Just a year ago, Jeroen Borloo and his Rookoo co-founders found themselves out of a job at Ghent-based Engagor - after one acquisition too many. But barely a year later, they are back in the game with a promising startup of their own. “Honestly, we probably should have done this long ago.”

“Obviously, it was painful to be let go,” says Jeroen Borloo about what happened to him and his colleagues early last year at Qualtrics, an American company that had also acquired the Ghent outfit Engagor through its acquisition of Clarabridge. “In the new structure, we suddenly became the little brother of the little brother. Not long after, they decided they could cut costs by putting Engagor into maintenance mode in Poland and Mexico, and laying off the entire team in Ghent.” At first, the Ghentians tried to buy Engagor back from Qualtrics, “but it turned out that we had made the platform a little too lucrative,” Jeroen grins.

Behind his grin lies not just pride but also joy. “Because in the end, that collective layoff turned out to be a great opportunity,” says the newly minted entrepreneur. Together with three former colleagues, he founded a new company: Rookoo. Their initial goal was to continue doing what they knew best - developing powerful customer service tools for large companies, like they had at Engagor - but this time with AI. “Our idea was to create not just a chatbot but a true digital colleague,” he explains. “And with that in mind, we landed at the Wintercircus Startup Campus in September of last year, where we quickly realized our scope was too broad. We were used to delivering complete solutions to companies like Delhaize and IKEA. But nowadays, those kinds of companies aren’t looking to small startups anymore for full-service packages.”

Back to the drawing board, then! This time, with a clear mission: focus on one industry, make a real impact in that field, and then scale up. The Rookoo team set out to find a sector that could greatly benefit from automation but where, until recently, the complexity made it almost impossible without AI. “That’s how we landed on the events industry,” says the CEO. “Partly because I’m a musician and DJ myself, so I know firsthand how complex it can be. Take Wintercircus, for example. You could organize an event here in November for eight hundred people, but you might also want to book a meeting room next week for eight people, with catering. And everything in between! There are so many variables that it’s impossible to include them all in an online form.”

As a result, a simple request often turns into a long chain of back-and-forth emails. “But there’s a better, much faster way to handle this,” says Jeroen. “With Rookoo, we developed an AI agent called ExperienceAI - an intelligent assistant that event venues and agencies can easily integrate into their websites. Instead of having to deal with endless emails, ExperienceAI starts a conversation with interested parties - asking the right questions from the start. What type of event would you like to host? For approximately how many people? Around what date?”

So, in other words, a chatbot? “No, not at all!” Jeroen says. “While you’re talking to it, our AI agent is already checking which venues are available at that time - and which aren’t. It also gives you a preliminary idea of what your event could look like. This way, it keeps potential clients engaged and excited. By the end of the conversation, they’re already thinking, ‘Wow, this sounds great!’ And you have all the information you need to make them a concrete proposal right away.”

Sounds too good to be true? Feel free to give it a go at wintercircus.be, where our AI agent, Betsy, is ready to help you plan your event. And yes, Betsy - named after an elephant from Wintercircus’ rich history - was developed by Rookoo. “In her first 40 days, Betsy has already talked to 440 people - a number that surpassed even our wildest expectations,” says Jeroen. “You can really see how people engage with her. Sometimes, she even figures out what someone is looking for before they realize it themselves. That builds trust and leads to better conversions - incredibly important in that early stage, in which we operate.”

For anyone thinking ‘Betsy’ is a funny name, what about ‘Rookoo’? Also a nod to an animal, right? “A pigeon, yes,” Jeroen laughs. “Back in the day, you’d send messages back and forth using pigeons. And everything starts with communication. But beyond that, don’t read too much into it. We just wanted something playful and catchy to grab attention. Mission accomplished, no?”

It certainly seems that way. Rookoo is already working with several big names in the events sector, and it is now beginning to explore both foreign markets and opportunities in other industries. “Like the tourism sector,” Jeroen adds. “It’s a sector with even more variables - and even more potential clients. Although, for now, we’re trying to keep things manageable. If investors come knocking, great! But for the time being, it’s just the four of us. We’ve been working together for almost ten years now, ever since we met at Engagor. And over the past year, I think we all realized that we should have done this a long time ago - start our own company. So even if we’re not making money yet, I’ve never been this happy.”

The budding entrepreneur admits that the Wintercircus Startup Campus also has something to do with his happiness. “In my circle of friends, few people truly understand what it’s like to pour so much time and energy into something without any guarantees. But here, everyone gets it. The stress, the sleepless nights, ... Shared pain is lessened; shared joy increased.”

For Jeroen, though, there are two more reasons why he enjoys his time at the Startup Campus. “Residents can sign up for one-on-one sessions with experts, and we really benefited from Ann-Sophie Vlaminck’s insights. She helped us tremendously in setting up a proper sales pipeline. And finally, there’s Club Wintercircus, the concert venue in the basement. I’m a huge music lover, and I’ve already attended several concerts. Beyond making the building feel even more alive, it’s important for me personally as a startup entrepreneur. I understand you must give it your all when building a business, but I’m also old enough by now to know that giving yourself enough breathing space is just as crucial.”