Our team is driven by the purpose of delivering the highest quality nature data and digital monitoring systems to reduce risk in, and increase the integrity of, financial mechanisms which must greatly expand funding for forest conservation and restoration.

Founded in 2017, Dr Murray Collins (Co-founder, CEO) and Professor Ed Mitchard (Co-founder, Chief Scientist) established Space Intelligence after meeting while measuring the biomass and carbon stocks of Africa’s tropical forests in 2009. They have spent years developing cutting-edge technologies to use satellite remote sensing data to quantify forest biomass.

Led by Chief Scientist Professor Ed Mitchard, one of the world’s foremost experts in forest mapping, our proprietary algorithms and products have been created by a world-class team of scientists.

>50 Staff

from over 15 countries

>100 Scientific papers

Published by senior team on Satellite data, ML/AI and forest ecology

18 PhD

qualified staff

Over a billion acres mapped

and work across 50+ countries

Our Team

Leadership Team

Dr Murray Collins

Chief Executive Officer & Co-founder

Interdisciplinary PhD from the London School of Economics and the Institute of Zoology, ZSL.

Murray has published peer-reviewed papers on mapping forest biomass, deforestation and forest degradation using satellite radar data, quantifying emissions from protected forests worldwide and REDD policy. He is also an expert in climate legislation, particularly forests; co-authoring on the 3rd and 4th Global Climate Legislation Studies (GLOBE 2013/2015).

Professor Ed Mitchard

Chief Scientist & Co-founder

PhD on using satellite remote sensing to quantify woody cover and biomass across Africa from the University of Edinburgh

Ed is a world expert in Satellite mapping of land cover change and forest properties. He has published over 60 peer-reviewed papers, won over £4million in research funding and has advised governments including Gabon, Cameroon, Colombia and the UK on land use monitoring methods.

Carol Blackwood

Chief Operating Officer

MA (Hons) in Geography and MSc in GIS from the University of Edinburgh.

Geospatial professional with a background in remote sensing, forestry and GIS. Carol’s career began in Belize, measuring hundreds of trees and has included positions with the Forestry Commission and at EDINA, helping develop products for geospatial web services for education. She joined Space Intelligence in early 2021 and was quickly promoted to the management team.

Mapping Science Team

Dr Paula Nieto Quintano

Head of Science

PhD in Forest Carbon from the University of Edinburgh.

For her PhD she set up a long-term fire experiment in the Republic of Congo to understand the floristic composition, carbon storage and woody cover and their association with fire. Previously, she has worked as an environmental consultant, as a researcher, and as a GIS and remote sensing analyst at Ecometrica.

Dr Thom Brade

Senior Mapping Scientist

PhD in tropical woodland ecology from the University of Edinburgh.

For his PhD he analysed long-term woodland measurement data to assess the constraints on trees and woodland structure in southern Africa. He also established a plot network for the observation of tropical cyclone damage in Mozambique and assessed the impacts of community forestry on land cover change in Tanzania. Previously he has worked as a GIS analyst at Ecological Australia.

Dr Sophie Flack-Prain

Reporting and Insights Lead

PhD in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences from the University of Edinburgh.

Sophie is an ecosystem modeller with an interest in quantifying human impacts on forest dynamics. Her academic research utilised process-based models to understand carbon and water dynamics across tropical and subtropical forests and crops. More recently, she has focused on using machine-learning to generate carbon baselines and opportunity maps as part of wider natural capital assessments.

Dr Alexis Moyer

Customer Solutions Lead

PhD in Glaciology from the University of Edinburgh.

Alexis has expertise in combining remotely-sensed and field-based data to provide solutions to complex environmental sciences research questions. Previously, she worked as a hydrologist for an environmental consultancy in Edinburgh.

Heather Shepherd

Solutions Support Officer

Hons Degree in Criminology from Edinburgh Napier University.

Heather supports the team with their communication and business administration as well as having a keen interest in climate finance and the innovative application of satellite imagery to ESG performance.

