SORA Technology, a Nagoya-based startup deploying drones and AI to combat infectious diseases, has raised an additional $2.5m (¥400m) in a second close of its late seed round.
This follow-on funding brings the company’s total seed capital to approximately $7.3m, following an initial $4.8m raise in March 2025. The round saw participation from new investors including Daiwa House Group Investment Limited Partnership, Central Japan Innovative Research Fund I, and UNERI Capital Fund Series I.
The Strategy: Drones, Data, and Disease
While many drone startups focus on delivery logistics, SORA Technology has carved out a niche in preventative health and environmental monitoring. Its primary focus is “SORA Malaria Control,” a platform that combines satellite imagery, drone-captured data, and AI to predict and mitigate malaria outbreaks.
Malaria remains one of the most significant public health challenges in Africa, causing nearly 600,000 deaths annually. SORA’s approach focuses on larval source management — using drones to identify mosquito breeding sites that are difficult to detect from the ground, then applying AI to optimize intervention strategies.
Operational Footprint
The company has rapidly scaled its geographic reach, with active operations or implementations in over 10 African nations, including:
- West Africa: Ghana, Sierra Leone, Benin, Senegal.
- East & Central Africa: Kenya, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
- Southern Africa: Mozambique.
In Mozambique, the startup has formalised a partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO) to integrate its technology into national infectious disease control frameworks.
Revenue Diversification
Beyond public health, SORA is moving into the “dual-use” space, applying its environmental analysis tools to private sector industries. These include:
- Mining: Operational monitoring and environmental impact assessments.
- Agriculture: Enhancing crop productivity and reducing chemical runoff through precision monitoring.
Where the Money is Going
The fresh capital is earmarked for four specific pillars:
- AI Refinement: Enhancing algorithms for more accurate infectious disease forecasting.
- Field Expansion: Scaling physical operations across its existing 10-country footprint.
- Institutional Partnerships: Strengthening ties with national governments and international health bodies.
- Hardware & Logistics: Upgrading drone systems and localizing maintenance and flight operations.
“The newly raised capital will be used to accelerate product development, strengthen local operations, and expand our team,” said Yosuke Kaneko, founder and CEO of SORA Technology. He noted the goal is to create a “stronger foundation” for impact across broader regions.
SORA Technology represents a growing trend of Japanese startups looking toward the African continent for “leapfrog” technology opportunities. By focusing on high-stakes health data rather than just hardware sales, the company is positioning itself as a data provider in a region where ground-level environmental data is often scarce. However, the challenge remains in the long-term sustainability of government-funded health contracts versus the higher margins of its private-sector mining and agriculture pivots.