Drones x AI for malaria eradication and agricultural reform

SORA Technology Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture; Founder and CEO: Yosuke Kaneko, hereinafter referred to as “SORA Technology”), which is working on global health and climate change issues with AI and aerospace technology, has entered into an agreement with EXEDY Corporation (Head Office: Neyagawa, Osaka, Japan; President and CEO: Tetsuya Yoshinaga; hereinafter “EXEDY”), a leading company in drivetrain components, and EXEDY Clutch Europe Ltd.(Headquarters: Neyagawa, Osaka, Japan; President: Tetsuya Yoshinaga, TSE Prime Listing; hereinafter EXEDY) and EXEDY Clutch Europe Ltd (EXEDY Group) have reached an agreement on a joint project to combat malaria using drones and AI in African countries.Through this collaboration, the two companies hope to contribute to the eradication of malaria in African countries and accelerate the development of the drone business, which can contribute to society.

Background and objectives

SORA Technology aims to solve various issues in emerging countries, with a particular focus on malaria control.It has developed SORA Malaria Control, which uses proprietary AI technology and aerial drone data to locate the source of malaria-causing mosquitoes, with the aim of eradicating malaria through the control of malaria-carrying mosquitoes.Having also made inroads into improving the efficiency of agriculture in Africa using drones, the company was looking for a collaborative partner with a reliable Japanese drone-related company with a base in Africa.

EXEDY sees drone as a service (DaaS) as a business area where future growth can be expected, and is working to solve various social issues.In recent years, in addition to the development and production of drone-related products, EXEDY has also been focusing on the development of various businesses that utilise drones.
As part of this, EXEDY has invested in agricultural drone manufacturer Baibars Mechatronics Aviation Industry Joint Stock Company (CEO: C. Erguvan, hereinafter referred to as ‘baibars’), and is developing its DaaS business overseas by utilising EXEDY’s overseas bases.The company is also promoting the overseas development of the DaaS business by utilising EXEDY’s overseas bases.

　　　　　　Pesticide application by drone

Insecticide spraying

Expected benefits

The collaboration is expected to increase the yield of agricultural products in the agricultural sector by using drones to manage growth and spray pesticides.In the area of malaria control, the baibars drones provided by the EXEDY Group will be able to efficiently spray insecticides with a low environmental impact at the source of malaria outbreaks, such as puddles, identified by SORA Malaria Control.

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/

Company name: EXEDY Corporation
Head office: 1-1-1 Kida Motomiya, Neyagawa, OsakaRepresentative director: Tetsuya YoshinagaIndustry classification: transport equipment
Established: 1950
Market name: TSE Prime
Number of employees: 3,131 (consolidated: 14,197) (as of March 2025)
Website: https://www.exedy.com/
New products portal: https://www.exedy.com/newbiz/

EXEDY Corporation, headquartered in Neyagawa, Osaka, is a leading manufacturer of driveline components.As a global company with offices in 25 countries, it provides high-quality products worldwide.