Ghent-based Rookoo, which builds digital colleagues for events and hospitality teams, has raised €900k in a new funding round in order to expand its platform, develop new modules for price optimisation and capacity management, and offer data-driven insights.
Investors include Louis Jonckheere (Wintercircus), Jorn Vanysacker (100In, ex-Henchman), Gilles Mattelin (100In, ex-Henchman & Tout Bien), Jean-Michel Teerlinck (MTM Group, Artion), 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. The round was supported by KBC Innovation Banking and PMV and was facilitated through a collaboration with Ghent-based funding agency The Harbour.
“Event and hospitality teams spend far too much time on admin. We want them to be able to focus again on experience, creativity and hospitality,” says Jeroen Borloo, CEO and co-founder of Rookoo.
In 2025, several European startups active in hospitality- and events-adjacent technologies have announced new funding rounds.
Austria’s chatlyn secured €8 million in Series A funding to further develop its AI-driven guest-communication system for hotels. The Netherlands-based Toppi raised nearly €1 million to scale its AI tools for restaurants, cafés, bars and hotels. In the UK, Nory closed a €31 million Series B round to advance its AI-based restaurant operations platform.
Meanwhile, Spain’s Amenitiz raised €38.9 million to continue scaling its all-in-one management system for independent hotels.
Across these companies, approximately €78.9 million in new capital has moved into hospitality- and operations-focused technology in Europe so far this year.
“By linking conversations with planning and data, we can not only relieve teams but also help them work smarter,” Borloo explains. “Our digital colleague learns alongside the company and evolves with the needs of the team.”
Founded in 2024, Rookoo automates administrative tasks, streamlines communication and supports teams with planning and price optimisation. In doing so, Rookoo reportedly helps organisations save time, work more efficiently and refocus on providing memorable experiences and warm hospitality.
The founders – Jeroen Borloo, Anthony Meirlaen, Thibaut Vincent and Jared Dierickx – met while working at Clarabridge and Qualtrics, where they gained experience in customer interaction and AI technology.
Rookoo’s digital colleagues automatically organise, categorise and follow up requests and turn them into clear action points for the team. This allows customers to be helped faster, quotes to be prepared more efficiently and repetitive tasks to be minimised.
Rookoo is already used today by, among others, Wintercircus Ghent, Tour & Taxis, Brussels Special Venues, SPIN and The Arena Group.
With the newly raised capital, Rookoo plans to further expand its platform. In addition to intake, categorisation and communication, the company is developing new modules for price optimisation and capacity management. It also aims to offer data-driven insights around conversion, workload and offering, enabling organisations to plan better and make informed decisions.
“From the heart of the Flemish ecosystem, we want to build a sustainable, scalable solution that pushes the global event sector forward,” Borloo says. “The event sector is buzzing with creativity, but also comes with a lot of complexity. With our technology, we want to empower teams so they can focus again on what truly matters: creating unforgettable experiences.”
The Ghent start-up is looking beyond Belgium and already has customers in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States. Soon, the company will take its next step with an official launch in the Dutch market at EventSummit.
Read the orginal article: https://www.eu-startups.com/2025/11/rookoo-out-of-belgium-raises-e900k-to-help-the-global-event-industry-escape-administrative-chaos/
