Forland

What Forland does

Forland is a digital platform for integrated land use management initiated in 2016 by ONF International, the international subsidiary of the French National Forest Office (Office National des Forêts). The platform provides government agencies, municipalities, conservation organizations, and agricultural supply chain operators with a global overview of their landscape through remote sensing analysis, automated alerts, and participatory scenario simulation. It operates three core solutions: Forland Restoration (ML-driven landscape restoration scenario design), Forland Deforestation (automated forest cover monitoring and risk simulation), and Forland Urban Expansion (urban planning with ecological load capacity, under development in Colombia).

The underlying technology stack is web-based and built partially on open source foundations, combining ESA Sentinel satellite imagery processed at 12-day refresh intervals and 1Ha pixel precision with radar-based change detection that functions through cloud cover. Proprietary components include algorithms for forest cover evolution, deforestation risk modeling, High Carbon Stock (HCSA) classification for zero-deforestation compliance, and machine learning models that allocate optimal land use under legislative and conservation constraints. The platform is modular: diagnosis and digitalization, scenario simulation, and automated evaluation, and integrates field-level ground data into the remote sensing layer.

Forland's commercial model is professional services rather than self-serve SaaS. Each deployment is bespoke and co-developed with the client, delivered through consultative enterprise sales targeting government and large institutional buyers, with implementation cycles that include stakeholder workshops and training using role-playing games. Revenue is generated through platform development fees, ongoing support, and consulting engagements for landscape planning and restoration. Geographic focus spans Brazil, Colombia, French Guiana, Scotland, Ghana, and Cameroon, with scientific backing from CIRAD, ETH Zurich, and the University of Edinburgh, and project funding from Climate-KIC and the European Trust Fund for Peace in Colombia.

Name

Forland

Legal name

Forland

Website

https://forland.io

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Forland is a digital platform, initiated by ONF International, that delivers bespoke land use management solutions using satellite remote sensing, automated alerts, and machine learning. It serves government agencies, municipalities, conservation organizations, and agricultural supply chain operators across Latin America, Africa, and Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Land Use Management Software

NAICS

Support Activities for Forestry (1153), Administration of Urban Planning and Community and Rural Development (925120)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYAFAMAKAA

Timberland Asset Management (Institutional/Private)

Agriculture & Food Production/Forestry & Logging/Timberland Management Services

SECONDARYAFAMAKAG

Timberland GIS, Remote Sensing & Data Analytics

Agriculture & Food Production/Forestry & Logging/Timberland Management Services

SECONDARYAFAMAKAH

Timberland Carbon & Natural Capital Project Development (Offsets/REDD+)

Agriculture & Food Production/Forestry & Logging/Timberland Management Services

SECONDARYBPAHAKAE

Regional & Land Use Planning

Business & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/Architecture, Design & Planning Services

Keywords

• Land use management
• Deforestation monitoring
• Forest landscape restoration
• Satellite imagery analysis
• Participatory mapping

Headquarters

HQ city

Bari

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Platform Development & Implementation: Bespoke platform creation for each client, built to their specific needs. Each platform is created for the client and with them, making sure they own it and can use it independently at delivery. Revenue likely comes from development fees and ongoing support.
2. Consulting & Stakeholder Engagement Services: Participative approach with training and workshops included in deployment. Forland uses role playing games and trainings for wider and long-term impact. Revenue from consulting services for landscape planning and restoration projects.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Forland is a web-based digital decision-support platform for integrated land use management, initiated by ONF International in 2016. It provides three bespoke solutions—Forland Restoration, Forland Deforestation, and Forland Urban Expansion—that combine satellite imagery analysis, machine learning-based scenario simulation, automated alert systems, and participatory stakeholder engagement tools to help governments, conservation organizations, and agricultural companies plan, monitor, and report on landscape-level decisions over territories spanning hundreds of thousands to millions of hectares.

Product overview

Forland is a digital platform for integrated land use management that offers three core solutions: Forland Restoration, Forland Deforestation, and Forland Urban Expansion. These solutions work together as a modular platform system that provides global landscape overview, builds future scenarios through participatory approaches, and monitors impact using automated remote sensing and reporting tools. The platform is built on open-source technology and combines scientific modeling with stakeholder engagement methodologies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Forland Restoration A decision-support platform for landscape restoration that uses machine learning, participatory scenario design, and automated monitoring to help governments, conservation organizations, and municipalities build resilience and make sustainable land use decisions. Co-developed with CIRAD and ETH Zurich.
• Forland Deforestation A light and flexible tool for deforestation monitoring that combines online web-mapping, automated deforestation detection (using Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 data with 12-day refresh cycles), risk simulation, and field data integration to help governments and supply chain operators reverse deforestation trends.
• Forland Urban Expansion A flexible tool for urban planning that considers natural resources, accessibility, and infrastructure to calculate human load capacity and reduce the ecological impact of urban expansion in endangered landscapes. Targeted at Latin American urban areas, with a test phase in Colombia.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2 billion hectares of degraded land can be restored using tools like Forland
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 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 capability7 records

