“At AI House, you don’t just dream big. You build it. Literally.” From Toqan to AI House: sleeves rolled up, walls knocked down

Dive into our worlds - Roland de Bresser

Finding energy in building

I've always been drawn to building - to rolling up my sleeves and making things happen. When financial services started to feel too boxed in, I walked away to build something of my own.

Starting my own business taught me a lot, and I realised that SaaS gave me energy - and eventually led me to Prosus.

I started at Prosus with Toqan, our AI agent. At first, the idea was to sell it broadly. Very quickly it became clear the bigger opportunity was inside our own ecosystem, helping our people and companies get hands-on with AI. That shift led me to take on AI House.

Pull out: The thrill for me is being the underdog - rolling up my sleeves, fighting the big guys, and building from the ground up.

From hype to reality

When AI first hit the mainstream, expectations went through the roof. People thought it could do everything overnight. The reality? It takes work - and a bit of patience. Start with the outcome you want, then map back to where AI can help.

That's the reason for AI House. It isn't just another shiny office. It's a hub where people can learn, test, and share what's working - employees, portfolio companies, founders, policymakers, the wider community. Everyone should walk out with more than they arrived with.

It's also about positioning the Netherlands and Europe as leaders in AI, setting our own path instead of relying on the US or China.

More than a building: a community hub

We wanted AI House ready in months, not years. That meant prioritising: open the event space first, polish the rest later. Even the furniture is on wheels so we can adapt as we go.

Step inside and it's loud, bright, alive - 200 seats filled with people testing ideas, a basement humming with hackathons, incubators where sketches become prototypes overnight. The rooms aren't the point; it's the energy that matters.

We kicked things off with a demolition party - think hammers, spray paint and pure chaos. It was so fun. Messy, loud, collaborative and intentional... Exactly the spirit we want the AI House to have.

Powered by Prosus

What makes this possible is the culture at Prosus. Some colleagues dive deep into the tech. I focus on translation - turning innovation into impact, experimentation into commercial value. Both perspectives matter.

We work in an agile way: start small, learn, iterate, improve. Not everyone wants to tinker, so we design for both - space for experimentation if you want it, and plug-and-play tools if you don't.

AI House didn't happen because of just one person. It came to life because a whole team threw themselves into it, each bringing something different and unique.

Looking ahead

The ambition is bold: for AI House Amsterdam to be recognised as one of the world's most respected hubs - a place people look to for what's next in AI.

But the vision doesn't stop here. Imagine a network of AI Houses - Amsterdam, London, São Paulo, Bengaluru - all connected, sharing knowledge, to put Europe firmly on the AI map.

That's why Prosus is the place to work right now. Leaders set the destination, then give us the freedom to figure out how to get there. We're trusted to to experiment - backed by the scale to make it real.

"At Prosus, you don't just dream big - you build it. AI House is proof of that."

If you're inspired by what we're building and want to be part of shaping the future of AI, check out our openings on the Prosus Careers site or follow us onLinkedIn for the latest updates and opportunities.