ZenaTech Anticipates Faster Survey Delivery and Increased Capacity with AI and Drone Automation
Acquisition financing combines cash with three-year seller notes, while formal network testing of the AI software begins in 2027.
Sentiment and the balance of points
Rhea-AI Sentiment reads the wording of the document, how positive or negative its language is on a 1 to 5 scale. The balance of points shown with the takes weighs what the document actually discloses, so the two can disagree, for example when a trial that missed its main goal is described in upbeat language.
Rhea-AI Summary
ZenaTech (ZENA) expects AI and drone automation to expand surveying capacity following its completed acquisitions of Byrne Consultants and Hopkins Consultants.
The deals were its 30th and 31st Drone as a Service acquisitions, adding four locations and bringing its Australian total to seven. ZenaTech says all acquisitions combine 50% cash and 50% seller financing through three-year notes paid from proceeds based on revenue milestones. It plans for acquisitions to be immediately accretive.
Formal testing of its proprietary AI software across the network begins in 2027. Internal estimates compare approximately 267 conventional fieldwork hours with approximately 65 drone hours for a representative 100-acre survey. The company estimates potential post-processing workflow reductions of as much as 80%; actual results vary with site conditions and survey requirements.
How this balance works
Rhea-AI gives every point it takes from this document a weight. Minor counts 1, Moderate 3 and Major 9, so one Major point outweighs several Minor ones. The bar adds up the weights on each side, and when neither side holds more than 65% of the total the balance reads Mixed.
It reads the document as published, with the same rules for every company, and it does not look at what the market expected or at how the stock traded, so a point can be objectively good on a day the stock falls.
Rhea-AI Sentiment measures something else, the tone of the wording.
Hollow bars mark forward-looking points. How the balance works
Positive
- Moderate pointCompleted 30th and 31st DaaS acquisitions add four locations, bringing Australia's total to seven.
- Minor point. Forward-looking: it has not happened yet and may not happen.ZenaTech expects faster survey delivery and increased capacity through AI and drone automation.
- Minor point. Forward-looking: it has not happened yet and may not happen.Internal estimates indicate potential post-processing workflow reductions of as much as 80%.
- Minor point. Forward-looking: it has not happened yet and may not happen.ZenaTech plans for acquisitions to be immediately accretive.
Negative
- Minor pointAcquisition funding requires 50% cash and 50% seller three-year notes, paid from proceeds based on revenue milestones.
- Minor point. Forward-looking: it has not happened yet and may not happen.AI software's formal network testing begins in 2027; workflow savings remain internal estimates.
- Minor pointActual surveying results vary with site conditions, vegetation, accuracy requirements and deliverables.
Key Figures
- DaaS acquisitions
- 30th and 31st
- Recently closed acquisitions
- New locations
- 4 locations
- Added through the Australian acquisitions
- Formal software testing
- 2027
- Planned testing across the DaaS network
- Potential post-processing reduction
- As much as 80%
- Internal estimate; software suite is designed to automate workflows
- Survey area in workflow comparison
- 100 acres
- Representative topographic survey
- Field work using conventional methods
- Approximately 267 hours
- For the representative 100-acre survey
- Field work using a drone
- Approximately 65 hours
- For the same representative 100-acre survey
- Acquisition consideration structure
- 50% cash and 50% seller's three-year note
- Note paid from proceeds based on revenue milestones
Previous AI Reports
-
Introduced the survey software suite and described an 80% workflow-reduction goal, still under development and testing.
24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.
Key Terms
lidar technical
point cloud technical
cadastral technical
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
Australian acquisitions of Byrne Consultants and Hopkins Consultants expected to expand global Drone as a Service network for planned adoption of proprietary AI software and drone-based surveying
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 29, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ZenaTech, Inc. (Nasdaq: ZENA) (FSE: 49Q) (BMV: ZENA) (“ZenaTech” or the “Company”), a technology solution provider specializing in AI (Artificial Intelligence) drone, Drone as a Service (DaaS), enterprise SaaS, and Quantum Computing solutions, today anticipates faster commercial survey delivery and increased capacity across its DaaS land surveying operations through its recently unveiled proprietary AI software suite, and drone surveying automation as it continues its AI-driven Drone as a Service workflow development. Recently, the Company closed its 30th and 31st DaaS acquisitions adding four new locations to its Australian and global footprint including a civil engineering consultancy based in Darwin, Australia, and a surveying, civil engineering and town planning consultancy based in Port Macquarie, New South Wales. Each firm is expected to be able to benefit from the technology’s continued development as the AI software suite begins formal testing across the DaaS network in 2027.
