SORA Technology Implements a large scale AI, Drone, and Satellite Data-Enabled Larval Source Management in the Republic of Benin
SORA Technology Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Nagoya, Japan; Founder & CEO: Yosuke Kaneko; hereafter “SORA Technology”), which provides advanced drone and AI solutions across public health, agriculture, and climate resilience, announced a nation-wide malaria control project launched in the Republic of Benin.
The project is being implemented as part of the Ministry of Health of Benin’s “Integrated Action for Malaria Prevention: Public-Private Partnership and Community Youth Engagement (Action intégrée pour la prévention du paludisme : partenariat public-privé et engagement local des jeunes au Bénin) initiative. As part of the project, SORA Technology will implement Larval Source Management (LSM) by leveraging satellite data, drones, artificial intelligence (AI), and a digital field management platform, called “Zzapp malaria platform*.”
The project was officially launched on June 30, 2026, at the Cité Ministérielle in Cotonou, Republic of Benin. The launch ceremony was attended by H.E. Benjamin Hounkpatin, Minister of Health of Benin; H.E. Hideki Uezono, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Benin; Ms. Aude Rigot, Deputy Representative of UNICEF Benin; and other representatives from the health sector.
Project‘s launch ceremony
The project is supported by approximately USD 2.3 million in funding from the Government of Japan and is being led by the Ministry of Health of Benin and the National Malaria Control Programme (Programme National de Lutte contre le Paludisme: PNLP), with support from UNICEF. The initiative builds on the bilateral agreement between Japan and Benin reached at the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9), held in Yokohama in 2025, and is aligned with Benin’s national vision, “Bénin 2060 Alafia.”
In Benin, malaria remains one of the country’s most serious public health challenges. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), it accounts for more than 30% of deaths among children under the age of five. As rapid urbanization, flooding, and climate change expand mosquito breeding environments, there is a growing need for more efficient and precisely targeted interventions.
One effective approach to addressing this challenge is Larval Source Management (LSM), which identifies and controls mosquito breeding sites before larvae develop into adult mosquitoes. However, implementing LSM in hard-to-reach environments, such as wetlands and flood-prone areas, remains labor-intensive and time-consuming, posing significant operational challenges.
Meeting with local government officials (Center: Vice CEO, Umeda)
To address these challenges, SORA Technology combines satellite data analytics, drones, artificial intelligence (AI), and a digital management platform (Zzapp Malaria Platform) to enhance the efficiency and precision of identifying, classifying, monitoring, and treating mosquito breeding sites. High-resolution aerial imagery captured by satellites and drones is analyzed using AI to accurately detect high-risk breeding sites. Based on these insights, drones are deployed to precisely apply larvicides, enabling more effective and resource-efficient Larval Source Management (LSM). The resulting data are integrated into a digital management platform that supports the end-to-end implementation of LSM, enabling centralized management of field mapping, larval surveillance, larvicide application, and operational workflows. The project utilizes TSUBASA, SORA Technology’s proprietary drone developed specifically for larvicide application and deployed for field operations.
SORA Technology’s proprietary drone “TSUBASA”
The project will be implemented across six communes in southern and northern Benin. In ecologically sensitive areas, including coastal and lagoon regions, environmentally responsible implementation will be prioritized through measures such as the careful selection of larvicides to minimize impacts on aquatic ecosystems. SORA Technology will work in close collaboration with local communities while promoting environmentally sustainable malaria vector control.
The project also places a strong emphasis on the engagement of local youth, community health volunteers, and community leaders. Through community awareness activities and field-based monitoring, it aims to integrate advanced technologies with community-driven action to establish a sustainable approach to malaria control.
Through this project, SORA Technology will support Benin’s national efforts to establish effective and sustainable malaria vector control while contributing to the generation of operational evidence for technology-enabled LSM across West Africa.
*Zzapp malaria platform: SORA Technology’s digital platform that supports key operational processes, including the mapping of mosquito breeding sites, field data collection, navigation to target locations, monitoring of field operations, and management of intervention activities. By integrating digital technologies into vector control operations, the platform enables more efficient, transparent, and data-driven malaria control activities.
Company Profile
Company Name: SORA Technology Co., Ltd.
Headquarters: 2-14-1 Nagono, Nishi-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
Representative: Yosuke Kaneko (Founder & CEO)
Established: 2020
Business: Development and provision of drone- and AI-powered technologies for infectious disease control, agricultural support, and climate adaptation.
Mission: SORA Technology is committed to the mission of “Transforming lives from the sky (SORA).” By leveraging advanced drone and AI technologies, the company aims to help build safe and prosperous societies anywhere in the world. Centered in Africa and other developing regions, SORA provides a wide range of services, from infectious disease surveillance and control to agricultural productivity enhancement and climate adaptation support.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sora-technology/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sora.technology/
