What Arbonaut does

Arbonaut is a Finnish geodata company founded in 1994 and headquartered in Joensuu that builds precision-forestry intelligence on top of airborne LiDAR, satellite imagery, GIS, and harvester production records (HPR). Its product portfolio combines large-scale forest inventory services (tree-level and hyper-resolution detection at 1000+ points/m² with over 90% classification accuracy) with purpose-built software including the ArboField mobile GIS app, ArboAqua catchment-analysis tool, QGIS-based customized environments, and the ProMS visualization platform, alongside add-on modules for deadwood mapping, pre-commercial thinning prioritization, forest road analysis, and operational planning datasets. AI is applied throughout the stack, including deep-learning models for deadwood detection, tree mortality, fire fuel-load mapping, and forest-road condition classification, with one patent-pending methodology filed for the road-analysis product.

The company serves private forest owners and forest-owner associations, pulp/paper and forest-products manufacturers, government and public-sector forestry agencies (Finnish Forest Centre, Metsähallitus, Rwanda Forestry Authority, Pakistan's National REDD+ Office, Cambodia's CEMIS program), environmental services and conservation organizations (WWF, ENABEL), nuclear safety bodies (Posiva Oy), and forestry machinery manufacturers. Operations span 30+ countries with 230M+ hectares analyzed, 30M+ hectares LiDAR-inventoried, and 200M+ hectares satellite-inventoried, supported by 70+ employees in Joensuu and Helsinki and a sales motion built on enterprise field sales, inside sales for Finland, and Google Play / web distribution of ArboField and ArboAqua.

Revenue is generated through project-based professional services (large-scale forest-inventory engagements such as 130,000-hectare Swedish and 285,000-hectare Kopparfors inventories, with quantified outcomes including €10-€30/hectare cost savings versus traditional inventories and a Bhutan clearance system that saved €1M and 10,000 workdays annually) and recurring software revenue from licensing, customization, and maintenance of FIMS deployments, ArboField, ArboAqua, and QGIS-based solutions. Since 2022 Arbonaut has been aligned with MW Group, which acquired majority ownership in 2024; Finnish Forest Centre's deployment of Ahma to 200 users, Tassu to 150 users, and Luoto to 160 users illustrates the depth of customer lock-in the company has built.

Name

Arbonaut

Legal name

Oy Arbonaut Ltd

Website

https://arbonaut.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Arbonaut is a Finnish geodata company delivering LiDAR-, satellite-, and AI-based precision forestry intelligence, including forest inventories, deadwood mapping, and forest information management systems, to forest owners, government agencies, and forest industry customers across 30+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Forestry Geospatial Software

NAICS

Support Activities for Forestry (1153), Support Activities for Forestry (11531), Support Activities for Forestry (115310)

SIC

Forestry (800), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)

akta.pro primary industry

Timberland GIS, Remote Sensing & Data Analytics (AFAMAKAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Remote Sensing & GIS Timber Measurement Services (AFAMAIAI), Monitoring, Survival Surveys & Carbon/MRV Services (Remote Sensing, Field Audits) (AFAMACAO), Forest Management & Silviculture Services (Cruising, Planning, Compliance) (IMAMAAAD), Forest Ecosystem Services & Carbon/Conservation Programs (AFAMAAAJ)

Keywords

• Forestry GIS software
• LiDAR forest inventory
• Satellite forest analytics
• Carbon REDD mapping
• Geodata forestry services

Headquarters

HQ city

Joensuu

HQ country

Finland

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Professional Services - Forest Inventory and Analysis: Large-scale forest inventory projects using LiDAR and satellite imagery, including operational planning datasets, deadwood mapping, and forest road analysis. Delivered as project-based professional services with outcomes including GIS-ready products and decision-support datasets.
2. Software Products and Platforms: Proprietary software products including ArboField mobile app, ArboAqua catchment analysis tool, Forest Information Management Systems (FIMS), and QGIS-based customized solutions. Revenue from licensing, customization, and ongoing maintenance.
3. Project-based Software Development: Custom software development for specific customer needs including national forest monitoring systems, decision-support platforms, and environmental management information systems. Delivered through agile development methodology.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Arbonaut develops and operates GIS-based forestry software and geodata analytics services for forest owners, government agencies, and forest industry companies. Its core deliverables include the ArboField mobile field-data collection application, the ArboAqua catchment and hydrology analysis module, ProMS forestry management software, and QGIS-based thematic mapping solutions, combined with project-based services such as national forest inventories, road analysis, deadwood mapping, and Carbon/REDD+ assessments.