“Every surveying firm we acquire brings added value and new revenue streams through established clients and licensed surveyors. We expect that the continued development of our AI-driven methodology will give those teams significantly expanded capacity to continue to drive the Company’s growth,” said Shaun Passley, Ph.D., CEO of ZenaTech. “Drones shorten the time in the field, and our AI is designed to shorten the time in the office. The combination of shortened workflow with consistency across our network will allow the completion of more projects with the same crews and grow the recurring revenue base, which is at the center of our DaaS strategy.”
ZenaTech’s internal estimates compared field and office workflows on a representative 100-acre topographic survey. Using conventional methods, a land surveyor typically covers about 3 acres a day, or approximately 267 hours of field work for the full site. Capturing the same site by drone requires approximately 65 hours. Surveyors still use ground-based survey equipment to set control points and verify accuracy, while the drone takes over the slow, point-by-point collection of routine terrain measurements. This comparison could indicate potential fieldwork time savings equivalent to more than 25 eight-hour workdays per 100-acre survey.
The Company’s AI addresses the next constraint: the office work after the drone lands. A LiDAR-equipped drone records a site as a point cloud containing millions of 3D measurements. Sorting those points into ground, vegetation, buildings and utility lines, and drawing features such as curbs, pavement edges and retaining walls, has traditionally taken technicians days of manual work. The Company’s proprietary AI software suite is designed to automate point cloud classification and feature extraction and has the potential to reduce post-processing workflows by as much as
Australia represents a growing opportunity for drone-based surveying, mapping and inspection services. Grand View Research estimates the country’s broader drone-as-a-service market at US
The Company’s recent acquisitions include Byrne Consultants, based in Darwin, with two additional offices on Queensland’s Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast, has provided civil engineering services to federal and state authorities across Australia for more than 20 years. The firm holds pre-qualified consultant status with Queensland’s Department of Transport and Main Roads for traffic engineering, hydraulic design and highway engineering. Its projects include roads and intersections, land development, utilities, water and wastewater systems, aerodromes, remote community infrastructure, and mining and port facilities, for clients including government departments, local councils, land developers, construction companies and defense contractors.
Hopkins Consultants was founded in 1992 and provides town planning, cadastral and detail surveying, civil engineering and design, landscape and environmental management, and contract administration for developers, local councils, public authorities and private clients across regional New South Wales. Its work includes master planned communities along with residential, rural, commercial and industrial subdivisions and the roads, drainage, stormwater and sewer infrastructure that serve them. The acquisition is ZenaTech’s first in New South Wales, where the state government has committed to delivering 377,000 new homes by mid-2029 under the National Housing Accord. In Port Macquarie-Hastings alone, the local council is planning for approximately 16,000 new homes by 2046.
“We plan for our acquisitions to be immediately accretive, and we continue our disciplined, strategic approach when we determine to acquire a company. In addition, we have structured all acquisitions in a combination of
The Company now has a total of seven DaaS locations across Australia along with the June acquisition of NorthGroup Consulting in Queensland. These locations are expected to adopt drone-based data capture for topographic, cadastral and construction surveys, earthwork volume calculations and construction progress monitoring, and are slated for AI software suite integration as it rolls out across the DaaS network.
For commercial land surveying clients, including builders, developers, and public works agencies, shorter survey turnaround time means earlier commencement of construction projects or permitting. Actual results vary with site conditions, vegetation, accuracy requirements and deliverables. The Company is preparing documented case studies from its DaaS locations and will report verified results as they are completed.
ZenaTech’s Drone as a Service division provides on-demand turn-key drone piloting, data capture and data processing services to commercial, government and infrastructure customers, giving them access to aerial data and automation without owning or operating their own drone fleets. The division is being built through an acquisition-led strategy that combines local surveying and inspection providers into a global network, creating a scalable platform for recurring aerial and data services such as surveying, inspections, power washing and construction progress monitoring.
