A new European alternative to AI services from the US
Today, euqai is launching two European AI services, for consumers and businesses.
Published on May 27, 2025
Team IO+ selects and features the most important news stories on innovation and technology, carefully curated by our editors.
Today, euqai, an AI company based in Eindhoven, is launching two European AI services: the euqai.eu API platform for businesses and the quizi.nl search engine for consumers. These services offer a European alternative that focuses on privacy, ethics, and sustainability.
A European alternative in an American-dominated market
The call for European alternatives to American technology is growing louder, both among businesses and consumers. euqai's new services specifically address this growing need.
- euqai.eu: A secure software platform that follows privacy rules (a fully GDPR-compliant API platform) offering businesses a quickly implementable alternative to American AI services.
- quizi.nl: A privacy-focused European search engine
“Europe is currently largely dependent on American technology companies, while AI is the key to our future digital sovereignty,” says Merien ten Houten, CEO and founder of euqai. “With our technology, we are not only building a European alternative, but setting a new standard for how AI can truly serve people and businesses—without hidden agendas or compromises on privacy.”
Privacy-first approach in line with European values
Unlike existing AI platforms, euqai has been developed from the ground up with privacy as its starting point. The services:
- Collect only the necessary data
- Do not share user data for commercial purposes
- Offer full transparency on data use
- Guarantee data storage within Europe
This approach is in line with the new EU AI Act and offers organizations a risk-free alternative to services that may not comply with these strict rules. Quizi also does not use an American search engine as its basis. The entire service is European. Quizi uses AI to search and summarize the search results. Quizi is currently still in beta. With feedback from users and based on anonymized usage data, Quizi will continue to improve.
Groundbreaking sustainable infrastructure
euqai further distinguishes itself by using Leafcloud's innovative server infrastructure, which places servers in buildings that require heat, such as swimming pools and nursing homes. This approach:
- Reduces CO2 emissions by an average of 85% compared to traditional data centers
- Converts waste heat into usable energy
- Drastically reduces the ecological footprint of AI applications
New company with decades of experience
euqai was founded by Merien ten Houten. In the past, he was one of the founders of nu.nl, Leapfunder, and Amber. In the 1990s, he co-founded the search engine ilse.nl. “You can't fight your nature,” explains Merien ten Houten, “I haven't ignored developments in search engines over the past 30 years. Google has been king for decades, both technically and in terms of market share. But you can hear the criticism growing. This is a moment when alternatives have a chance.”