Will Briggs

Senior Data Scientist

MMath in Mathematics from Durham University.

Will is excited about applying mathematical and statistical concepts in real life situations to solve complex problems. He is passionate about data analytics and data science and keen to get up to speed with the space and remote sensing industry having had experience in data architecture and analytics in financial contexts.

Kinjal Desai

Data Scientist

MSc in Software Systems from Heriot-Watt University.

Kinjal aims to develop and apply her in-depth knowledge of software systems whilst gaining new experiences working with Python, SQL, and data analysis alongside our diverse team.

Dr Euan Mitchell

Senior Mapping Scientist

PhD in Uranium-series isotope constraints on magma generation and differentiation in the central Oregon Cascades from the University of New Mexico.

Euan has worked with lidar data from NASA’s GEDI mission, and followed this up with a six month spell as a researcher at the university working on a potential future spaceborne lidar mission. Euan is excited to apply his knowledge of remote sensing and experience with Python programming and machine learning to help the Space Intelligence team in their important NBS work.

Nived Rajeev Saritha

Technical Solutions Specialist

MSc Computational Applied Mathematics from the University of Edinburgh.

Nived is very passionate about mathematical and statistical modelling, and has academic research experience in machine learning. He is greatly interested in data science and hopes to put his theoretical expertise to practical use working with remote sensing IT solutions.

Laura Patterson

Data Scientist

MPhys Astrophysics from the University of Edinburgh.

Laura is keen to improve her programming skills in her role and has an interest in how geospatial data can be used to help the environment. Her research has covered topics such as Active Galactic Nuclei and Post Star-burst Galaxy Formation.

Anna Fumagalli

Senior Mapping Scientist

MSc in Physics and Astronomy from The University of Glasgow.

Anna is a data scientist with a keen interest in data analytics and machine learning solutions. Having previously worked in software development for the entertainment industry, she's excited to dive into the world of remote sensing and nature-based solutions monitoring.

Dr Magdalena Navarro Torres Arpi

Senior Mapping Scientist

PhD in Computational Biology and Machine Learning from the University of Edinburgh.

Magda enjoys using mathematical and statistical models to solve real world problems and is particularly interested in projects with a positive environmental impact. She works in the production of mapping products to support forest conservation and restoration.

David McLeish

Senior Data Scientist

MSc in Applied Meteorology from the University of Reading.

David has a keen interest in weather and climate, where data has been at the core of his research. In his most recent project, David used high-resolution climate data to investigate how climate change might impact agriculture in the Peruvian Andes. He is excited to develop his programming skills and learn more about the world of remote sensing while perhaps offering a unique weather and climate-based approach to problems.

Jocelyne Wardley

Ecologist

MSc in Conservation and Ecosystem Management from Newcastle University.

Jocelyne has a very keen interest in conservation, especially within the tropics. He recently worked on developing an application to help farmers in Rwanda reforest their local areas using indigenous trees that can benefit them. Jocelyne wants to apply his interest in conservation to climate change and sustainability around the world.

Rachel Noach

Data Analyst

BSc (Hons) Mathematics from the University of Edinburgh.

Rachel's background is in mathematical modelling and machine learning, and she's keen to use those skills to aid conservation efforts and mitigate the effects of climate change. Rachel is excited to learn more about remote sensing, and to be working with satellite data given the powerful insights it can yield.

Tom Ford

Ecologist

BSc in Geography from the University of Leeds.

Tom is passionate about how remote sensing and satellite datasets can be applied to quantifying environmental change and creating solutions to environmental challenges. He wants to keep developing his skill set towards both ecology and environmental data science so that he can contribute to the growing field of earth observation.

Adam Noach

Data Scientist

MSc in Artificial Intelligence from the University of Edinburgh.

Adam is excited to be working on real-world projects and honing his skills as a data scientist. His journey into applications of AI to forest ecology began with his MSc project, using generative models to reconstruct forest canopy structure from aerial imagery. Having previously worked on wet woodlands, in addition to his technical background Adam also has hands-on experience collecting TLS, drone LiDAR and field data.

