Company
CrownShy builds end-to-end workflows for large-scale sense-making in an age of institutional complexity.
CrownShy provides the socio-technical expertise to renew organizations and assist groups in their pursuit of self-governance in situations ranging from social movements to peacebuilding, policy making, design & planning for environmental restoration & urban development, journalism, indigenous sovereignty, and the functioning of democratic systems.
We have a unique approach to our role in the field that we are proud of: to set examples and use AI for maximising (but not replacing) human interactions.
ReadBe CrownShy.
The name of CrownShy is inspired by a natural phenomenon in forests: Crownshyness, where tree crowns grow to each other without touching. The creation of open space resembles the pursuit of collective thriving, in a context of respect for each individuals' self actualisation.
CTO, Co-founder
Stuart Lynn is a developer, data scientist and tinkerer whose interests involve widening the participation in scientific discussion and inquiry to non-traditional communities through the development of tools and active participation in citizen science and collaborative processes. He holds a Master in Mathematical Physics and a PHD in Astrophysics from the University of Edinburgh. In previous roles he has worked with non-profits and NGOs with the Two Sigma Data Clinic, lead the Data Science team at CARTO and was the technical lead for the citizen science platform The Zooniverse.
"The best tools don't replace human thinking, they amplify it."
We've been partnering with Scottish government from the starting phase of CrownShy. Through months of collaboration, Comhairle has grown to a digital participation platform that speaks to the need of a public institution which invest in democratic innovation.
Research by Ben Parker and Lydia Poole used our Polis instance
March 2026
CrownShy contributes to the making of Voxit
March 2026
CrownShy is featured in Martin Rausch's book “Finding Light through the Cracks” in partnership with Audrey Tang
March 2026
Demos mentioned CrownShy in Waves project
February 2026
Andy attended the Digital Democracy conference in The Hague
October 2025
CrownShy was highlighted in Guide to Digital Participation Platforms, published by People Powered
September 2025
Stuart presented at Controversies in the Data Society Seminar with Inaki
June 2025
CrownShy won CivTech10, funded by Scottish government
February 2025