I've Lived the Pain of Manual Workflows at Scale
Axis Spatial was founded by a geospatial professional who automated workflows at MunichRe, taught data science at TU Berlin, and worked across insurance, environmental monitoring, and humanitarian response. I'm not a theorist—I'm a practitioner who's transformed manual processes into cloud-native automation.
Why I Started Axis Spatial
After years working in enterprise GIS environments—building catastrophe models at MunichRe, analyzing satellite imagery for environmental monitoring at Vertify, and teaching geospatial data science at TU Berlin—I saw the same problem everywhere: teams held back by manual, repetitive workflows.
Workflows taking weeks that should take minutes
Analysts spending 80% of time on manual data wrangling
High software costs and inefficient processes
Desktop-based workflows unable to integrate with modern cloud platforms
The MunichRe Transformation
At MunichRe, I had a geospatial analysis workflow that took 3-4 weeks of full-time analyst work per country. Manual processes, endless data manipulation, disconnected tools, and repetitive QA that consumed analyst time.
I automated the entire workflow with cloud-native pipelines. The same analysis now takes 30 minutes.
Time
99%+ faster
3-4 weeks → 30 min
Scale
20x more
2-3 → 50+ countries/year
Cost
90%+ reduction
vs traditional licensing
That transformation showed me something crucial: Manual workflows are automatable. Cloud-native automation isn't just viable—it's transformative.
I realized other organizations were facing the exact same challenges. They knew they needed to automate, but they didn't know how. They needed someone who'd actually done it at scale, not consultants selling PowerPoint strategies.
That's why I founded Axis Spatial.
Founder
Practitioner with deep experience in workflow automation, cloud-native GIS, and geospatial AI
Najah Pokkiri
Founder & Lead Consultant
Former MunichRe Geospatial Analyst & TU Berlin Teaching Assistant. Built production systems that transformed 3-4 week workflows into 30-minute automated pipelines. Expertise in workflow automation, Python/GeoPandas, Databricks, and cloud-native formats.
Professional Journey
Deep expertise from enterprise GIS, environmental monitoring, and teaching geospatial data science.
MunichRe
Geospatial Analytics & NatCat Modeling
Reduced workflow time by 99%+ through cloud-native automation
- Transformed 3-4 week manual workflows into 30-minute automated pipelines using Python and Databricks
- Replaced proprietary infrastructure with cloud-native formats (COG, GeoParquet), reducing costs by 90%+
- Scaled geospatial analysis capacity from 2-3 countries/year to 50+ countries/year
Vertify / Vertical 52
Data Scientist | Environmental Monitoring & Satellite Journalism
Built damage assessment systems for humanitarian response and trained journalists in satellite analysis
- Created damage proxy maps for Turkey earthquake, Gaza, and Ukraine conflict used by news outlets and humanitarian organizations
- Trained exiled Russian journalists on using satellite data for investigating conflict zones
- Built carbon and biomass models for climate projects in India and Germany
TU Berlin & Ashoka University
Teaching | Geospatial Data Science
Taught university students, journalists, and professionals how to use geospatial tools for analysis
- Taught courses on Python for Geospatial, Remote Sensing, and Spatial Data Analysis
- Trained exiled journalists on satellite-based investigative reporting
- Worked with students across multiple universities on real-world geospatial problems
My Philosophy & Values
The principles that guide how I work with clients
Full Team Autonomy from Day One
Your team owns all code, documentation, and infrastructure—no vendor dependency, no ongoing consulting fees.
Every project includes live pair programming, code walkthroughs, and CI/CD setup so your team can maintain and extend the system independently.
90%+ Cost Reduction Through Open Standards
Eliminate licensing lock-in with open-source tools and cloud-native formats that reduce ongoing costs dramatically.
Real migration: $200K+/year Enterprise GIS → $10K/year cloud infrastructure, without losing capabilities.
Benchmarks and Proof, Not Marketing Claims
Every recommendation backed by real performance data from production systems, not vendor hype.
3-4 weeks → 30 minutes. 90%+ cost reduction. 20x scale increase. These numbers come from systems we built and deployed.
I Say No When Migration Doesn't Make Sense
I'll tell you upfront if the ROI doesn't justify migration—failed projects help no one.
I've turned down projects where costs outweighed benefits and referred clients to better-fit solutions instead.
Technical Expertise
Deep technical skills across the modern geospatial stack
Programming
- • Python (GeoPandas, Rasterio, Dask)
- • SQL (PostGIS, Databricks)
- • JavaScript (Mapbox, Leaflet)
- • R (sf, terra)
Cloud Platforms
- • Databricks (Spatial SQL, Mosaic)
- • AWS (S3, Athena, Lambda)
- • Azure (Synapse, Functions)
- • Google Cloud (BigQuery GIS)
Data Formats
- • COG (Cloud Optimized GeoTIFF)
- • GeoParquet
- • STAC
- • PMTiles, FlatGeobuf
Speaking & Industry Engagement
Recent conferences and workshops (2024-2025)
- COP28 (Dubai, 2024) - Climate & geospatial analytics
- SatSummit (Lisbon, 2024) - Satellite-based monitoring
- ESA Earth Observation Workshop (Rome, 2024)
- ESA Living Planet Symposium (Vienna, 2024)
- GeoMob (Berlin, 2024) - Geospatial community
Humanitarian & Pro Bono Work
Geospatial analysis should serve the public good
- Turkey-Syria Earthquake (2023): Rapid damage assessment using SAR imagery
- Ukraine Conflict: Infrastructure damage monitoring
- Gaza: Damage proxy maps for humanitarian organizations
- CORRECTIV: Geospatial analysis for investigative journalism
- GIZ: Carbon modeling for climate projects in India
Commitment: I reserve capacity for verified humanitarian and public interest work. If you're an NGO or government agency working on disaster response, climate, or social good—let's talk about discounted rates or pro bono support.
Real Results from Real Projects
Evidence-based outcomes, not marketing hype
99%+
Time reduction
3-4 weeks → 30 minutes
90%+
Cost reduction
licensing to cloud infrastructure
20x
Scale increase
2-3 → 50+ countries/year
Let's Talk About Your Workflow Automation
If your team is spending weeks on manual processes, workflows are taking too long, and you're ready to explore automation—let's have a conversation. I'll tell you honestly whether automation makes sense, what it would entail, and what ROI you can expect.
No pressure. No sales tactics. Just clarity.