Ocell develops local climate protection projects that are transparent, measurable, and effective. The goal is to harness the full potential of forests and contribute to climate protection. To do this, the Munich-based greentech startup processes aerial imagery and data from other sources to create “digital twins” of forests using artificial intelligence. These provide insights into forest growth, current CO2 storage performance, and other metrics, and can predict optimal forest management to store more CO2 in forests in the long term. According to the company, over 800,000 hectares of sustainable forest area across eleven countries are currently managed using Ocell software.
Ocell also provides forestry operations with its “Dynamic Forest” software to analyze these “digital twins”. This is a forest management system that gives forestry operations data-driven, precise comprehensive insights into all forestry-relevant metrics, such as tree species, location, and age classes. This approach is intended to enable efficient and sustainable management in an industry that has been digitalized to a limited extent so far.
In a Series A, the Munich-based company now receives €10 million to advance its expansion in Europe and further develop its AI-powered platform for developing high-quality CO₂ certificates. The certificates support climate-optimized forest management, which aims to significantly increase carbon storage in forests and promote biodiversity and the urgently needed forest transformation for greater climate resilience.
The current funding round is led by venture capital investor Capnamic. Bayern Kapital, Aenu, and Summiteer, as well as business angels such as Max Viessmann, are also participating.
“Driver for the transformation of European forests”
David Dohmen, co-founder and co-CEO of Ocell, says:
“In recent years, the reputation of CO2 certificates has suffered greatly due to often poor data quality, but they remain a crucial tool in the fight against climate change – if done correctly. With Ocell, we want to restore trust in the market by combining cutting-edge AI technology with nature-based solutions. Forests have the advantage of being immediately available, scalable, and relatively cost-effective, while our technology enables measurability, accuracy, and transparency. We are pleased to have experienced partners like Capnamic and Bayern Kapital by our side, who have already successfully supported numerous tech companies. The continued investment from our existing investors also confirms Ocell’s potential to become a decisive driver for the transformation of European forests.”
Christian Knott, managing partner at Capnamic, adds:
“The Ocell team impresses with its deep roots in forestry. It understands very well the daily challenges and decisions that forestry experts face. Ocell not only provides them with a high-quality product, but also gives them the opportunity to diversify their revenue streams. In a time when the market is changing significantly with regard to regulation and transparency requirements, Ocell’s offering stands out. No other solution knows the forest as well because it actively helps forest owners manage it. We are very much looking forward to supporting Ocell in its ambitious international growth goals.”
And Ferry Heilemann, founder and partner of existing investor Aenu, adds:
“We are big fans of the Ocell team. Their comprehensive forest management software and modern primary data collection enable commercial forest owners worldwide to generate high-quality CO2 certificates. In doing so, they increase their profitability while storing more CO2 in their forests.”