About ZenaTech
ZenaTech, Inc. (Nasdaq: ZENA) (FSE: 49Q) (BMV: ZENA) is a technology company that specializes in AI autonomy drone platforms to transform commercial, government, and defense sectors. Its subsidiaries include drone manufacturing through ZenaDrone, a global Drone as a Service (DaaS) business, and an enterprise SaaS division of software brands. The Company is executing an acquisition-led DaaS roll-up strategy to digitize and automate legacy service industries like land surveys and inspections, driving drone-based scalable, recurring revenue growth. With an operating footprint spanning North America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia, ZenaTech is advancing AI drones for applications such as agriculture and logistics, as well as ISR, cargo, and counter-UAS for U.S. defense and NATO allies. The company is investing in next-generation technologies, including drone swarms, quantum computing, and advanced AI autonomy to capture long-term opportunities in key markets through its R&D initiatives.
About ZenaDrone
ZenaDrone, a subsidiary of ZenaTech, develops and manufactures AI-powered multifunction autonomous drone solutions integrating machine learning, predictive analytics, and advanced computing technologies, for government, defense, and industrial applications. This includes multifunctional drones for surveying, inspections, logistics, security, and defense applications. Its product portfolio under development includes the ZenaDrone 1000 for ISR defense and specialized cargo, the IQ Nano for indoor inventory management and security, the IQ Square for outdoor inspections and maintenance, the IQ Quad for land surveying, the IQ Aqua, for underwater applications, and the IQ Octo for precision agriculture. ZenaDrone operates three global manufacturing facilities in Arizona, Dubai, and Taiwan, and is advancing counter-UAS maritime interceptor drones and an integrated defense system.
Contacts for more information:
Company, Investors and Media:
Linda Montgomery
ZenaTech
312-241-1415
Investors:
Michael Mason
CORE IR
investors@zenatech.com
Safe Harbor
This press release and related comments by management of ZenaTech, Inc. include “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of U.S. federal securities laws and applicable Canadian securities laws. These forward-looking statements are subject to the safe harbor provisions under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. This forward-looking information relates to future events or future performance of ZenaTech and reflects management’s expectations and projections regarding ZenaTech’s growth, results of operations, performance, and business prospects and opportunities, including statements about survey productivity and turnaround time, the integration of acquired businesses, and the development, features, availability, commercialization and market adoption of ZenaAI. Such forward-looking statements reflect management’s current beliefs and are based on information currently available to management. In some cases, forward-looking information can be identified by terminology such as “may”, “will”, “should”, “expect”, “plan”, “anticipate”, “aim”, “seek”, “intend”, “is/are likely to”, “believe”, “estimate”, “predict”, “potential”, “continue” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking information in this document includes, but is not limited to ZenaTech’s expectations regarding its revenue, expenses, production, operations, costs, cash flows, and future growth; estimated productivity improvements, which are based on internal estimates and may differ by project; ZenaTech’s ability to integrate acquired businesses and deploy its technology across them; ZenaTech’s ability to deliver products to the market as currently contemplated, including software platforms such as ZenaAI; ZenaTech’s anticipated cash needs and its needs for additional financing; ZenaTech’s intention to grow the business and its operations and execution risk; the volatility of stock prices and market conditions in the industries in which ZenaTech operates; risks related to the development, testing, accuracy and performance of artificial intelligence and machine learning models; regulatory risks, including regulations governing drone operations in the United States, Canada, Australia and other jurisdictions; product development, validation and data quality and accuracy risks; customer adoption and recurring revenue opportunities; the competitive conditions of the industry; the ability to complete any contemplated acquisitions; market uncertainty; and applicable laws, regulations, and any amendments affecting the business of ZenaTech. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this release, and ZenaTech undertakes no obligation to update them except as required by law.
FAQ
AI-generated questions and answers. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
Which Australian surveying businesses did ZenaTech acquire?
ZenaTech completed acquisitions of Byrne Consultants and Hopkins Consultants, adding four locations. Byrne is based in Darwin with offices on Queensland's Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast. Hopkins is based in Port Macquarie and represents ZenaTech's first acquisition in New South Wales.
How much surveying time does ZenaTech expect AI and drones to save?
ZenaTech's internal estimates compare approximately 267 hours of conventional fieldwork with approximately 65 hours using drones for a representative 100-acre topographic survey. Its AI software also has the potential to reduce post-processing workflows by as much as 80%. These are estimates, and actual results vary with site conditions and survey requirements.
How will ZenaTech verify its AI surveying results?
Survey teams review classifications and verify accuracy before any deliverable reaches a client. Ground-based equipment remains in use to set control points and verify accuracy. ZenaTech is preparing documented case studies from its DaaS locations and plans to report verified results as they are completed.