SORA Technology Acquires Malaria-Focused Satellite Analysis Firm Zmart, Announces Full-Scale Entry into Space Business
SORA Technology has acquired Zmart, a satellite analysis company, to enter the space sector and enhance its malaria control operations.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: March 28, 2026 at 15:59
- 🔍 Collected: March 28, 2026 at 21:59 (5h 59m after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 15, 2026 at 06:09 (416h 10m after Collected)
SORA Technology Inc. (Headquarters: Nagoya, Aichi; Founder & CEO: Yosuke Kaneko), a company addressing global health and climate change challenges through AI and aerospace technology, announces the acquisition of a majority stake in Zmart Ltd. (Zmart), a company specializing in satellite analysis for malaria control. By integrating SORA Technology's ground-based data acquisition and operations using drones and AI with Zmart's satellite data and AI analysis technology, the company aims to accelerate the efficiency and global expansion of its malaria countermeasures.
Background of the Acquisition
SORA Technology has been working to advance local breeding ground surveys and infectious disease control operations using drones and AI. To grasp risks over wider areas and optimize the prioritization of countermeasures, the company believes that combining these efforts with analysis utilizing satellite data and geospatial information is essential.
Zmart possesses technology that uses AI to analyze satellite imagery and GIS data to identify high-risk malaria areas and support the development of control strategies. Their technology has demonstrated practical effectiveness in Sub-Saharan Africa, including:
Ghana (Obuasi): Improved accuracy in breeding ground detection through app implementation, reducing mosquito populations by over 60% and significantly lowering control costs.
São Tomé and Príncipe: A collaborative project with the government resulted in a reduction of mosquito populations by approximately 75% and malaria incidence by approximately 52%. Costs per protected individual were achieved at 0.44 USD (PPP-based) in urban areas and 1.41 USD (PPP-based) in rural areas.
Tanzania (Zanzibar): Supported by the Gates Foundation, a project identifying mosquito breeding sources and implementing larval control using drones, satellite imagery, and AI is currently underway in partnership with Zmart, Aberystwyth University, and the Zanzibar Malaria Elimination Programme.
Through this acquisition, SORA Technology will integrate its drone-based local operations with Zmart's satellite-based wide-area analysis to further promote the efficiency and scalability of malaria control efforts.
[Overview of the Acquisition]
Target: Zmart Ltd.
Representative: Arnon Houri Yafin
Business Description: Malaria control platform using AI-based satellite and geospatial data analysis.