Rob Webster

Senior Data Scientist

MSc in Earth Observation & Geoinformation Management from the University of Edinburgh.

Rob is a remote sensing and geospatial data scientist with more than 3 years experience working on data products and analytics related to forests and land use change. He has a keen interest in expanding his skills whilst supporting nature-based solutions to problems of climate change and biodiversity loss.

Stuart Brown

Data Analyst

MSc in Satellite Data for Sustainable Development from the University of Strathclyde.

Stuart’s masters degree focused on mapping and predicting environmental hazards using machine learning and earth observation data, with a focus on applying case studies to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. He aims to use the computer science and data analytic skills acquired in this degree to help produce high quality products to aid in forest conservation.

Oliver McFarlane

Data Analyst

MSc Earth Observation & Geoinformation Management from the University of Edinburgh.

Oliver is a trained Earth Observation Scientist specialising in large scale ecological modelling. Oliver's MSc project focused on integrating multi-source satellite data with machine learning to estimate carbon stocks in southern Africa. Oliver is keen to leverage his analytical skills and ecological knowledge for conservation efforts and nature-based solutions.

Selena Georgiou

Data Scientist

PhD in Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences from the University of Edinburgh.

Selena is a remote sensing scientist with a background in hydro-meteorology, physics and atmospheric chemistry. Her PhD involved using satellite and field measured data to map water levels and methane fluxes across the tropical wetlands of the Central Congo Basin.

Dr Georg Kodl

Data Scientist

PhD in monitoring soil erosion and vegetation pattern in the Arctic tundra using UAV, satellite remote sensing and ground sensors from the University of St Andrews.

For his PhD, he investigated scaling biases in satellite systems for monitoring land cover changes in the Arctic. He also researched how seasonal microclimatic variations impact biogeomorphological processes in the Icelandic and Fennoscandian tundra. Previously, he studied geohazards using remote sensing at GFZ Potsdam and worked as a GIS consultant for Integration in Berlin.

Anna Chirumbolo

Ecologist

MSc in Environmental Monitoring, Protection and Remediation from the University of Turin.

With a background in data analysis from a major digital consultancy, Anna brings a strong analytical skillset to environmental challenges. She has worked as an Associate Researcher for Professor Lorenza Fontana at the Polytechnic University of Turin on the FIREPOL project, exploring the socio-political impacts of wildfires in Bolivia. Passionate about forest ecology, Anna recently travelled to the Peruvian Amazon to learn about tropical conservation practices, building on her previous field experience in biodiversity monitoring. She’s especially interested in applying remote sensing and spatial analysis to understand and protect forest ecosystems.

Jip Vader

Mapping Quality Expert

MSc Wildlife Biology and Conservation from Edinburgh Napier University.

Jip is passionate about using data to support biodiversity and conservation efforts. While specialising in wildlife biology and animal ecology, she now works with land cover and forest data, continuing to develop new skills. For her MSc dissertation, she focused on the movement ecology of African savannah elephants, using QGIS to analyse how they utilise the landscape. Jip is eager to apply earth observation and geospatial analysis to drive effective conservation strategies and improve ecosystem management worldwide.

Klara Winther

Mapping Quality Expert

MA (Hons) in Geography from the University of Edinburgh.

For Klara’s dissertation, she evaluated the efficacy of Sentinel-2 derived spectral indices for peatland condition classification in Scotland. Klara is especially interested in the applications of earth observation for nature conservation and ecosystem restoration. Beyond her fondness of Scottish peatlands, she is keen to delve into the workings of other ecosystems, learning more about the ecological principles that support conservation and underpin mapping decisions.

Dr Nathan Bourne

Senior Data Scientist

PhD Astronomy from the University of Nottingham.

