Vancouver, British Columbia, (February 13, 2025) — ZenaTech, Inc. (Nasdaq: ZENA) (FSE: 49Q) (BMV: ZENA) (“ZenaTech”), a technology company specializing in AI (Artificial Intelligence) drones, Drone as a Service (DaaS), enterprise SaaS, and Quantum Computing solutions, announces that its subsidiary ZenaDrone has developed and is currently testing a proprietary drone communications management system called “DroneNet” that enables direct and secure drone communications in situations without reliable internet, cellular, or satellite communications. The internally developed system is specifically designed for use with the Company’s ZenaDrone 1000 and IQ Series drone products. A drone communications system is a two-way link between a drone and its base station that is used to steer the drone and relay real-time video of the drone and sensor data.

“We believe our patented DroneNet communications system will improve both the reliability and performance of our drones, ensuring we are not dependent on third-party products with compatibility issues. This in-house development ensures we gain greater customization of our products, cost management, and control of our supply chain, all of which results in what we believe are superior drone solutions. Once we have tested this initial version, our plan for future advancements includes developing and testing our own fit-for-purpose, multi-layered encrypted microchips that comply with the NDAA required for U.S. Defense applications,” said CEO Shaun Passley, Ph.D.

Drones used by the military for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance applications require reliable communications systems for uninterrupted data transmission, mission effectiveness, and operational safety. Drones must relay real-time video, sensor data, and telemetry to command centers, enabling defense operators to make time-sensitive decisions. This is especially critical for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations, where drones operate at longer distances, often in hostile or contested environments. Without secure and resilient communications links, drones risk losing control, may face signal interference, or data latency, which can compromise mission success. Advanced proprietary communications solutions, utilizing satellite and 4G, help ensure connectivity in GPS-denied or high-interference environments and can protect data from interference and cyberthreats.

The ZenaDrone 1000 is an autonomous drone, in a VTOL (Vertical Takeoff and Landing) quadcopter design with eight rotors; it is considered a medium-sized drone measuring 12×7 feet in size. It is designed for stable flight, maneuverability, and heavy-lift capabilities of up to 40 kilos (88 lbs), incorporating innovative software technology, AI, specially designed sensors and accessories, along with compact and rugged hardware designed for industrial and defense use.

ZenaDrone previously completed paid trials with both the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy using its drones to transport critical cargo, such as blood, in the field. ZenaDrone plans to manufacture and assemble its U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) drones in Phoenix, Arizona.

ZenaDrone solutions for the U.S. military must comply with the National Defense Administration Act (NDAA), a requirement with strict drone cybersecurity and country-of-origin specifications, including chipsets, cameras, and components, which excludes a set list of Chinese manufacturers. The company previously announced that its supply chain is NDAA-compliant.

About
ZenaTech ZenaTech (Nasdaq: ZENA) (FSE: 49Q) (BMV: ZENA) is a technology company specializing in AI-enabled drones, Drone as a Service (DaaS), enterprise SaaS, and Quantum Computing solutions for mission-critical enterprise applications. Since 2017, the Company has leveraged its software development expertise and grown its drone design and manufacturing capabilities through ZenaDrone, to innovate and improve customers’ inspection, monitoring, security, compliance, and surveying processes. With enterprise software customers using branded solutions in law enforcement, healthcare, government, and industrial sectors, and drones being deployed in these sectors, in addition to agriculture, defense, and logistics, ZenaTech’s solutions portfolio helps drive exceptional operational efficiency, accuracy, and cost savings. The Company operates through seven global offices in North America, Europe, Taiwan, and the UAE, and is growing a DaaS business model and a global partner network.

About ZenaDrone
ZenaDrone , a wholly owned subsidiary of ZenaTech, develops and manufactures autonomous enterprise drone solutions that can incorporate machine learning software, AI, predictive modeling, Quantum Computing, and other software and hardware innovations. Created to revolutionize the hemp cultivation industry, its specialization has grown to include multi-functional 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 cargo applications in the defense sector, the IQ Nano indoor drone is used for inventory management in the warehousing and logistics sectors, and the IQ Square is an indoor/outdoor drone designed for land surveying and inspection use in the 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 ZenaTech, Inc. management 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 of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. This forward-looking information relates to future events or the 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,» «expects,» «plans,» «anticipates,» «intends,» «seeks,» «is/are likely,» «believes,» «estimates,» «predicts,» «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, among other things, ZenaTech’s expectations regarding its revenues, expenses, production, operations, costs, cash flows and future growth; expectations regarding future production costs and capacity; ZenaTech’s ability to deliver products to market as currently contemplated, including its drone products, including the ZenaDrone 1000 and IQ Nano; ZenaTech’s anticipated cash needs and needs for additional financing; ZenaTech’s intent to grow the business and its operations and execution risk; expectations regarding future operations and costs; the volatility of stock prices and market conditions in the sectors in which ZenaTech operates; political, economic, environmental, fiscal,security and other risks associated with operating in emerging markets; regulatory risks; unfavorable publicity or consumer perceptions; difficulty in predicting industry trends; the ability to recruit key personnel; competitive conditions in the industry and ZenaTech’s competitive and business strategies; ZenaTech’s anticipated business objectives for the next twelve months; ZenaTech’s ability to raise additional funds through the sale of equity or debt commitments; investment capital and market share; the ability to complete any contemplated acquisitions; changes in target markets; market uncertainty; the ability to access additional capital, including through listing its securities in multiple jurisdictions; growth management (expansion plans and timing); patent infringement; litigation; applicable laws, regulations and any amendments affecting ZenaTech’s business.