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CIRADcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019French agricultural research organization and one of the world leaders in Forest Landscape Restoration. CIRAD contributes scientific expertise to Forland Restoration, particularly in scenario development and land use optimization. Partners on restoration projects in Brazil (Paragominas) and Scotland.
• ETH ZurichcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Through the Chair of Ecosystem Management, ETH Zürich contributes to sustainable management of natural resources. Partners with Forland Restoration on scientific methodology and scenario design, bringing academic rigor to landscape approaches.
• University of EdinburghminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Local partner for Forland Restoration projects, particularly in Scotland. Contributed to the Galloway and Southern Ayrshire Biosphere project through academic collaboration.
• Forest ResearchminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019UK government forestry research organization. Local partner for Scottish landscape restoration projects, providing research expertise and connections to biosphere reserve activities.
• ONF AndinacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Colombian subsidiary of ONF International. Leads deployment of Forland platforms in Colombia, including the Guaviare region project. Responsible for local implementation and stakeholder engagement.
• Action Against HungerminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019International humanitarian organization fighting hunger. Part of the consortium implementing the Guaviare rural development project, contributing to agricultural practices and sustainability support.
• Fundación ÉxitominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Colombian foundation. Part of the Guaviare consortium working on sustainable development alternatives and local capacity building in post-conflict rural territories.
• AlqueríaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Colombian dairy company. Part of the consortium supporting sustainability in local sectors and improving living conditions in the Guaviare region.
• ONF International (ONFI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016ONF International initiated the Forland brand in 2016. As the parent organization, ONFI provides 20+ years of forest management expertise and serves as the primary institutional backbone. Forland was born from ONFI's long field experience and their experts developed the platform based on remote sensing analysis innovations.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Pachama: Pachama is a technology company using satellite imagery and ML to verify carbon credits from forestry and nature-based projects. It overlaps with Forland on remote sensing-based forest measurement and the application of restoration monitoring to voluntary carbon markets.
• Mapbox: Mapbox provides mapping and location data infrastructure widely used for satellite-imagery-driven dashboards and participatory mapping applications. It overlaps with Forland's platform layer for interactive landscape visualization and could be either a partner or substitute.
• Source.green / Sourcemap: Sourcemap provides supply-chain mapping and due-diligence software including forest-risk monitoring and traceability for palm oil, rubber, and timber. It overlaps with Forland in zero-deforestation supply chain commitments and serves comparable enterprise customers.

Direct peers

• Vizzuality: Vizzuality is the technology company behind Global Forest Watch and other geospatial platforms focused on environmental data visualization. It competes with Forland in building decision-support tools that combine satellite imagery, dashboards, and stakeholder engagement for conservation and land use.
• Global Forest Watch: Global Forest Watch (by WRI) is the leading open-source platform for near-real-time forest monitoring and deforestation alerts worldwide. It directly overlaps with Forland Deforestation in target users (governments, supply-chain actors) and core functionality (satellite-based change detection and dashboards).
• OpenForests: OpenForests builds digital tools for sustainable forestry and landscape management, including participatory mapping and project transparency platforms. It overlaps with Forland in serving forest managers with technology for stakeholder engagement and forest monitoring.
• Restor (WRI): Restor is a WRI-hosted platform for landscape restoration connecting projects with funders and providing ecological monitoring data. It directly competes with Forland Restoration on the participatory restoration planning and monitoring workflow for FLR (Forest Landscape Restoration) projects.

Broad incumbents

• Esri (ArcGIS): Esri's ArcGIS platform underpins much of the world's geospatial analytics, including forestry and land use planning workflows. It is a broad incumbent that competes indirectly with Forland as foundational GIS infrastructure used by the same institutional customers.
• Planet Labs: Planet Labs operates a commercial constellation of high-frequency Earth observation satellites providing daily imagery globally. It is a broad incumbent that supplies and competes with downstream platforms like Forland on forest monitoring and change detection, offering data at higher cadence than the Sentinel-1/ESA stack Forland currently uses.
• Trimble (Forestry & Natural Resources): Trimble provides enterprise software and hardware for forestry operations, including inventory, harvest planning, and supply chain traceability. It overlaps with Forland in forest asset management and is a broad incumbent in the same forestry-software vertical.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/Forland_

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Forland