Nathan is an experienced researcher and data scientist with a passion for environmental applications. He has used Earth observation data for diverse projects ranging from monitoring water quality in lakes to measuring energy efficiency of buildings. He also has 10 years experience in astronomy research, combining observations from across the electromagnetic spectrum to study galaxy evolution. He is excited to apply his skills to support the protection and restoration of global ecosystems.

Dr Christopher Andrews

Senior Ecologist

PhD in Land System Science from the University of Edinburgh.

Chris is a land systems scientist, with interests in earth observation, tropical land use, savanna ecology and forestry. For his PhD, Chris worked with conservation partners to understand the socio-ecological dynamics of land cover change in the miombo woodlands of south-east Angola, to help inform community-driven conservation in the headwaters of the Okavango delta.

Dr Aneesh Naik

Data Scientist

PhD in Astrophysics from the University of Cambridge.

Aneesh previously worked in theoretical astrophysics, using satellite-based observations of our galaxy to understand the distribution of dark matter. At Space Intelligence, he now works with satellites pointing Earthward, applying his "big data" expertise to challenges much closer to home: climate change and deforestation.

Bex Hadfield

Geospatial Analyst Intern

MEnvSci in Environmental Science from the University of Manchester.

Bex’s masters’ thesis utilised Sentinel-5P satellite data to draw links between air pollution and socio-economic factors in Nigeria. They aim to use their background in environmental science and remote sensing to aid interdisciplinary climate and social justice efforts worldwide, developing their skills in data science along the way!

Poorva Mestry

Geospatial Analyst Intern

MSc Data Analytics and Human Resource Management from the University of Leeds.

Poorva is passionate about leveraging data, technology, and geospatial analysis to drive positive environmental change. With a solid foundation in data analytics, Python, and SQL, she aims to apply her technical skills to mapping and geospatial projects that support nature conservation and sustainable development. Poorva is particularly motivated by the intersection of environmental sustainability and innovative technologies, and is eager to contribute to initiatives that make a tangible difference for our planet.

Operations Team

Simmone Davidson

Executive Assistant

20 years of experience providing senior manager and executive support across diverse business sectors.

Simmone will be providing executive support to Ed Mitchard and Murray Collins. She has a keen interest in environmental and climate issues and is excited to be part of a growing company that is making a difference.

Kirsty Laughlin

Senior Operations Manager

MMath in Mathematics from the University of Oxford.

Prior to joining Space Intelligence Kirsty had a wide variety of roles in FTSE100 Financial Services companies, including working on multi-billion pound corporate transactions, project managing the integration of teams and functions post merger, developing product strategy and pricing, and most recently acting as the Business Manager for a senior leader. She is passionate about the environment and excited to work for a company that is focused on driving improvements to our environment and reducing deforestation.

Kate Peggie

Team PA & Operations Support

MA (Hons) in History from the University of Edinburgh.

Kate has previously worked in local government, undertaking roles which enabled her to develop comprehensive experience in supporting both senior managers and elected members. She is excited to utilise her skills to support a motivated team who are united by their environmental and climate concerns and their ambition to better the planet.

Fiona Grieve

Head of People Ops

BA (Hons) in Business Studies from the University of Stirling.

With over 20 years of experience in HR, Resource Management, and Recruitment, Fiona has worked across a variety of industries, initially in large corporate environments and most recently in a data-for-good start up. She is excited to bring her expertise to an innovative company that is making a meaningful and positive impact on the environment.

David le Roux

IT Support Manager

Over 8 years of experience in IT Support and Infrastructure.

David started his career in IT while working and volunteering with charities in Switzerland and Kenya. He later studied Microsoft and Linux Systems Administration before moving into roles with large construction companies as a Systems Administrator, managing systems and providing user support across regional offices. He is delighted to be part of a science-based company dedicated to curbing deforestation.

Finance Team

Deborah Munro

Finance Director

Chartered Accountant - ICAS

Prior to joining Space Intelligence Debbie worked as an accountant in practice, supporting SME clients across a wide range of sectors. She has worked as an auditor with PWC and also has previous experience working within the finance functions of several UK banks.

