ZenaTech’s Drone as a Service Opens the 23rd Global Location in Orlando, Fla. to Focus on Government Agencies
Rhea-AI Summary
ZenaTech (Nasdaq: ZENA) opened its 23rd global Drone as a Service (DaaS) location in Orlando, Florida, focused on government and defense surveying and mapping. The Orlando hub will staff a ten-person team and expects full operations by early April 2026.
The location will initially perform traditional surveys for defense customers while pursuing Green and Blue UAS certifications and integrating drone capabilities for military bases, airports, federal land, and critical infrastructure projects.
Positive
- 23rd global DaaS location opened
- 10-person Orlando team planned
- Full operations expected by early April 2026
Negative
- Drone operations contingent on pending Green and Blue UAS certifications
- Initial work will use traditional survey methods before drone integration
Key Figures
Market Reality Check
Peers on Argus
ZENA was down 5.78% while momentum peers REKR and AISP in the scanner were up about 4.15% and 4.00%, pointing to stock‑specific dynamics rather than a broad sector move.
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 10 | Builder services expansion | Positive | -5.5% | Integrated acquired Cardinal Civil Resources into drone-enabled builder survey workflows. |
| Feb 05 | Golf services launch | Positive | -10.9% | Initiated specialized golf course survey services with initial rollout across Florida. |
| Feb 03 | Survey firm acquisition | Positive | +0.0% | Signed offer to acquire Virginia surveying firm to deepen D.C. metro DaaS access. |
| Jan 29 | Manufacturing update | Positive | -4.9% | Progress at Taiwan Spider Vision Sensors facility for NDAA-compliant PCB production. |
| Jan 27 | Swarm test success | Positive | +2.8% | Successful test of four IQ Nano swarm drones for inventory management applications. |
Recent positive operational updates have often been followed by negative price reactions, with only occasional alignment on good news.
This announcement adds a 23rd global DaaS location in Orlando focused on government work, extending a steady stream of expansion news. In late January and early February, ZenaTech highlighted swarm‑drone testing, NDAA‑focused manufacturing progress, and multiple land‑surveying acquisitions, plus new golf course and builder services in Florida and the U.S. Southeast. Despite these seemingly growth‑oriented updates, shares often moved lower after prior news. The new Orlando hub continues the strategy of deepening DaaS coverage and federal, state, and municipal exposure.
Regulatory & Risk Context
An active Form F-3 shelf filed on 2026-02-10 allows ZenaTech to offer up to US$250,000,000 of securities over time. The filing is not yet effective and has 0 recorded usages, but it provides flexibility to raise capital through common or preferred shares, warrants, debt, rights, or units as disclosed in future prospectus supplements.
Market Pulse Summary
This announcement adds an Orlando hub as the 23rd global Drone as a Service location, specifically targeting federal, state, and local government work, including defense and infrastructure projects. It continues ZenaTech’s strategy of expanding a recurring-revenue DaaS network while integrating prior surveying acquisitions. Investors may track hiring of the 10-person team, timing of certifications such as Green and Blue UAS, the ramp to full operations by early April, and how new government contracts complement previously disclosed growth and financing flexibility.
Key Terms
drone as a service technical
enterprise saas technical
green uas regulatory
AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 12, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ZenaTech, Inc. (Nasdaq: ZENA) (FSE: 49Q) (BMV: ZENA) ("ZenaTech"), a technology solution provider specializing in AI (Artificial Intelligence) drone, Drone as a Service (DaaS), enterprise SaaS, and Quantum Computing solutions, announces that it has opened a Drone as a Service location within its Orlando-area business headquarters facility. This marks the 23rd global DaaS location, creating a strategic hub designed to provide high-value government and defense customers with surveying and mapping services.
“Florida is strategically important state for Drone as a Service and known for its infrastructure, transportation, and defense-related activity,” said Shaun Passley, Ph.D., ZenaTech CEO. “By embedding a Drone as a Service location within our Orlando-area headquarters, we create a nexus to actively pursue federal, state, and county-level government opportunities. Working alongside our Washington, D.C. office and dedicated federal and defense business development teams, we are strengthening our ability to engage decision-makers and scale our public sector presence.”
The Orlando DaaS location will focus on building relationships with federal, state, county, and municipal agencies, including defense installations, energy infrastructure, and transportation projects. Working in tandem with the DaaS headquarters staff and the company’s Washington D.C. business development teams, the company is strengthening and expanding its capabilities to serve government agencies.
The Orlando DaaS location will be staffed with a ten-person team including pilots, land survey technicians, and business development staff. The company is engaged in hiring staff and the setting up of equipment, drones and trucks in anticipation of full operations expected to commence by early April.
