Kees Koolen is a fascinating entrepreneur and the driving force behind the growth of Booking.com.
He helped make the company scalable and played a key role in turning it into an international success. Under his leadership, the name was changed from Bookings.nl to Booking.com, and in 2005, he sold the company to Priceline for €110 million. Although he later said the sale was a missed opportunity for the Dutch economy, at the time, he believed it was the right decision.

Beyond his success at Booking.com, Koolen was an early investor in Uber and played a major role in the company’s global expansion. His entrepreneurial spirit eventually led him to the sustainable energy sector, where he founded Koolen Industries. The company invests in innovative technologies—including energy storage and distribution—with the mission of making sustainable energy affordable and accessible for everyone.

Outside of business, Koolen is also a passionate Dakar Rally competitor.
He’s the only person to have completed the rally in every vehicle category, and he combines this passion for racing with his commitment to clean energy by developing a zero-emission electric truck.

All of this makes Kees Koolen a remarkably versatile entrepreneur—not only leading major tech ventures but also actively contributing to the energy transition and sustainability.