World Forest ID

What World Forest ID does

World Forest ID is a US 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2021 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., with a second entity — World Forest ID Stichting — established in The Hague, Netherlands in 2025. The organization builds and operates a georeferenced chemical reference database for forest-connected commodities, comprising 49,602 samples across 343 species collected through 98 expeditions in 56 countries. Its core technology uses three chemical analysis techniques — Stable Isotope Ratio Analysis (SIRA), Multi Element Analysis (MEA), and Trace Element Analysis (TEA) — fused with environmental and earth observation data inside AI-enabled spatial origin models that estimate the geographic harvest location of traded timber and agricultural commodities (timber, cocoa, soy, coffee, shrimp, rubber, palm oil). The peer-reviewed models are reported to determine timber harvest location within 180-230 km of true origin.

The organization delivers its capabilities through three primary products: the Evaluation Platform (a member-only web platform providing access to peer-reviewed origin models), the Data Explorer (a member-only coverage visualization tool), and the Collector Platform (a training and protocol resource for the global sample-collection network). Testing services are delivered through calibrated partner laboratories including the University of Adelaide, Fera Science Ltd, and Oritain. A Global Consortium of public research institutions — Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, University of Adelaide, Meise Botanic Garden, Wageningen University, IPB University, CITEmadera, and others — underpins the science and data collection.

Revenue is generated through a hybrid model combining grants and foundation funding (Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, UK Government/DEFRA, US APHIS, Mulago Foundation, Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund) with a subscription membership model gating access to the Evaluation Platform and Data Explorer. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales and partnership-led: direct engagement with enforcement agencies and government bodies for prosecution-grade evidence, corporate pilot projects through the Alliance for Wood ID Testing co-hosted with WWF US, and integrations with FSC for certification-system interoperability. Customer segments include enforcement agencies and governments, companies in forest-connected supply chains (named members include Garnica, Paged, ECOCOA), and NGOs and certification bodies including FSC and WWF.

Name

World Forest ID

Legal name

World Forest ID Association

Website

https://worldforestid.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

World Forest ID is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates the largest georeferenced chemical reference database for timber and forest-risk commodities, using AI-enabled spatial models and SIRA/MEA/TEA analysis to verify harvest origin for enforcement agencies, companies, and NGOs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Forest Origin Verification and Supply Chain Traceability

NAICS

Support Activities for Forestry (1153), Timber Tract Operations (11311), Timber Tract Operations (1131)

SIC

Forestry (800), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Timberland GIS, Remote Sensing & Data Analytics (AFAMAKAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Natural Resource Inventory & Forest/Woodland Assessments (Timber, Vegetation, Invasives) (EUAHAHAG), Timber Cruising & Inventory Services (AFAMAIAB), Remote Sensing & GIS Timber Measurement Services (AFAMAIAI)

Keywords

• Forest origin verification
• Timber traceability testing
• Supply chain transparency
• Commodity provenance science
• Geospatial origin models

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Grants and Foundation Funding: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, World Forest ID is primarily funded through grants from foundations and government agencies. Major funders include Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, UK Government/DEFRA, US Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund, and others.
2. Membership Model: The organization operates a membership model where the Evaluation Platform and Data Explorer are available to World Forest ID members, including approved service providers, partner organizations, and researchers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

World Forest ID operates a member-only Evaluation Platform and Data Explorer combined with laboratory-based Timber Origin Testing Services to verify the geographic origin of timber and forest-risk commodities such as cocoa, soy, coffee, shrimp, rubber, and palm oil. The organization collects georeferenced plant samples globally, applies chemical analysis (Stable Isotope Ratio Analysis, Multi Element Analysis, Trace Element Analysis) and AI-enabled spatial models to determine whether a traded product's declared harvest location is accurate. It serves enforcement agencies, companies, NGOs, and researchers seeking objective, science-based supply chain verification.

Product overview

World Forest ID is a non-profit organization providing science-based product verification services for transparent global supply chains. The core offering consists of the Data Explorer and Evaluation Platform (both member-only web platforms) combined with laboratory testing services. These enable verification of timber and forest-risk commodity origins using chemical fingerprinting and AI-enabled spatial models. The Collector Platform supports the network of trained sample collectors. The organization works with partner laboratories (Adelaide University, Fera Science Ltd, Oritain) to deliver origin testing services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Alliance for Wood ID Testing: A pioneering coalition of companies hosted by WWF and World Forest ID, committed to ensuring responsible and legal international trade in wood products through scientific research and technology.

Products and services

• Evaluation Platform A member-only web platform that provides access to World Forest ID's reference data and peer-reviewed origin models, enabling verification of whether timber and high-risk commodity samples are consistent with claimed harvest areas. Designed for enforcement agencies, companies, and researchers.
• Data Explorer A member-only interactive platform that visualizes global reference data coverage, showing where verified samples and analytical coverage exist for timber and forest-linked commodities such as cocoa and soy. Built from thousands of georeferenced samples across 56 countries.
• Collector Platform A learning platform providing training, collection guides, and protocols for World Forest ID's network of sample collectors to ensure samples meet strict scientific standards with secure chain of custody. Used by trained field collectors globally.
• Reference Data Models AI-enabled spatial origin models built from georeferenced plant samples and chemical analysis data, enabling verification or challenging of claimed harvest locations for timber and forest-risk commodities such as cocoa, soy, coffee, shrimp, rubber, and palm oil.
• Timber Origin Testing Services Scientific origin testing that verifies whether a product's declared harvest origin is correct using chemical signatures in wood compared against verified reference data. Delivered through accredited partner laboratories including Adelaide University, Fera Science Ltd, and Oritain. Available to enforcement agencies, companies, and NGOs.