Product overview

Arbonaut offers a comprehensive platform-plus-modules architecture for precision forestry, combining geospatial analytics with software solutions. The core offerings span three main areas: Forest Ecosystem Inventories (LiDAR and satellite-based forest data at area-based, tree-level, and hyper-resolution scales), Forest Operation Management (operational planning datasets, pre-commercial thinning analysis, and road analysis), and Software Solutions (ArboField mobile app, ArboAqua catchment tool, QGIS-based custom solutions, and ProMS visualization platform). Products integrate remote sensing data (LiDAR, satellite imagery, harvester data) with AI-powered analysis for applications including deadwood mapping, carbon assessment, wildfire risk, and forest health monitoring. The portfolio supports forest owners, pulp/paper manufacturers, government agencies, environmental consultants, and machinery manufacturers across 30+ countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ArboField ArboField is a mobile GIS application that enables forestry field crews to collect, edit, and synchronize forest inventory data offline, designed for foresters, inventory teams, and Arbonaut's project service staff.
• ArboAqua ArboAqua is a catchment-analysis module for quantifying forest-water interactions and identifying source-water protection zones, aimed at forest owners, water utilities, and environmental planners.
• ProMS ProMS is Arbonaut's forestry management software supporting project planning, inventory data management, and reporting for forestry organizations and project teams.
• QGIS-based forestry solutions QGIS-based solutions are open-source geospatial extensions and thematic mapping tools that extend QGIS with forestry-specific capabilities for forest owners, agencies, and GIS professionals.
• Forest Ecosystem Inventory services End-to-end forest ecosystem inventory services that integrate field measurements, LiDAR, and satellite data to deliver forest resource information products for governments, forest owners, and forest industry clients.
• Road Analysis services Forest road-network analysis and planning services that use geospatial data to optimize harvest logistics, wood supply, and operational costs for forest industry clients and forest owners.
• Deadwood Mapping services Deadwood mapping services that combine remote sensing and field validation to quantify coarse woody debris, supporting biodiversity assessments and indicator reporting for forest owners and agencies.
• Carbon & REDD+ services Carbon stock assessment and REDD+ measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) services that use LiDAR and satellite analytics to support forest carbon projects and corporate ESG reporting.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20x planning efficiency with LiDAR compared to traditional field visits
• +8 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

AI capability17 records

Feature9 records

Partnerships

28 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• MW Forest SensecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSubsidiary of MW Group specializing in remote sensing services. Collaborates on projects covering entire value chain from data acquisition (high-resolution LiDAR scanning) through analysis and visualization. Major partner for Swedish market projects including TSA-SÖA 60,000 ha inventory, Älvdalen 130,000 ha analysis, Jokkmokk 92,000 ha analysis, and Kopparfors nature value analysis.
• Zambia Forestry and Forest Industries Corporation (ZAFFICO) PLCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term partnership since 2021 delivering comprehensive plantation inventory for 54,482 hectares of pine and eucalyptus plantations, Forest Information Management System (FIMS), and five-year Forest Management Plan.
• Green e-SolutionsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLocal partner in Bhutan collaborating on National GIS Decision-Support System for Forestry Clearance for Department of Forests and Park Services.
• ENABEL (Belgian Development Agency)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Rwanda Forestry Authority for Forest Information Management System development (2018-2021) and Forest Monitoring and Evaluation System.
• World BankmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for CEMIS (Cambodia Environmental Management Information System) platform development under Cambodia Sustainable Landscape and Ecotourism Project (CSLEP), financing protected area management systems.
• Nordic Development Fund (NDF)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding partner for biomass pellet industry project in Nepal, developing clean energy solution producing 20,000 tons of pellets annually.
• Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdministered Climate Innovation Challenge project in Nepal, developing integrated digital solution for climate resilience through GIS web platform and mobile application.
• Clean Energy NepalminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLocal partner for Nepal projects including biomass pellet project and climate innovation challenge, supporting GIS platform deployment and local stakeholder training.
• IGNfab / Forestry FrancemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWinner of IGNfab call for projects developing forest health monitoring solution for France using national HD LiDAR dataset. Combines LiDAR, remote sensing, and field observations to map risk indicators.
• PreFore (Precision Forestry Measurement Ltd)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership in Japan for ForPas Forest Information System development for Japanese forest stakeholders in Nagano prefecture, including web and mobile applications for forest management.
• Finnish Forest CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint R&D partner for MARISKA wildfire risk mapping project (2021-2022). Also ongoing partnership for Ahma mobile GIS application, Tassu monitoring app, Luoto QGIS platform, and water quality data fusion system.
• Emergency Services Academy of FinlandmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint R&D partner for MARISKA national wildfire risk mapping project, transforming forest data into actionable wildfire intelligence for rescue authorities.
• Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Water Quality Data Fusion System development, integrating satellite imagery, monitoring-station measurements, and user observations for coastal and lake water quality assessment.
• Finnish Forest CentrecoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCustom software development partner for Ahma mobile GIS application (200 users), Tassu mobile monitoring app (150 users), and Luoto QGIS-based platform (160 users) for Finnish Forest Centre.
• Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in NordicForestry project (2025-2027) for management methods for young boreal forests, integrating multiple data sources for improved forest inventory and planning.
• Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner in NordicForestry project (2025-2027) and RESONATE project, contributing to forest inventory methodology development and climate-resilient forestry research.
• Finnish Forest CentremajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in NordicForestry project combining open forest resource data, public remote-sensing data, and harvester data for young forest management.
• University of Eastern FinlandmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in RESONATE project (2025-2027) developing AI-based tree mortality detection and cross-border forest monitoring infrastructure.
• Luleå University of TechnologymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in RESONATE project for climate-resilient forestry in northern Europe, developing remote sensing workflows and AI detection models.
• Rwanda Forestry AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term partnership (2018-2021) for District Forest Management Plan database and Forest Monitoring and Evaluation System with role-based access and mobile app.
• WWF Denmark / WWF InternationalmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerContribution to VELUX Lifetime Carbon Neutral Partnership with WWF, providing remote sensing-based baseline assessments for conservation areas in Uganda's Central Forest Reserves.
• WWF PakistanmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Pakistan's first National Forest Reference Levels, National Forest Monitoring System, and MRV framework aligned with UNFCCC COP decisions.
• National REDD+ Office, PakistanmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to develop Forest Reference Levels (FREL/FRL), National Forest Monitoring System (NFMS), and Measuring, Reporting and Verification framework.
• MetsähallituscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term partnership for over 10 years developing multiple applications for Finnish state forests, including ditch maintenance decision support system.
• Metsähallitus Forestry LtdmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDitch maintenance decision support project providing spatially driven datasets for environmentally responsible planning across 5 million hectares of state forests.
• VTT Technical Research Centre of FinlandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner in Arbonaut's international partner network for technology development.
• University of Eastern Finland (UEF)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in research and development collaboration within international partner network.
• Karelia University of Applied SciencesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational institution partner in Finnish network for talent development and research collaboration.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Emerging players