Tracey McNeill

Finance Officer

25 years of experience working within accounts and finance.

Prior to joining Space Intelligence, Tracey worked for several small to medium sized businesses. She has gained extensive knowledge in payroll and accounts, managing all aspects of financial record keeping. She is looking forward to expanding her skillset and working closely with the Finance Director.

Commercial Team

Michael Berliner

Strategic Partnerships Manager

Degree in Experimental Psychology, Philosophy and Physiology from the University of Oxford.

Michael manages our relationships with pre-existing clients, and heads up funding and delivery of major R&D work. Comes from a background as a BAFTA nominated film producer, work includes the comedy Adult Life Skills starring Jodie Whittaker.

Cameron Nicol

Head of Revenue

BA (Hons) in Marketing Management from Edinburgh Napier University

Cameron is an experienced B2B marketing leader, with over 10 years of experience building marketing programs and teams. Prior to joining Space Intelligence he was a Senior Marketing Director within Nasdaq where he led marketing for the company's asset management analytics business unit.

Coleen Caiña

Marketing Operations Associate

BA (Hons) in International Business from Robert Gordon University.

Coleen brings expertise in executing digital marketing campaigns. Her role spans managing Space Intelligence’s social media accounts and website to coordinating events and refining marketing strategies. As a Marketing Officer, she is committed to driving engagement and supporting the company's growth.

Elitsa Marinova

Account Executive

MA (Hons) in Politics and Business and Management from the University of Glasgow.

Elitsa brings 6+ years of client-facing experience in finance. Her career spans analysing financial market data in Argentina to holding commercial roles in sustainable finance and venture capital in London. Elitsa has a proven track record of identifying and closing new business opportunities while nurturing strong B2B client relationships. As an Account Executive, Elitsa is dedicated to widening the company's customer base and driving commercial success.

Snezhanna Markova

Content Marketing Lead

MA (Hons) in Critical and Cultural Theory from Charles University.

Snezhanna brings 5+ years of experience developing, executing and managing content campaigns in highly technical fields. Her mission is to highlight the team’s expertise through content and make the complex world of nature mapping accessible for all.

Chloe Haynes

Business Development Representative

BSc (Hons) in Geography from the University of Birmingham.

Chloe enjoys building, testing, and scaling go-to-market and growth functions. Drawing on 3 years heading up marketing at a fast-paced B2B SaaS startup, she is excited to apply lessons learned and develop Space Intelligence's community across the voluntary and compliance carbon markets.

Adam Ackers

VP Business Development

BSc (Hons) in Quantity Surveying from Robert Gordon University.

Adam has 15 years of strategic business development, marketing and commercial management experience spanning Europe, MENA and Asia Pacific. Prior to joining Space Intelligence, he held various leadership positions with major technical service providers operating in the energy industry.

Engineering Team

Ben Ritchie

Head of Engineering

MA in Computer Science from the University of Cambridge.

Ben is passionate about creating software that delights users, and empowering development teams to innovate. He has a background in high scale software systems for telecoms and cloud, having held leadership roles in the Microsoft Azure for Operators team. He's excited to learn more about forests, and to help build and grow Space Intelligence's software platform.

Nikolaus Huber

Senior Engineer

MInf (Hons) from the University of Edinburgh.

Passionate about well architected and designed software, Niko enjoys delivering products that enable customers. With a history in high-scale telecommunications backends and engineering management, Niko brings his expertise in high-grade software that works and effective teams.

Luke Coursey

Senior Front End Engineer

MSc in GIS from University of Edinburgh.

Luke is a front-end engineer and React expert with a strong GIS background and extensive experience building web mapping and analytics tools across multiple industries. With a passion for data visualisation, he enjoys writing and architecting components that facilitate seamless and minimalist user experiences for exploring and analysing geospatial data.

Alex Mackie

Senior Software Engineer

MSc in GIS from the University of Edinburgh.

