Drones and Artificial Intelligence Speed Up Data Center Construction

2026-08-13 companies

Toronto, Friday, 14 August 2026.
ZenaTech expanded its drone software to include terrain modeling and secured its first paying AI data center customer, tapping into a market projected to reach $10 billion.

ZenaTech Announces Strategic Software Expansion

Technology solution provider ZenaTech, Inc. (Nasdaq: ZENA) announced on August 13, 2026, the significant expansion of its ZenaWorx software platform to include Digital Terrain Modeling (DTM) capabilities [1][3]. Concurrent with this technological upgrade, the company secured its first paying customer in the artificial intelligence data center sector, marking a pivotal entry into a high-g infrastructure market [3][5]. This development highlights a growing commercial crossover between commercial drone automation and the rapidly expanding digital infrastructure market, positioning the Vancouver-based firm within the supply chain of energy-intensive AI processing facilities [1][4]. The announcement was made public through multiple channels including global wire services and social media platforms on the afternoon of August 13, 2026 [5][7].

Digital Terrain Modeling Capabilities

The enterprise software update enables high-precision 3D topographical mapping via AI-powered drones, specifically targeting site selection and infrastructure planning for energy-intensive AI processing facilities [1][2]. The new DTM functionality, which is currently in the beta stage, is designed to measure cut-and-fill volumes, grading accuracy, and drainage during the earthworks phase of construction [2][3]. ZenaWorx integrates Enterprise SaaS expertise with Drone as a Service (DaaS) operations, processing drone and LiDAR-captured data to provide visual, analytics-driven construction insights [4][7]. By expanding ZenaWorx into digital terrain modeling, the company aims to offer AI data center developers, as well as public works customers such as landfill operators and municipalities, a faster and richer view of on-site activity than traditional survey methods allow [3][5].

Market Growth and Economic Context

The strategic pivot aligns with broader market trends, as MarkWide Research projects the global digital elevation model market will grow from approximately $3.8 billion in 2026 to $10.04 billion by 2035 [1][4]. This trajectory represents a compounded annual growth rate of approximately 11.4%, indicating a substantial increase in market value of 6.24 billion over the nine-year period [2][7]. The AI data center construction market represents one of the largest infrastructure buildouts in a generation, where speed plus data quality and precision translate directly into cost and schedule savings for builders and contractors [3][5]. ZenaTech’s current drone product portfolio, including the ZenaDrone 1000, IQ Square, and IQ Nano models, supports this expanded software capability [2][4].

Recurring Revenue Model and Financial Outlook

ZenaTech intends to shift from single site visits to a subscription-based, recurring revenue model by partnering with customers throughout the full project lifecycle, from initial earthworks through ongoing monitoring [1][3]. Shaun Passley, Ph.D., CEO of ZenaTech, emphasized that this is a recurring revenue opportunity, aiming to build a durable, subscription-based relationship with every customer signed [4][5]. Financial metrics as of August 12, 2026, show ZenaTech stock closed at 2.1300 USD, with a trailing twelve-month revenue of 20.18M USD [6][7]. The company maintains business objectives for the next twelve months regarding revenue, production, operations, and potential acquisitions, subject to SEC filing disclosures and market volatility [2][4].

Sources

Data Centers ZenaTech