Max Helmantel

Max Helmantel is a designer, speaker, and co-founder & CEO of Kaires, a startup based in Haarlem, Netherlands that adapts background music in retail environments based on real-time environmental context. He sits at the intersection of AI, sound design, and creative technology — bringing a design sensibility to problems that most builders wouldn't frame as product opportunities. His ties to Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences and the broader Dutch creative-tech scene make him a connector as much as a builder.

Max builds under constraints other people would use as excuses. On a 130 km walk of the Camino de Santiago, he and two co-builders shipped a near-complete mental health app for Dutch organization MIND — vibe-coded using Claude AI for the logic, XREAL AR glasses, modified Switch controllers, Starlink for connectivity, and Wispr Flow for speech-to-text input. The app's concept — a 'mental weather report' to normalize mental health conversations in the Netherlands — arrived roughly 95% complete by the journey's end, pending security review before App Store release. It's the kind of project that reveals someone who genuinely ships, not just talks about shipping.

Beyond his own ventures, Max organizes community. He co-produces the TAG Creative AI Hackathon in Amsterdam, bringing together professionals across videography, animation, music, design, 3D, and advertising to build with AI tools. His network includes figures like Wesley ter Haar (Chief AI Officer at Monks) and creative directors from Apple and STRAAT Museum. He's also a recognizable voice in the Dutch tech podcast scene, appearing on Met Nerds om Tafel. Certifications in Conversation Design (Oct 2024) and Generative AI for Video Content Creation (Mar 2025) signal someone who keeps their skills current deliberately.