• UP42 (Airbus Defence and Space): UP42 is Airbus's geospatial developer platform aggregating satellite data and analytics — comparable to Arbonaut's Earth Engine + Sentinel-1/2 based deforestation and forest change analytics as a building block for forest monitoring.
• LiveEO: LiveEO applies satellite-based analytics to environmental and infrastructure monitoring for enterprises, with use cases adjacent to Arbonaut's forest health, deforestation, and risk mapping products.
• Sylvera: Sylvera provides independent forest carbon ratings and MRV analytics for voluntary carbon markets — directly comparable to Arbonaut's Carbon & REDD+ offering and competing for the same corporate buyer demand.
• Pachama: Pachama uses satellite imagery and AI to verify forest carbon projects and connect buyers to suppliers — an adjacent, emerging MRV platform with overlapping forest carbon use cases to Arbonaut's Carbon & REDD+ service line.
• Planet Labs: Planet operates a high-cadence Earth-observation satellite constellation whose imagery underpins much of the satellite-based forest monitoring and AI analytics Arbonaut performs — comparable as a foundational data and analytics layer for forestry and environmental monitoring.

Direct peers

• Trimble: Trimble provides GPS, mapping and forestry workflow software (e.g., Trimble Forestry) used by forest owners and contractors for inventory, harvest planning, and operational logistics — directly comparable to Arbonaut's LiDAR-based inventory and forest operations modules.

Broad incumbents

• Maxar Technologies: Maxar supplies high-resolution commercial satellite imagery used in forest change detection, deforestation monitoring, and government environmental programs — directly comparable to Arbonaut's satellite-based forest inventory and deadwood mapping products.
• Hexagon Geosystems: Hexagon (including Leica Geosystems) provides airborne and mobile LiDAR scanning hardware plus geospatial processing software across multiple industries; its forestry-adjacent capabilities overlap with Arbonaut's hyper-resolution LiDAR inventory pipeline.
• Esri: Esri's ArcGIS is the dominant GIS platform globally and is integrated into Arbonaut's own QGIS-based workflows; forestry is one of many verticals it serves, making it a broad incumbent whose customers overlap significantly with Arbonaut's enterprise accounts.

Others

• Kayrros: Kayrros applies satellite data and AI to environmental and commodity analytics (including land-use and emissions) — adjacent to Arbonaut's forest ecosystem services work and increasingly competing for the same corporate climate-analytics budgets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@arbonaut
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/arbonaut
• Instagraminstagram.com/arbonaut
• Xx.com/Arbonaut_Ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Arbonaut