Sora secures additional $2.5 million to expand AI-based malaria control initiatives in Africa

Funding will support technology development, partnerships with public health institutions and operations across multiple African countries

Sora Technology, a startup that applies artificial intelligence and drone technology to disease control, has raised an additional US$2.5 million in the second close of its seed funding round. The capital will be used to expand malaria control operations across Africa, where the company is currently active in up to ten countries.

With this latest raise, Sora’s total funding reaches approximately US$7.3 million, following a US$4.8 million late seed round announced in March 2025. New investors participating in the round include Daiwa House Group Investment Limited Partnership, Central Japan Innovative Research Fund I and UNERI Capital Fund Series I, alongside existing backers such as Nissay Capital and SMBC Venture Capital.

Malaria remains a major public health challenge, affecting more than 200 million people annually and accounting for close to 600,000 deaths worldwide, most of them in African countries. Sora’s core activities focus on addressing this challenge through its SORA Malaria Control initiative, which integrates satellite imagery, drones and AI-based models to support outbreak prediction, environmental analysis and targeted vector control measures.

The company’s technology is used to identify and map mosquito breeding sites and to prioritise areas based on assessed risk levels. Although Sora was founded in Japan in 2018, its primary operations are concentrated in Africa, with projects underway in countries including Ghana, Sierra Leone, Benin, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Senegal, Kenya and Mozambique.

According to founder and CEO Yosuke Kaneko, the company’s work is aimed at addressing gaps in healthcare-related infrastructure, particularly in African markets. The newly raised capital will be allocated to further development of AI-based disease prediction tools, expansion of technical and operational teams, and the strengthening of collaborations with governments and international health organisations.

Sora has partnered with national and local authorities, research institutions and global organisations, including the World Health Organisation, which has worked with the company on malaria control initiatives in Mozambique.

Beyond malaria, Sora is applying its technology to other use cases on the continent, such as environmental monitoring in the mining sector and productivity and environmental impact optimisation in agriculture. These activities place the company in adjacent markets alongside other technology providers operating in healthcare logistics, mining and agricultural analytics.

Looking ahead, Sora plans to expand its footprint in existing partner countries while reinforcing local operations and technical infrastructure as it prepares for a future Series A funding round.