Our Story
House of Founders was never planned. It grew out of one week in Cape Town, and out of the people who were there.
It Started with a Message
Marleen Evertsz built GoldRepublic, Nxchange and Digital Notary. She wanted to spend a week making something with founders she knew and trusted, so she sent them a message.
Nobody knew exactly what they would do, and everyone said yes.
A Villa in Cape Town
In March 2026, eight founders and around twenty builders moved into a villa with a tennis court in Cape Town.
They wanted to find out how many companies the right people could build in one week, with all the AI available today.
The Second Evening
The first two days were for ideas. Each one went on the table and the whole room went over it. In those two days, 384 ideas came up, and most fell away.
After day one I really thought: this is never going to work. By the second evening, it was running.
A Visit to Dunoon
During the week, the founders visited Inkwenkwezi Secondary School in Dunoon, a township in Cape Town.
What they saw there became Superpower Hub, a free platform for young entrepreneurs in Cape Town’s townships.
In its first weeks, it helped more than 150 young people.
Seven Weeks Later
On 29 April 2026, more than 1,100 founders and entrepreneurs came to De Kromhouthal in Amsterdam to see the five companies and the documentary about that week.
The Fifth Company
The fifth company built that week was House of Founders itself, the idea to do it again with new founders in new places.
The plan is a new Part every three to four months, each with about twenty founders.
- Alaura
- FinnTell
- Attent
- Superpower Hub
- House of Founders
The Hosts
Today, two hosts lead the House and host each Part.
Lotte van RijenCo-founder and hostLotte was one of the builders in the house in Cape Town. She knows the week from the inside.
- Lisette Braakenburg van BackumCo-founder and host
Before the House, Lisette co-founded Upstream Festival. She brings that experience of gathering entrepreneurs to every Part.