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We work to understand forest health by leveraging artificial intelligence and remote sensing. Our multidisciplinary team combines research, technology, and design to enable accurate and impactful assessment of forest conditions.

 

Samuli Junttila is Chief Scientist and co-founder at KOKO Forest Oy. Samuli is also an Associate Professor specializing in forest health and remote sensing, and the Director of the Global Ecosystem Health Observatory (GEHO). His work focuses on understanding forest degradation, tree mortality, and biodiversity dynamics using advanced laser scanning and satellite-based data. 

At KOKO Forest, Samuli leads scientific development to ensure that cutting-edge research is translated into robust, scalable solutions for data-driven forest and ecosystem management.

 

Einari Heinaro is KOKO Forest’s all-rounder in matters related to technology and geospatial data. His responsibilities range from R&D-related tasks, such as machine learning model development and automated data pipeline creation, to hands-on customer deliveries. Einari holds an MSc (Tech) in geoinformatics and a PhD in forest remote sensing and combines a get-things-done mindset with the analytical depth of a researcher.

 

Minna Blomqvist is KOKO Forest’s Forest Health Specialist, combining scientific expertise with hands-on fieldwork and close customer collaboration. She is a forest entomologist and holds a PhD in environmental factors influencing forest insect disturbances. She has led several forest health analysis projects at KOKO Forest. 

Minna helps customers understand what’s happening in their forests and choose the right actions to protect forest health, always grounding decisions in clear, data-driven insights. She is especially passionate about translating research on insect dynamics and forest disturbances into practical understanding. Her ability to make complex topics accessible is also reflected in her role in marketing communications, where she actively contributes by writing blog posts and other expert content for KOKO Forest.

 

Emma Lakaniemi works at KOKO Forest as a Forest Health Specialist. By background, Emma is a doctoral researcher in forest sciences and holds a Master’s degree in Economics and Business Administration, providing a strong foundation in research-based knowledge and analytical thinking.

Emma specializes in forest health, ecosystem responses, and data-driven analysis, applying this expertise by aligning scientific insight with clients’ economic objectives. At the core of her work is the use of robust evidence to support sustainable and economically sound decisions. Within the team, Emma is known for her agile way of working.

 

Antti Polvivaara is a remote sensing and LiDAR specialist at KOKO Forest. He holds a Master of Science in Agriculture and Forestry from the University of Helsinki and a Master of Science in Technology in Geoinformatics from Aalto University. In his doctoral research, Antti studies the use of laser scanning to map forest health–related attributes. At KOKO Forest, he is involved in developing remote sensing methods and analytical pipelines, with a particular focus on biodiversity assessment.