AI Agency Smilde
Smilde is a ribbon village that grew out of the peat cutting of the Smilder Venen, driven from the outset by agriculture, a dairy plant and potato starch. We help entrepreneurs here work smarter with AI.
Why now, and why here
The economy around Smilde and Hoogersmilde runs on agricultural businesses, food processing, transport and local services along the canal. Exactly the sectors where quotes, planning and admin involve a lot of manual work.
We do not start with the tool but with the process. First we look at where time leaks away, then we decide whether and where AI delivers something. No hype, just something that works on Monday morning.
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.
Getting a contracting firm's quotes out faster
An agricultural contracting or transport firm gets enquiries by email, phone and WhatsApp all mixed together. An AI assistant summarises the enquiry, prepares the details in a draft quote and adds the right rates.
That saves evening hours behind the admin. The owner checks and sends it themselves: people make the decision, the AI does the groundwork.
This is an example of what we can build for you, not an existing product.
Close by, from Groningen
From our office in Groningen you can reach Smilde in about 35 minutes via the A28. Coming over in-company for a workshop or implementation session is therefore no problem.
We work with fixed prices, so you know up front where you stand.
Leonard Springerlaan 35, Groningen
Frequently asked questions
Is AI really for a small business in Smilde?
It certainly is. The smaller the team, the more a few hours saved per week matters. We start small and concrete.
Do I need to understand the technology?
No. We handle the technology and explain everything in plain language. You stay in control of what happens with your data and customers.
What does a first step cost?
We work with fixed prices. In a short conversation we set the scope together, then you know exactly what it costs.
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.