About INSIDE
INSIDE is a venture studio building companies powered by AI agents.
Founded by Sebastiaan van der Lans, INSIDE explores how autonomous AI systems and open technology can fundamentally change how companies are created and operated.
Instead of building organizations around large teams and fragmented SaaS tools, INSIDE designs AI-native companies — ventures where automation, intelligence, and operational workflows are embedded directly into the company itself.
These companies move faster, operate leaner, and build technological advantages from day one.
Why the Name INSIDE
The name INSIDE reflects a simple belief:
The most valuable companies build their intellectual property inside the venture.
Not outsourced.
Not trapped inside external platforms.
Not dependent on expensive SaaS tools.
Instead, the systems that run the company — automation, workflows, AI agents, and data pipelines — become part of the venture's core technology.
Operational logic becomes intellectual property.
And intellectual property becomes venture value.
From SaaS Dependency to AI-Native Companies
Most companies today rely on dozens of SaaS tools.
The workflows live inside external platforms.
The logic lives inside someone else's software.
And the real operational value sits outside the company.
AI agents change that.
They allow companies to build their own operational systems — capable of research, analysis, automation, and decision support.
Instead of assembling tools, companies can now build systems.
INSIDE designs ventures around this new model: companies where AI agents power core workflows and continuously improve how the business operates.
Open Source Freedom
Open source technology is the foundation of this approach.
Open ecosystems allow companies to:
- avoid vendor lock-in
- maintain control over technology and data
- evolve systems as the venture grows
- build proprietary capabilities on open foundations
Instead of renting software, ventures build technology they own.
Ownership creates freedom.
Freedom creates leverage.
And leverage creates long-term venture value.
Venture Partnerships
INSIDE operates through partnerships.
Rather than acting as a traditional agency, the studio collaborates with entrepreneurs to launch and build ventures together.
Many of these partnerships are joint ventures with founders who have already built and sold companies.
By combining entrepreneurial experience with AI-native systems and open technology, INSIDE helps create companies designed for speed, efficiency, and long-term value creation.
The Goal
INSIDE exists to build the next generation of companies.
Companies that:
- move faster
- operate leaner
- own their core technology
- build intellectual property from day one
Companies designed not just to grow — but to create lasting value.
The Spirit of INSIDE
At the heart of INSIDE is something simple:
the joy of creation.
Building new systems.
Building new ventures.
Exploring what becomes possible when technology becomes part of the company itself.
Because the future isn't just something we predict.
It's something we build.