In the short term, the company intends utilizing its DaaS Orlando hub to perform survey and mapping work for defense sector customers using traditional survey methods while building drone integration and obtaining certifications including Green and Blue UAS. Once certifications are obtained, drone-based applications will include military base and airport surveys, runway layout planning, federal land mapping, and critical defense infrastructure projects. The Orlando DaaS location will also support existing services for business customers including builders, golf course, construction companies, and public works projects.
ZenaTech’s Drone as a Service platform is designed to provide business and government clients with on-demand or subscription-based access to faster and superior drone-based services for a host of surveying, inspection, maintenance, power washing, inventory management, and precision agriculture applications, without the capital costs or operational burdens of ownership. By acquiring established, profitable service companies currently using low-tech processes and ripe for drone innovation, ZenaTech is building a global, multi-service DaaS network of locations in communities anchored by existing customers and revenue, for next-gen drone integration designed for speed, precision, data, and safety benefits. The company is continuing to build its global business and network of locations through acquisitions and corporate locations, as well as integrating its drones and new services.
About ZenaTech
ZenaTech (Nasdaq: ZENA) (FSE: 49Q) (BMV: ZENA) is a technology company specializing in AI drone, Drone as a Service (DaaS), enterprise SaaS and Quantum Computing solutions for mission-critical applications for business, government and defense. Since 2017, the Company has leveraged its software development expertise and grown its drone design and manufacturing capabilities through ZenaDrone, to innovate and improve customer inspection, monitoring, safety, security, compliance, and surveying processes. With enterprise software customers using branded solutions in law enforcement, government, and industrial sectors, and drones being implemented in these plus agriculture, defense, and logistics sectors, ZenaTech’s portfolio of solutions helps drive exceptional operational efficiencies, accuracy, and cost savings. The Company operates through global offices in North America, Europe, Taiwan, and UAE, and is growing its DaaS business and global network of locations through acquisitions.
About ZenaDrone
ZenaDrone, a wholly owned subsidiary of ZenaTech, develops and manufactures autonomous business drone solutions that can incorporate machine learning software, AI, predictive modeling, Quantum Computing, and other software and hardware innovations. Created to revolutionize the hemp farming sector, its specialization has grown to multifunctional drone solutions for industrial surveillance, monitoring, inspection, tracking, process automation, and defense applications. Currently, the ZenaDrone 1000 drone is used for crop management applications in agriculture and critical field cargo applications in the defense sector, the IQ Nano indoor drone is used for inventory management and security in the warehouse and logistics sectors, and the IQ Square is an outdoor drone designed for land surveys and inspections use in commercial and defense sectors.
Contacts for more information:
Company, Investors, and Media:
Linda Montgomery
ZenaTech
312-241-1415
investors@zenatech.com
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. 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”, “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; expectations with respect to future production costs and capacity; ZenaTech's ability to deliver products to the market as currently contemplated, including its drone products including ZenaDrone 1000, IQ Square and IQ Nano; ZenaTech's ability to develop products for markets as currently contemplated; ZenaTech’s anticipated cash needs and it’s needs for additional financing; ZenaTech’s intention to grow the business and its operations and execution risk; expectations with respect to future operations and costs; the volatility of stock prices and market conditions in the industries in which ZenaTech operates; political, economic, environmental, tax, security, and other risks associated with operating in emerging markets; regulatory risks; unfavorable publicity or consumer perception; difficulty in forecasting industry trends; the ability to hire key personnel; the competitive conditions of the industry and the competitive and business strategies of ZenaTech; ZenaTech’s expected business objectives for the next twelve months; ZenaTech’s ability to obtain additional funds through the sale of equity or debt commitments; investment capital and market share; the ability to complete any contemplated acquisitions; changes in the target markets; market uncertainty; ability to access additional capital, including through the listing of its securities in various jurisdictions; management of growth (plans and timing for expansion); patent infringement; litigation; applicable laws, regulations, and any amendments affecting the business of ZenaTech and other related risks and uncertainties disclosed under the heading “Risk Factors“ in the Company’s Form F-1, Form 20-F and other filings filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on EDGAR through the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information except as required by applicable law. Such forward-looking information represents managements’ best judgment based on information currently available. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual future results may vary materially. Accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information.
FAQ
What did ZENA announce on February 12, 2026 about a new DaaS location?
When will ZENA's Orlando Drone as a Service hub begin full operations?
How many staff will ZENA place at the Orlando DaaS location (ZENA)?
What government applications will ZENA's Orlando DaaS (ZENA) support?
Will ZENA use drones immediately at the Orlando site or traditional methods first?
How does the Orlando DaaS location fit ZENA's broader growth strategy?