Alex is a geospatial data expert with a background in designing and producing environmental information and indicators across several domains. He believes that geography and finance play a key role in solving some of our most urgent problems and is delighted to be helping Space Intelligence's team and customers generate the evidence they need for this.

Stig Viaene

Senior Software Engineer

MSc in Computer Science Engineering from Ghent University.

A software engineer with a passion for data, Stig has helped big and small companies set up the infrastructure and pipelines they need to make the most of their data assets. He is eager to now use those skills to build a more suistainable future for our planet with Space Intelligence.

Henry Speir

Software Engineer

BSc (Hons) in Mathematics and Computing Science from the University of Glasgow.

Henry is an enthusiastic and fast-learning member of the team. With his solid foundation in mathematics and computer science, a career in software development has always called to him. Having specialised in python development and machine learning technologies, he is thrilled to be in an environment where he will be able to use this understanding while also being supported to learn and develop further.

Susheel Gajulapalle

Graduate Apprentice, Software Developer

Current graduate apprentice in Software Development at Heriot-Watt University.

He has a keen interest in python programming and is eager to gain knowledge and experience in the industry.

Dr Stephanie Earp

Head of AI

PhD in Geophysics and Machine Learning from the University of Edinburgh.

Stephanie is passionate about using machine learning to help provide solutions to real world problems. With prior experience leading the development of innovative machine learning solutions at a startup, she is eager to apply her knowledge and expertise at Space Intelligence.

Dr Harry Carstairs

Research Engineer

PhD in remote sensing from the University of Edinburgh.

Harry is a remote sensing scientist with a particular interest in satellite radar. He developed algorithms for detecting logging in tropical forests as part of his PhD, which also included fieldwork in Gabon and Peru.

Kristian Bodolai

Research Engineer

Hons Degree in Physics from the University of Valencia.

Kristian has a deep interest in Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence and works on our codebase, developing deep analytics and satellite analysis platforms

Wietze Suijker

Product Architect

MSc in GIS from Wageningen, Utrecht, Twente and Delft University.

Wietze enjoys creating innovative IT solutions to provide the best earth observation data at scale. As a product architect, he is in charge of developing the ML workflows for our products. Previously, he worked at a Water and IT company as the technical lead for a range of satellite-data-driven projects.

Aisling Hurley

Software Engineer

MPhys in Astrophysics from the University of Edinburgh.

Aisling's research has covered a wide range of topics in physics including, atmospheric physics, and computer simulation in Python. She aims to apply and build upon the knowledge and skills she developed through her degree.

Paris Morali

Senior Software Engineer

MSc in Artificial Intelligence from the University of Edinburgh.

An experienced software engineer with a focus on infrastructure, Paris loves building systems with an environmental focus. Working at Space Intelligence enables him to use his skills and time towards a greener future while learning more about big geodata.

Dr Nestor Sanchez

Senior ML Engineer

PhD in Statistics from the University of Edinburgh.

Nestor is a Data Scientist turned ML engineer with a strong interest in the use of ML/AI for satellite imagery. In his PhD, he worked on modelling energy supply risks in Great Britain from the ongoing shift to wind energy. He enjoys working on impactful problems and designing slick ML systems.

Rebecca Wilks

Research Intern

Currently pursuing a PhD in Statistics at the University of Edinburgh.

Rebecca is a statistics PhD student studying satellite-based abundance estimation methods for African Savannah Elephants, and has an interest in wildlife conservation generally. Previous to the PhD, she worked in a commercial analytics consultancy as an Analytics Engineer, across a range of industries.

James Bradshaw

Software Engineer

MMath from the University of York.

James enjoys solving complex problems, working with others to come up with interesting solutions, and getting to work with a variety of people on a mix of issues. He is particularly keen to learn new skills and work with new technology working with geospatial data.

Driven by Purpose. Led by Experts

>50 Staff

>100 Scientific papers

18 PhD

Over a billion acres mapped

Our Team

Leadership Team

Mapping Science Team

Operations Team

Finance Team

Commercial Team

Engineering Team