AN Aberystwyth University graduate’s business start-up could be one of the first companies to deliver one of the first self-driving vehicles after raising over £320,000 through crowdfunding.

The Academy of Robotics, which is based at Aberystwyth University, was set up by William Sachiti in 2015 while he was a student in Aberystwyth, and is working on Kar-Go, a vehicle which would deliver goods to retail customers on unmarked roads without human assistance.

The technology would see Kar-Go make deliveries in residential areas, with Williams saying that it could lead to around 98 per cent of delivery costs being removed.

After launching a crowdfunding appeal, the Academy of Robotics raised over £320,000, with William saying that money will be matched by “one of the largest tech companies in the world”.

He said: “We have a stellar team who are excited to have begun working on what we believe will probably be the best autonomous delivery vehicle in the world.

“For instance, our multi-award-winning lead vehicle designer is part of the World Championship-winning Brabham Formula One design team, and also spent years as a design engineer at McLaren.

“We also have a team of PHD-level roboticists and scientists, and together, we are already working on Kar-Go at a Pilgrim Motorsports facility in Small Dole, West Sussex. We now also have over 300 shareholders.

“As a CEO, it is one of my primary duties to make sure Kar-Go remains a fantastic investment, this can only be achieved by our team producing spectacular results. We can’t wait to show the world what we produce.”

The company, which is partnered with UK car manufacturer Pilgrim, has already received the legal requirements from the UK government’s Centre for Autonomous Vehicles to be able to operate on public roads.