Effectiveness Demonstrated in Disaster and Public Health Preparedness Through Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s Overseas Expansion Support Program

SORA Technology Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture; Founder and CEO: Yosuke Kaneko, hereinafter referred to as “SORA Technology”), a company addressing global health and climate change challenges through AI and aerospace technology, is pleased to announce the successful completion of a Proof of Concept (PoC) for its AI-driven flood and infectious disease risk assessment platform in Nairobi, Kenya. The project confirmed the effectiveness of the company’s predictive technology in real-world settings. It was conducted under the Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s “King Salmon Project,” which supports the overseas expansion of innovative startups.

Background and Objectives

In recent years, Kenya has experienced increasing incidents of heavy rainfall and flooding in urban areas due to climate change impacts, such as the El Niño phenomenon. This has been particularly severe in informal settlements with poor drainage infrastructure, where stagnant water leads to the spread of waterborne diseases like typhoid and cholera.

This project aimed to visualize the risk of floods and infectious disease outbreaks in urban slums, enabling local governments and healthcare providers to plan preventive measures and allocate medical supplies more swiftly and effectively.

Project Overview

Target City: Nairobi, Republic of Kenya
Implementation Period: September 2024 – March 2025
Project Summary:
SORA Technology deployed its proprietary flood management system, which integrates AI and satellite data, to conduct high-resolution mapping and predictive analysis of flood-prone areas and waterborne disease outbreaks.
The system also enabled demand forecasting for essential medicines at public clinics across Nairobi.

Demand forecasting for essential medicines at each public clinic using the system

Key Achievements

1. Acceleration of Information Acquisition (Information Velocity)
Traditionally, information was gathered only after disasters occurred. By leveraging simulation models, the project enabled the prediction of risks approximately one week in advance, providing government and medical institutions with critical lead time to respond.

2. Expansion of Prediction Targets (Breadth of Information)
The system successfully conducted predictions for a total of eight key items, significantly broadening the scope of disaster preparedness:

Flood Simulations (5 items):

・Prediction of flood hotspots within Nairobi
・Estimated affected population by sub-county
・Identification of flood-affected roads
・Impact on hospitals
・Impact on other critical infrastructure

Infectious Disease Simulations (3 items):

・Predicted number of patients by sub-county (diarrhea, typhoid)
・Estimated demand for antipyretics and other essential medicines
・Spatial distribution of potential outbreaks

3. Verification of Prediction Accuracy (Information Accuracy)
When comparing the system’s predictions with actual flooding events in Nairobi in April 2024, the flood hotspot prediction model demonstrated an accuracy rate of 69%, with overall damage trends aligning closely with real-world outcomes.

Toward Broader Application

Based on the success of this demonstration, SORA Technology is exploring expansion to additional cities within Kenya and to other countries in Africa, beyond its existing presence in Ghana, Kenya, and Mozambique. These initiatives are also being supported by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI).

Related Initiatives

• METI “Global South Grant”
  SORA Technology’s AI-based infectious disease risk prediction system has been selected for METI’s grant program supporting innovative solutions in the Global South.

• Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s “King Salmon Project”
  This initiative supports startups with cutting-edge technologies that address urban challenges. The program offers pilot opportunities and partnership facilitation in global cities.
  SORA Technology was selected in October 2024 and partnered with Nairobi City for this demonstration.

Company Profile

Company Name: SORA Technology Co., Ltd.
Headquarters: Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture
Representative: Yosuke Kaneko (Founder and CEO)
Business Description: Development and deployment of drone- and AI-based solutions for infectious disease control, agriculture, and disaster preparedness
Established: 2020
Website: https://sora-technology.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sora-technology/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sora.technology/