UKTech News Treefera founder: Creating a common purpose

Which role was the most important early hire you made?

One role that was always a priority for us when we initially launched Treefera was Head of Product. However, it’s also a role we struggled to fill immediately.

We found it incredibly challenging to find the right fit, especially because we needed an individual that had experience across science, engineering and AI to really get to grips with the sector and critical issues around supply chain blind spots. We sought out candidates for the role early-on, and while it unfortunately took longer than expected to find the right person, our Head of Product today has made a tremendous impact since joining.

How do you motivate your team?

It’s crucial to have a shared and common purpose within a team. I make sure that this purpose at Treefera is ambitious enough to be inspiring, yet tangible enough to be achievable and to influence the flow of capital for good. It’s a real differentiator for a company to have that purpose, and to attract new talent because they want to make a difference.

There’s no doubt that the paycheck will always be important, but there’s many individuals that are attracted to something that has meaning and value. A great team dynamic is one with a common purpose to make something better.

What’s a fact about yourself that people might find surprising?

There are three facts about me that, on their own, may seem unrelated. But together, they entirely explain why I founded Treefera.

Firstly, I was brought up on a farm, so I have knowledge of soft commodities, natural assets and where they come from. Secondly, I spent some years as a physicist, and therefore understand more complex technologies and the science behind them. Finally, my experience in Financial Services provides insight into the world of risk, AI and data.

These three unique yet interconnected experiences all lie testament to the value of diverse thinking to tackle some of the emerging issues our world is now facing.

Excluding your sector, which nascent technology holds the most promise?

If you have ever spotted a wind turbine that’s not moving, even though there’s plenty of wind, it’s because grid farms have reached energy storage capacity. However, there is a solution to this problem that was first shared by Sir Christopher Llewellyn Smith. He makes the promising case for storing hydrogen in saline aquifers as a potential solution for large-scale energy storage, and the UK is an ideal location for it.

This nascent technology is particularly exciting because it solves one of the biggest problems we face today: rising energy bills. Yes, quantum computing is exciting, but it isn’t going to bring down the cost of living. Dissolving hydrogen in old salt mines will.

What’s the most misunderstood technology?

AI is undoubtedly misunderstood. I would argue that it is feared both more and less than it should be.

This week we heard the UK government’s 2025 Autumn Budget, in which AI was mentioned only once or twice. I have no doubt that AI will have profound effects on work and society, and I’m surprised that government, policy and lawmakers don’t engage with it more. It’s likely because they don’t come from a mathematical or engineering background, but we can’t leave these conversations to the tech giants. I am hugely optimistic about AI’s potential and believe it’s vital that everyone engages with this technology.

Read the UKTech News article here.