What is the name of your organization?
Met Mij (Eindhoven Engine)
What is the name of your solution?
Mijke, the matchbot
Provide a one-line summary or tagline for your solution.
Helping low-literate people find the right support - whether from local municipal services or internal resources - based on their unique needs.
In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?
Eindhoven, Netherlands
In what country is your solution team headquartered?
Netherlands
What type of organization is your solution team?
Other, including part of a larger organization (please explain below)
If you selected Other, please explain here.
Met Mij, including its AI agent Mijke, is a social innovation project spinning out of Eindhoven Engine. It is transitioning from a research collaboration into an independent startup focused on improving access to local and public services.
Film your elevator pitch.
What specific problem are you solving?
Lack of basic skills (literacy, arithmetic, and digital literacy) affects over 3.1 million adults in the Netherlands, limiting access to essential services such as health care, financial support, and employment. Globally, 773 million adults face similar challenges. In Eindhoven alone, more than 200 organizations offer social services, yet 80% of people end up in the wrong place on their first attempt to get help, reinforcing shame and discouragement. This issue disproportionately affects people aged 16–40, who often avoid seeking support due to stigma, insecurity, or past negative experiences. Although often treated as a homogeneous group, this population is highly diverse. Some are Dutch-born, others are migrants. Even if able to read, many struggle to navigate systems; others are digitally fluent but insecure in face-to-face conversations. The difficulty of articulating personal needs, especially when people can’t define “what’s wrong,” adds another invisible barrier. Traditional interventions focus on language learning, but many individuals are not ready to join formal programs or disclose their struggles. In fact, their most urgent need is to solve problems caused by not yet mastering the system’s language, before they can even consider learning it. These structural gaps demand a more individualized, accessible, and stigma-free approach to support.
What is your solution?
Met Mij is a digital system that seamlessly connects adults with limited basic skills to the right social services. Users interact with Mijke, an AI-powered chatbot on WhatsApp, that understands their situation and needs in simple, accessible language (text or audio). Mijke supports users in expressing their challenges, like financial issues, or administrative confusion, and matches them with the most relevant service or organization nearby (in their city or within their workplace). The system uses a large language model (OpenAI) and is hosted on a cloud-based environment (AWS). Designed with a human-centered approach, Mijke is discreet, friendly, and adaptive. Instead of filling out complex forms or using unfamiliar apps, users simply chat with Mijke as they would with a friend. The conversation feels personal, while advanced AI detects needs and provides tailored suggestions. As a service, Met Mij also offers municipalities and companies insights into the needs of their citizens and employees, supporting better policies and improved quality of life. The solution is currently in a pre-pilot phase in Eindhoven, and the chatbot has been tested with social workers, language experts, and people lacking basic skills, through a partnership with a cleaning company, to ensure usability and accessibility.
Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?
Mijke serves adults with limited basic skills (whether in reading, writing, numeracy, or digital literacy) who struggle to navigate support systems. Due to the heterogeneity of this group, their needs are unique and often hidden, which increases the complexity of identifying and supporting them through traditional channels. Seeking help is costly, not only financially, but emotionally. Visiting multiple offices, filling out long forms, or calling institutions can be overwhelming. Many give up before getting help. Mijke, the AI-powered matchbot behind Met Mij, acts as a friendly digital buddy that helps users identify their needs and connect with support in a simple, discreet way. The solution works on WhatsApp, a platform used by over 95% of our target audience. Users don’t need to download anything new or reveal their difficulties publicly, they just start a chat. We plan to expand Mijke to other platforms to increase accessibility. By reducing shame and complexity, Met Mij empowers individuals to ask for help, while also providing valuable insights to municipalities and companies aiming to improve the inclusiveness and responsiveness of their support services.