Quantifiable outcome

• AI model can determine timber harvest location within 180-230 km of true origin
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• OritaincoreTechnology or Integration · 26 September 2025Partnership to expand scale and accessibility of timber origin testing for companies. Combines Oritain's forensic and data science expertise with World Forest ID's global reference collection and Evaluation Platform to deliver trusted, scalable timber verification solutions.
• ECOCOAsecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 November 2024Bean-to-bar initiative analyzing samples from a single fully traceable cocoa supply chain from Cameroon to Belgium. World Forest ID tests cocoa beans alongside derivatives to establish traceable fingerprints linking to harvest origin.
• Searby Law PLLCsecondaryImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 8 July 2024Strategic litigation partnership to use scientific and AI-inferred data as evidence of origin misdeclaration and illicit movement of forest products, with focus on Ukraine and Latin America. Develops templates for presenting scientific evidence in legal proceedings.
• WWF UScoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 June 2024Co-hosting the Alliance for Wood ID Testing, a pioneering coalition of companies committed to ensuring responsible and legal international trade in wood products. Launching pilot projects focused on high-risk supply chains.
• Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 June 2024Developing data integration to enhance forest supply chain integrity. FSC is exploring mainstream use of chemical testing for high-risk supply chains and supporting development of a new data platform for seamless integration with FSC's boundary maps and forest risk analysis.
• CITEmadera LimacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 June 2024Partnership to enhance supply chain transparency in Latin America through expansion of geolocated timber reference sample collections. CITEmadera contributes to species identification, analyzes chemical fingerprints, and houses samples in its repository.
• Meise Botanic GardencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 May 2024Developing methodologies for analyzing traded timber products to determine whether chemical signatures can be compared against reference data. Working with manufacturers Garnica and Paged to test processed wood against origin models.
• Virginia TechsecondaryTechnology or Integration · 15 September 2023NSF-funded research partnership to enhance traceability of traded timber products using advanced machine learning and data science techniques. Focuses on optimizing ML techniques for SIRA analytics and improving origin prediction accuracy.
• CMOsecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 June 2023Empowering smallholders in Sub-Saharan Africa through FSC micro forest management and chain of custody group schemes. World Forest ID provides training and tools to collect samples that integrate into reference collections at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
• Royal Botanic Gardens, KewcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding Consortium member and key scientific partner. Manages botanical specimens and curates the largest botanical and mycological collections in the world. Partners since 2020 on collection and analysis of reference samples.
• World Resources Institute (WRI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding Consortium member. Houses the Forest Legality Initiative and Global Forest Watch, bringing expertise in traceability systems and wood ID science.
• AgroisolabsecondaryTechnology or IntegrationFounding Consortium member and expert in use of isotope analysis for provenance testing, counter-fraud, and authentication at commercial level. Measured SIRA data for American oak reference samples.
• GarnicasecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading European plywood producer collaborating on testing whether traded plywood samples can be accurately tested against World Forest ID's origin model.
• PagedsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerProminent furniture manufacturer in Poland contributing birch veneer and plywood samples to build World Forest ID's birch origin model for sanctions compliance.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• Control Union: Control Union is a global certification and supply-chain integrity firm providing forestry, agricultural commodity, and sustainability certifications that overlap with World Forest ID's verification customer base.
• Bureau Veritas: Bureau Veritas is a global testing, inspection, and certification company providing forestry and agricultural commodity verification services overlapping with World Forest ID's corporate due-diligence customer segment.
• SGS: SGS is the world's largest testing, inspection, and certification company offering forestry, agricultural commodity, and supply-chain integrity services — a broad incumbent in the same regulatory-driven market World Forest ID serves.
• SCS Global Services: SCS Global Services is a large third-party certification, auditing, and testing firm with forest supply chain services overlapping World Forest ID's enforcement and corporate due-diligence use cases.
• NSF International: NSF International provides testing, auditing, and certification across food, forestry, and consumer products, competing for the same corporate compliance and supply-chain verification budgets as World Forest ID.

Direct peers

• IsoForensics: IsoForensics applies stable isotope and trace element analysis to determine the geographic origin of biological and synthetic materials — a science-led, niche competitor in chemical provenance verification.
• Agroisolab: Agroisolab specialises in isotope analysis for provenance testing, counter-fraud, and authentication of agricultural and forest products — directly comparable chemistry-based origin verification, and a founding Consortium member of World Forest ID.
• Oritain: Oritain is a forensic origin-verification company that uses isotope and trace-element analysis to verify the geographic origin of food, fibre, and natural products — a direct comparator and now a partner of World Forest ID for timber testing.
• Fera Science Ltd: Fera Science is a UK-based applied science organisation that runs one of World Forest ID's partner laboratories and offers timber and food origin testing using chemical and genetic techniques.

Emerging players

• IdentiGEN: IdentiGEN provides DNA-based traceability for meat and food supply chains, an alternative technological approach to origin verification that competes for the same supply-chain transparency budgets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WorldForestID
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCwUdXqehdIO92x8T_GW0uHQ?app=desktop
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/world-forest-id
• Instagraminstagram.com/worldforestid
• Facebookfacebook.com/WorldForestID

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 World Forest ID