Aqunia Inc. (Headquarters: Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Satoru Demoto; hereinafter “Aqunia”),in partnership with Spectee Inc. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director & CEO: Kenjiro Murakami; hereinafter “Spectee”), a resilience-tech startup, is pleased to announce the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Gia Lai Department of Agriculture and Environment (hereinafter “Gia Lai DAE”) in Vietnam. This partnership aims to advance the social implementation of a Flood Early Warning System (EWS).
This MoU is signed as part of a joint project between Aqunia and Spectee, which was selected for the “Demonstration Project for Introducing a Crisis Management Information Platform and Flood Forecasting Utilizing SNS and AI Technologies.” This project is funded by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) of Japan under the FY2024 Supplementary Budget for the “Global South Future-Oriented Co-Creation Project (Small-Scale Demonstration and Feasibility Study Project).”
Group photo from the stakeholder meeting held in connection with the MoU signing (Gia Lai Province, Vietnam). Attendees included representatives from Gia Lai DAE, the Vietnam Academy for Water Resources (VAWR), Spectee, Pacific Consultants, and Aqunia.
Background: Severe Flood Damage and the Crucial Need for Tailored Early Warning Systems
In recent years, driven by climate change, natural disasters such as floods have become increasingly severe across Southeast Asia. Gia Lai Province, located in central Vietnam, was no exception; record-breaking heavy rainfall in November 2025 caused rivers to overflow, with water levels reaching unprecedented highs at several monitoring stations. This event resulted in devastating damage to housing, infrastructure, and local livelihoods.
To minimize such damage, it is essential not only to “visualize” rapidly changing situations in real time but also to “forecast” when, where, and to what extent flooding will occur. This enables residents and local authorities to prepare well in advance. There is now an urgent demand to build a highly effective flood EWS tailored to local topography and river characteristics, combining pre-disaster flood forecasting with post-disaster early warning capabilities.
About this MoU: Vietnam Demonstration Project Funded by METI
This demonstration project is a joint initiative by Spectee and Aqunia, selected for funding by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) of Japan under the FY2024 Supplementary Budget for the “Global South Future-Oriented Co-Creation Project (Small-Scale Demonstration and Feasibility Study Project).” Under this MoU, both companies, in collaboration with Gia Lai DAE and with support from the Vietnam Academy for Water Resources (VAWR), will fully launch the demonstration of the flood forecasting and EWS within the province’s river basins.
Technical Synergy Between Aqunia and Spectee, and Future Outlook
Aqunia achieves wide-area, high-resolution flood and inundation forecasting by leveraging its proprietary localization technology alongside the research outcomes of “Today’s Earth,” a global water cycle simulation system developed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and the University of Tokyo. Meanwhile, Spectee possesses advanced technology to analyze and visualize real-time data from social media, weather reports, road/river cameras, and satellite imagery, complemented by AI-driven water level forecasting models.
By integrating the technologies of both companies, we will build an EWS that seamlessly supports everything from real-time visualization to highly accurate flood forecasting. Moving forward, we will utilize the local expertise of Gia Lai DAE and work closely with the department to deliver a highly effective flood EWS that functions reliably on the ground. The insights gained through this demonstration project will also be leveraged to expand services across Vietnam, Southeast Asia, and other regions globally.
About Aqunia Inc.
Aqunia Inc. is a climate-tech startup that utilizes the research outcomes of JAXA and the University of Tokyo as the core framework for its forecasting system. Combined with its proprietary localization technology, Aqunia delivers tailored forecasting aligned with the unique characteristics of various countries and regions. Even for governments and administrative agencies in the Global South where ground-based observation networks are underdeveloped, Aqunia supports decision-making for disaster mitigation, water scarcity management, and climate adaptation through heavy rain/flood forecasting, water resource predictions, and mid-to-long-term climate risk assessments. The company aims to advance the social implementation of EWS and forecasting technologies worldwide while promoting the international expansion of Japanese disaster prevention technologies.
■ Company Profile
| Company Name | Aqunia Inc. (株式会社Aqunia) |
| Representative Director | Satoru Demoto, Founder & CEO |
| Established | August 2025 |
| Headquarters | Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan |
| Business | Development of global flood, water resource, and climate change risk prediction systems; societal implementation through related consulting services |
| Website | https://aqunia.com |
Contact
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