CVeetje was built in 2025 out of personal frustration: every job ad demanded a different CV, and every time that meant forty minutes wrestling with Word. Tools existed — expensive, subscription-based, with output instantly recognisable as AI-generated. So we built our own.
Who builds this
CVeetje is a product of GroeimetAI, a small AI product team in Apeldoorn, the Netherlands. Niels van der Werf — software engineer and founder — writes the code. The team works from Fabriekstraat 20 and is registered with the Dutch Chamber of Commerce under number 90102304.
We aren't VC-funded. The product is paid for by users — deliberately not by ads, data sales, or API providers steering ad budgets behind our back.
What we do differently
No subscription
You build CVs in bursts — a few intense weeks, then quiet. A €19/month subscription doesn't fit that rhythm. We chose credits that never expire: buy what you need, use it when you want, nothing accidentally drains your account. A generated CV costs €1.00–€1.66 depending on pack. The free tier (15 credits/month) covers one full CV for occasional applicants.
Honesty in the prompts
The AI may reorder, reframe, and reword — but never invent. Honesty rules are baked into every prompt. Regeneration requests that inflate a claim trigger a separate gatekeeper AI that asks for evidence before revising. Not security theatre; what keeps your CV defensible in an interview.
BYOK — your own API key, no lock-in
If you already have a Claude or OpenAI key, use it. We store it AES-256 encrypted, all AI steps cost zero platform credits, and you pay your provider directly. For heavy users (career coaches, agencies, freelancers in active outreach), this is usually the cheapest model. We earn less from it — but that's the right trade-off.
No hidden watermark in PDFs
We could have built one — an invisible AI fingerprint helping hiring managers detect AI-generated CVs. We deliberately decided against it. Hiring managers deserve a level playing field, not a hidden detector on candidates' backs. When you submit a CVeetje CV, only you know how you made it.
Data in the Netherlands, GDPR and EU AI Act from day one
All data — your profile, generated CVs, encrypted API keys — lives on Firebase in europe-west4 (Eemshaven, NL). Nothing in the US, nothing with non-EU sub-processors without explicit listing. We maintain a complete GDPR file (RoPA, DPIA, retention policy, DSR procedure) and classify ourselves as EU AI Act "limited risk" with the corresponding transparency obligations.
What we don't do
- We don't train AI models on user data.
- We don't sell data, emails, or profiles. To anyone. Ever.
- We don't use third-party tracking. No Google Analytics, no Meta Pixel, no Hotjar. We do log light first-party events for product improvement, opt-out via cookie banner.
- We don't advertise on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or Google Search. Growth has to come from the work itself — content, fair prices, word of mouth.
How we build
CVeetje is built in Next.js 16, React 19, TypeScript, and Tailwind v4. We use Anthropic Claude (Opus + Sonnet) as the primary model in platform mode, with BYOK fallback to OpenAI or Google. PDF generation via Puppeteer on Cloud Run. Firebase for auth, Firestore, and Storage — all in europe-west4. Deploys go via Cloud Build trigger on push to main.
We build openly in the sense that: feedback lands directly in our public GitHub issues (groeimetai/CVeetje), the tech stack is verifiable, and prices don't change without us writing about it. If what we say here doesn't match what you see in practice — email info@groeimetai.io and we'll correct it.
Why Apeldoorn
Not a branding choice. We live here. GroeimetAI started here, and so did CVeetje. It works — shorter communication lines than Amsterdam, a technically strong community around Wageningen / Enschede / Apeldoorn, and a job market we know from the inside. Much of what we write about recruitment comes from conversations had here in our region.
Questions or feedback
Email info@groeimetai.io. We read everything. For bug reports and feature requests, open an issue directly on GitHub — every piece of feedback submitted via the app lands there automatically.
CVeetje isn't a tech company with an exit strategy. It's a tool we use ourselves and make available to others at a fair price. As long as that works, it stays. No lock-in, no surprises, no subscription.