When Gregory Meyers first launched Data Dynamics two years ago, it was a one-person AI consultancy with a deliberately broad name. “I chose something agnostic,” he explains, “because I didn’t want to box myself in - the field of applied AI being so broad and constantly growing.” That flexibility has paid off,  because the business has since evolved into something much more specific, with huge ambitions and the potential to deliver global impact.

A digital twin for every tree

Last month, Gregory took the plunge and renamed Data Dynamics as TreeStock, reflecting his new focus on using cutting-edge technology to understand and protect our forests, green spaces and even the trees that line the streets of towns and cities. The company combines remote sensing - using drones and, in the not too distant future, satellites - with AI to create detailed digital twins of individual trees.

“These aren’t just 3D models,” Gregory explains. “They’re living datasets, constantly updated with information about a tree’s height, growth rate, carbon sequestration, and overall health.”

The problem TreeStock tackles is one that’s surprisingly low-tech today. “Current tree surveys still essentially rely on tape measures and clipboards,” he says. “It’s basically a process that could have been done 500 years ago. It just can’t keep up with modern challenges like increased demand for wood, tree pests and diseases, and climate change.”

By contrast, TreeStock’s system can process billions of data points per second. Using LIDAR (a laser-based system that can penetrate leaves) and hyperspectral imagery (which sees beyond what is visible to humans), the company can build structural models of individual trees, down to each and every twig.

The long-term vision? “By 2030, we want to have mapped every tree on the planet,” Gregory says. “We’re building a platform where eventually anyone can click an area on a map and instantly access detailed, up-to-date individual tree data.”

From consulting to environmental impact

With a PhD in applied AI and experience as a CTO, Gregory began Data Dynamics as a general AI consultancy. “I worked on everything from factory optimisation to freight documentation,” he recalls.

But a project with Scottish Forestry planted a seed - quite literally. “I realised this was where I wanted to make an impact,” Gregory says.

That project became the foundation for TreeStock, and it gave Gregory the confidence to narrow his focus and settle on a niche. Over the past year, the company has secured grants from Innovate UK and the UK Space Agency, and recently achieved its first major tree survey sale - a pilot project that will help prove the technology’s potential. TreeStock is now focused solely on scaling its core product.

“The grant income has given us the breathing room to focus,” Gregory explains. “As a cautious founder - with a team that has mortgages and families to support - that stability is really important. It means we can take the right risks.”

Putting down roots at Sheffield Technology Parks

Although TreeStock operates with a distributed mostly remote team, Gregory wanted a physical base to engage with Sheffield’s innovation ecosystem. Having lived in the city since 2018, he already knew about its unique relationship with trees - ranging from Sheffield’s “Tree Gate” controversies to its standing as the UK’s greenest city (with more trees than people), and a growing reputation for green innovation.

He recently moved into an office at Sheffield Technology Parks, after being introduced through a member of Business Sheffield’s Tech Scale-Up team.

“I’m only a few weeks in,” he says, “but it already feels like the right move. Working from home was productive, but this gives me a clearer separation between work and life. Plus, being around other startups and scaling companies is energising.”

He’s particularly keen to connect with other STP residents once he’s more settled. “I’m really looking forward to engaging with companies here,” he says. “There’s so much shared interest in data mapping, AI and sustainability.”

With a big vision and a growing team, TreeStock is one of those startups that feels both ambitious and grounded. Gregory and his team are carefully building the tools to monitor the world’s trees with unprecedented accuracy, efficiency and scale. They are increasing understanding and enabling protection for one of earth’s greatest assets, and we are extremely happy to be playing a small part in that.

Find out more about Treestock over on the website: treestock.com