AI Agency Grootegast
Grootegast is one of the larger centres of the Westerkwartier, with a solid local SME base from bakers and butchers to family businesses. We help those entrepreneurs work smarter with AI.
Why now, and why here
The Westerkwartier has dozens of villages, and Grootegast, together with Zuidhorn, Leek and Marum, is a place with a broad range of shops and businesses. The municipality actively backs local SMEs, from sustainability to initiatives such as the OK app that dozens of Grootegast entrepreneurs took part in.
We start with your process, not the tool. First we look at where you lose time and margin, and only then do we decide where AI genuinely helps. Level-headed, without a sales pitch.
What we do for you
AI workshops
Teach your team to work with AI, practical and ready to use straight away. In-company at your location.
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AI implementation
From a single task to a working system, with an adoption plan so your team actually uses it.
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Bespoke software
Software built with AI. A working product fast, then made production-ready and secure.
Read moreExamples of what we build
Every business has its own headaches. This is the kind of thing we build. Examples, not off-the-shelf products. We always start with your process.
Less admin at a family business in the Westerkwartier
Think of a local family business that spends a lot of time on time tracking, planning and invoicing. An AI assistant processes the data, creates draft invoices and flags anything that does not add up.
The entrepreneur keeps time for the craft and the customer. Every invoice and planning is still checked by a human before it goes out. AI takes over the typing, you keep the overview.
This is an example of what we can build for you, not an existing product.
Close by, from Groningen
From the city of Groningen you drive to Grootegast in about half an hour, right through the Westerkwartier. We are happy to come over for an in-company workshop or to walk the shop floor with you.
All three of us live in Groningen. Short lines, quick to respond, and someone who knows the region.
Leonard Springerlaan 35, Groningen
Frequently asked questions
Is AI suitable for a small business in the Westerkwartier too?
Yes. It is precisely with small teams that automating recurring work saves time straight away. We start small and practical.
What does an AI project cost?
We work with fixed prices that we agree in advance. No open ends, and after the first conversation you know where you stand.
How long does such a project take?
That depends on what you want to solve. A first concrete improvement is often in place within a few weeks. We agree a schedule in advance.
Meet Empathree
Empathree is an AI agency from Groningen. We help SMEs use AI not as a toy, but as something that genuinely takes work off your plate. Always with a human checking the output.
What we believe
AI is fast, but speed alone delivers nothing. The value sits in the last 30 percent: judgement, nuance, knowing which question to ask. So we never start with a tool. First we map your process, then we look at where most time leaks away, and only then decide what AI handles and what stays human work.
How we work
We work at fixed prices, no billing by the hour. You know where you stand up front. We often start with a workshop to get your team on board, then build a working system step by step, and make bespoke software where it pays off. In our own Empathree Studio we build in our developers' coding style, so everything ships secure and production-ready.
Who you get
Behind Empathree are Marc Cornelius, Maarten Oostland and René Vrieling. Marc and Maarten handle strategy, workshops and implementation, René is the lead developer who makes the software watertight. All three of us live in Groningen, so you deal with local people who build with AI every day. We only teach what we use ourselves.
Why humans in the loop
The world is filling up with automated AI slop. Our answer is simple: the human stays in the loop. With us, and with you. That is how you keep control, quality and trust, even as the technology keeps getting faster.