AIMAZE Named Best Tech Startup in the Netherlands
“We were told the market wasn’t ready yet. Now here we are.”
At a major tech event held at the Jaarbeurs Utrecht, AIMAZE was independently named the Best Tech Startup in the Netherlands. This achievement came in a year when more than 8,000 startups were active. We spoke with co-founder and CTO Jelte Schuurmans about doubt, perseverance, and the moment when everything fell into place.
“Something snapped on stage”
What went through your mind when AIMAZE was announced as the winner?
Jelte: “I was standing there waiting with my colleague Jort, thinking to myself: there’s no way we’re going to win this. There were so many great companies nominated. When they called out our name, it felt as though the past two years had suddenly taken on meaning.”
"You know what's strange? You always think a moment like that would feel huge and epic. But it was mostly… peaceful. As if something had come to a close. As if I could finally breathe for the first time."
Had there been any doubt?
“Of course. Especially in the beginning. We were told the market wasn’t ready for it yet. That it was too soon. And maybe they were right back then. But we could already see it coming. We knew it was on its way. We just had to keep believing when others didn’t see it yet.”
AI that collaborates rather than replaces
You talk about “Digital Employees” instead of AI tools. Why?
Jelte: “Because there’s a huge difference between a tool and a colleague. You use a tool. A colleague thinks along with you, learns your way of working, and picks up on cues. That’s what we build.”
Take our Digital Marketing Specialist, for example. They’ve been specially trained to ensure visibility on AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, or Perplexity. More and more people are using AI to replace traditional search behavior. Instead of Googling, they ask AI, “Which company can help me with X?”
"Our clients are now being recommended by those AI systems. Not through cheating or manipulation, but because their content, value proposition, and positioning have been optimized in such a way that AI tools recognize them as relevant. The result? Leads coming in without the need for ads."
That sounds ideal. But what actually goes wrong?
“Oh, enough already. AI isn’t perfect. Sometimes it makes mistakes; sometimes it doesn’t quite grasp the context. That’s why we always build systems with a ‘human in the loop’—someone who checks, makes adjustments, and keeps an eye on things. You shouldn’t blindly trust AI. It’s like an employee who needs guidance, especially in the beginning, just like any new colleague.”
Brabant: not Silicon Valley, but perhaps even better
Why is Brabant important to this story?
Jelte: “Because here, technology is developed without all the hype. In Silicon Valley, you get the feeling that everything has to grow, scale up, and go viral. Here in Brabant, we just build. For real companies with real problems.”
“Look at Eindhoven, at the High Tech Campus. That’s not just for show. Those are engineering firms working on chips, medical equipment, and precision machinery. Very practical. And that’s exactly how we see ourselves. We’re not a startup trying to make AI seem sexy. We’re a startup trying to make AI work.”
What does that say about the future of Dutch tech?
“We don’t have to get caught up in the hype. We don’t have to become a unicorn to be relevant. We can build what works, apply it where it’s needed, and make a global impact. That’s our opportunity.”
The marathon is just getting started
You’ve now been named “Best Tech Startup.” How much pressure does that put on you?
Jelte: (laughs) “Yeah, there’s definitely pressure. You don’t want to let people down. But it also gives you a sense of freedom. People take you more seriously. Doors open more easily. Conversations start differently.”
At the same time, we’re still a startup. We still make mistakes. We’re still learning every day. This award isn’t the end goal, but it’s validation that we should keep going.”
What are the biggest challenges for 2026?
“Scaling up without losing our soul. We want to grow, serve more industries, and expand internationally. But not at the expense of quality. Every Digital Employee we build must make a real impact.”
And let’s be honest: finding talent. AI developers who can not only write code but also understand how organizations work. They’re hard to come by. So we invest heavily in training, in our culture, and in building a team that sticks around.”
The call: starting tomorrow
What would you say to companies that are hesitant about AI?
Jelte: “Start small. Choose one process. One task. One problem. And see if AI can make a difference there. You don’t have to overhaul your entire organization.”
“I talk to so many entrepreneurs who say, ‘We’re going to wait a little longer until AI is more mature.’ But in the meantime, they’re falling behind. It’s not about being perfect. It’s about taking action. Every step counts.”
And what can we expect from AIMAZE?
“More autonomy. Sectors where you don’t see us yet. And above all: technology that becomes so second nature that people forget it’s AI. That they simply say, ‘Oh, right, my digital colleague has already taken care of that.’ That is our goal.”
“We’ve proven it can be done. Now we’re going to show just how far it can go.”
http://aimaze.nl/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Moment-bekendmaking-Tech-Startup.mp4