make evidence-based decisions about where, when, and whether to invest in automation. Akọ AI is headquartered in Edinburgh, Scotland, and is a member of ScotlandIS. Website: akoai.uk Contact: izunna@akoai.uk Incorporated: 25 December 2025, Companies House, United Kingdom