Meet the deeply human startup whose product has been built entirely thanks to AI.
In this episode, I’m joined by Thomas Butstraen, co-founder of Maurice & Nora, the Antwerp-based startup on a mission to become the “Uber for non-medical care.” Maurice & Nora connects seniors and busy families with reliable, vetted students who can help with everyday tasks, from gardening and companionship to after-school childcare and homework support.
They’re tackling one of Europe’s biggest societal challenges: the growing care crisis. But what makes this story even more remarkable is how they’re building it. The entire platform was created using AI coding tools (without a traditional engineering team!) allowing them to move at extraordinary speed.
We talk about:
- The personal moment that sparked the idea
- Why building B2C in Belgium is so hard
- How they turned PR into a growth engine
- Their bold B2B2C strategy, positioning care as an employee benefit
- Winning major recognition within their first year
- What it really means to build a “societal unicorn”
- And the founder reality behind the ambition
This is a conversation about speed, impact, and rethinking how we care for both older and younger generations: powered by AI, but built for humans.
Keep listening to discover how Maurice & Nora plans to change the way Europe thinks about non-medical care.
What is Allez Startups?
Behind-the-scenes interviews with Belgium’s startup founders, investors and local experts.
I’m Claudia, a Talent and People advisor for startups and a former founder. When I moved to Belgium in 2022, I explored the local startup scene. It seemed small, fragmented, full of complexities and hurdles.
Digging deeper, I realised Belgium is full of bold founders, scaling startups and an ecosystem that’s on the rise.
But most of its stories remain untold, or only shared in local networks.
This podcast aims to change that.
I’m pulling back the curtain to spotlight Belgium’s startup founders, investors and local experts. They’ll share real, personal stories about what happens behind-the-scenes, the knowledge they built and lessons learnt along the way.
Expect local inspiration and hands-on knowledge, in English, across regional barriers — so we can all learn from others' journeys.