Rookoo Raises €900K to Launch AI Digital Colleagues for Event and Hospitality Teams
Rookoo, a Ghent, Belgium–based technology startup building AI‑driven digital colleagues designed to help event and hospitality teams escape administrative overload, has successfully raised €900,000 in a funding round as it accelerates product expansion and international growth. Founded in 2024 by Jeroen Borloo, Anthony Meirlaen, Thibaut Vincent, and Jared Dierickx, Rookoo’s platform — branded as ExperienceAI — uses artificial intelligence to automate incoming inquiries, organize unstructured communication, and turn chores such as intake and follow‑ups into structured action points so teams can focus more on creativity, customer experience, and hospitality.
The €900,000 funding round brought together more than 20 investors from the Flemish tech and start‑up ecosystem, combining both established entrepreneurs and institutional partners who see potential in Rookoo’s mission to streamline operations in a traditionally manual sector. Leading the investor group were figures such as Louis Jonckheere of Wintercircus, Jorn Vanysacker and Gilles Mattelin of 100In and ex‑Henchman, as well as Jean‑Michel Teerlinck associated with MTM Group and Artion. Other participants included Stefaan and Bernard Rossel (Bavet, Burney’s, Frans & Bertha), Matthias Stevens (Dynamate), Pieter Vanermen, Gilles Teerlinck, Tanguy Serraes, Anthony De Clerck, Hendrik Isebaert, Louis Mahy, Piet Van Waes and Olivier Saverys. Supporting the round from the institutional side were PMV and KBC Innovation Banking, reflecting both private and broader ecosystem confidence in the company’s direction.
Rookoo’s founders built the company to address a persistent challenge in the event and hospitality sectors: the heavy administrative workload that distracts skilled teams from core responsibilities such as service quality, planning, and customer engagement. ExperienceAI — the startup’s flagship product — automatically processes communication across channels such as email, WhatsApp, and web chat, categorizing and converting inquiries into clear tasks. By reducing time spent on intake and manual follow‑ups, the platform gives customer‑facing teams the ability to prepare quotes faster, respond to prospective clients more efficiently, and eliminate repetitive tasks that often bog down operations.
With the fresh capital, Rookoo plans to expand its platform beyond basic intake and communication automation into specialized modules for price optimization, capacity management, and data‑driven insights around conversion rates, team workload, and service offerings. These enhancements are meant to help event organizers and hospitality operators make smarter decisions based on real‑time data rather than relying solely on manual processes and spreadsheets. The move toward advanced analytics and operational planning tools reflects a broader trend in the industry toward integrated automation and intelligence.
Based in the Wintercircus technology campus in Ghent, Rookoo has already begun building a presence beyond Belgium, with active customers in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States. To further its international ambitions, the company is preparing for an official launch in the Dutch market at EventSummit, one of the region’s largest trade shows for event professionals. Leadership sees the new funding as a springboard to accelerate global expansion and strengthen the product’s capabilities to meet diverse market needs.
Investors and industry observers alike have highlighted the growing importance of automation in sectors where administrative tasks have remained stubbornly manual. In a competitive environment where service quality and speed of response increasingly influence customer satisfaction and revenue outcomes, technologies like Rookoo’s digital colleague promise to reshape how teams operate. The backing from a wide array of angel investors and institutional partners underscores the belief that AI‑driven solutions can deliver measurable efficiency gains while freeing creative professionals to focus on what matters most: memorable experiences and exceptional hospitality.
The successful €900,000 funding round marks a key milestone in Rookoo’s journey, enabling the startup to accelerate product development, expand its international footprint, and continue innovating at the intersection of AI and event operations. With a strong investor base and growing market traction, Rookoo is positioning itself to become a cornerstone technology for teams seeking to alleviate administrative burdens and optimize operational workflows in an increasingly digital world.
