Meet Silas Adekunle — The World’s Highest-Paid Robotics Engineer
Silas Adekunle, a brilliant Nigerian inventor and entrepreneur, has earned global recognition as one of the world’s highest-paid robotics engineers. He became famous for creating MekaMon, the world’s first intelligent gaming robot that blends robotics, augmented reality, and video games into one exciting experience.
Born in Nigeria, Silas moved to the United Kingdom at the age of 12. His curiosity and love for science led him to the University of the West of England, Bristol, where he graduated with first-class honors in Robotics and later received an honorary Doctor of Technology degree.
In 2013, Silas co-founded Reach Robotics, a UK-based company that merged fun with education by developing gaming robots that also promoted STEM learning.
The company’s flagship creation, MekaMon, was a four-legged robot that moved and behaved like a living creature.
What made MekaMon special was how it connected to an app through augmented reality, letting players control the robot, fight virtual enemies, and explore digital environments that blended with the real world.
Through innovation and hard work, Silas raised over $12 million in investments, growing Reach Robotics to about 65 employees.
In 2018, his biggest breakthrough came when he signed a major deal with Apple, making MekaMon available in Apple stores across the U.S. and the UK.
That deal not only put MekaMon in the hands of gamers worldwide but also earned Adekunle the reputation of being one of the highest-paid engineers in robotics.
Despite early success, the consumer robotics market proved tough. Reach Robotics eventually shut down in 2019. However, in 2022, another company, Blueprint Lab, revived the Reach Robotics name.
Instead of giving up, Silas redirected his focus toward robotics education in Africa. He founded Awarri, a company dedicated to teaching young Africans about artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, using MekaMon as a tool to inspire innovation.
In 2020, he also co-founded R.I., a company helping developers remotely manage robots, industrial systems, and IoT devices through cloud technology.
Silas Adekunle’s brilliance and leadership have earned him global acclaim.
In 2018, he was listed among the Financial Times’ Top 100 Minority Ethnic Leaders in Technology and featured in Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe: Technology, celebrating his creativity and impact in the tech world.
Today, Silas continues to inspire young Africans to embrace technology and innovation. His story is a shining example of how passion, education, and resilience can turn a dream into a global success story.