ZenaTech buys Idaho engineering firm in 27th drone acquisition

ZenaTech said Aug. 6 it acquired Ketchum, Idaho-based Benchmark Partners, its 27th Drone as a Service deal and first in Idaho. The move expands the company’s surveying and civil engineering push into a new state and adds a platform for drone-based services in a growing western market.

Why it matters: - ZenaTech is using acquisitions to turn traditional surveying and engineering work into recurring drone services. - The Idaho deal expands the company’s U.S. footprint to 13 states. - The acquisition adds a foothold in a market tied to construction, agriculture, infrastructure and public-sector spending.

What happened: - ZenaTech completed the acquisition of Benchmark Partners LLC, which does business as Galena-Benchmark Engineering, in Ketchum, Idaho. - The deal is ZenaTech’s 27th Drone as a Service acquisition. - The company said the purchase is its first location in Idaho. - ZenaTech announced the deal on Aug. 6, 2026.

The details: - Benchmark Partners is a full-service civil engineering and land surveying firm. - The firm has served commercial and government customers for 30 years. - Its work includes civil engineering, land planning and land information systems. - The company serves clients across multiple counties in central and southern Idaho. - Its customer base includes municipal and government customers, construction companies and builders. - Those customers support growth in public works, tourism and agriculture. - ZenaTech plans to offer drone-based land surveying and 3D construction monitoring through its ZenaWorx platform. - Future service areas include precision agriculture, forestry, land management, utility inspections, wildfire mitigation and environmental monitoring. - ZenaTech said its Drone as a Service model uses ZenaDrone platforms for surveying, inspections, maintenance, power washing and precision agriculture. - The model is designed to remove the need for customers to own, operate and maintain commercial drone fleets. - ZenaTech is also building a global DaaS network and AI autonomy platform through acquisitions of service businesses it describes as profitable but under-digitized.

Between the lines: - CEO Shaun Passley said the Idaho acquisition gives ZenaTech a stronger base in a market with growing demand. - Passley said Galena-Benchmark’s 30-year customer relationships make it a useful platform for expansion. - The company is aiming to convert a local services business into a broader drone-enabled offering with recurring revenue. - The strategy suggests ZenaTech is betting that established customer bases will be easier to monetize than building new demand from scratch.

What's next: - ZenaTech expects to broaden the Idaho business with additional drone-enabled services. - The company plans to use the acquisition to grow recurring revenue while improving speed, efficiency, analytics, data quality and safety for customers. - ZenaTech continues to pursue acquisitions as part of its DaaS roll-up strategy. - The company also plans to keep expanding its geographic footprint and drone capabilities.

The bottom line: - ZenaTech is pairing acquisitions with drone technology to push deeper into recurring-service markets, and Idaho is the latest test of that strategy.