Oisterwijk, North Brabant, Netherlands
Thanks for stopping by. Here’s the short version of the last ~6 years. At age 22, I built NIE Number Fast out of frustration with Spanish bureaucracy. In 12 months, it scaled to €60K/month. Over four years, we helped 9,000+ people get their NIE number to work, buy property, and open bank accounts in Spain. In 2025, I sold the company’s intellectual property. At 23, I co-founded Luna.ai, one of the first AI sales agents. We were early beta users of OpenAI, 18 months before ChatGPT launched. After it did, Luna took off - 20,000 users, VC funding, talented team, and recognition as one of the Top 10 most promising startups in the Netherlands. Fierce competition and Google/Microsoft’s crackdown on cold email forced us to pivot. Focusing on the most valuable part of Luna.ai for a more specific market, we moved forward under the name Utopian Labs (later acquired by Zapier). I’m an investor/shareholder in Hair Extensions by Char, the business I have with my wife. What started as a single salon by the end of 2022, has grown into a boutique chain in Eindhoven, Amsterdam, and The Hague. Recognized in 2025 as one of the Top 100 salons in the Netherlands. In 2026 I joined BANVO to focus on Growth and AI. Founded in 2022 under Mark Boelens, BANVO has become the largest network of tax advisory and administrative firms in the Netherlands. I’ve lived on both sides: from zero to growth, and from growth back to zero. Wins and losses. Exits and pivots. Through it all, one thing hasn’t changed: I love building. Starting, failing, learning, and getting back up. Outside of work, I’m a dad of 3 boys, I love spending time with my family, and I enjoy traveling the world.
Verantwoordelijk voor de autonome groei van de bij BANVO aangesloten kantoren. Mede-verantwoordelijk voor strategie rondom AI.
I’m the co-founder of Hair Extensions by Char, together with my wife Charlotte. We opened our first salon at the end of 2022 and have since grown into a boutique salon chain with locations in Eindhoven, Amsterdam, and The Hague. We're planning to expand further. In 2025, we were nominated as one of the Top 100 salons in the Netherlands. At Hair Extensions by Char, I focus on customer acquisition, processes & automation, and finance. With a strong passion for structure and growth, I ensure our salons not only deliver an unforgettable client experience but also run efficiently and scale sustainably.
Utopian Labs emerged from Luna.ai. Both labels belong to Utopian, inc.
In 2020, I needed a Spanish NIE number. The process was slow, complicated, and frustrating. Instead of accepting it, I built a service to make it fast and simple for anyone. Within a year, we scaled from zero to €60,000 per month in revenue. Over the years, we helped more than 9,000 foreigners obtain their NIE numbers so they could work, buy property, or open bank accounts in Spain without wasting time at the embassy or the Spanish authorities. In 2025, I successfully exited the company, handing it over to Quick NIE Number.
Together with Steven Nelemans and Robin Salimans, I co-founded Luna.ai — an AI sales agent that found leads, reached out to them, and converted them into meetings. We were among the very first beta users of OpenAI — almost 18 months before ChatGPT was launched. After ChatGPT’s release, our growth accelerated fast. We were named one of the Top 10 Most Promising Startups in the Netherlands by Young Creators, and came close to getting into Y Combinator twice. We raised $2.5M from prominent angels and venture capital firms, which allowed us to attract top talent and keep improving the product. At our peak, Luna.ai grew to 20,000 users, including hundreds of paying customers. Fierce competition and Google/Microsoft’s crackdown on cold email forced us to pivot. Focusing on the most valuable part of Luna.ai for a more specific market, we have moved forward under the name Utopian Labs.