We believe everyone deserves the right guidance
Icares builds tools that help pupils, students and professionals make well-founded choices about study, work and career. For more than 20 years now.
Hans Smetsers
At the end of the last century several universities of applied sciences and teacher training colleges merged into Fontys. A career centre started there to improve how students came in, moved on and left. I was the project leader and developed the Fontys interest test.
The trade journal Loopbaan was full of praise for that test. Its only regret was that the results did not point towards professions. That was one of the reasons for me to start Icares.
The name stands for International Career and Education Services. Icarus used his wings of feathers to fly too high. Icares spreads them to widen the horizon instead.
People usually develop within a course of study or a job. Making good choices there largely shapes how happy you are in life. Icares contributes to that by showing what someone's possibilities are.
Jim-Luca Widdershoven
I started as a freelancer in 2017, alongside my International Business Studies degree. I was twenty and focused on sales and marketing. In 2022 I ended up at Icares. At first I worked from home, but soon I was at the office with the team more and more often.
Hans has always had the same philosophy: making sure people end up in the right place. In 2025 he reached retirement age and looked at a next step for Icares. Since July 2025 I have taken over half of the shares. We will run it together until 2028.
Hans has an enormous amount of knowledge about professions and careers. I am the commercial counterpart to that. We are friends and we enjoy working together, and the product gets better because of it.
I am carrying that philosophy forward. In the future too, the quality of Icares stays where it belongs.
Giving people insight and direction, so they make choices with confidence that match their talents, interests and ambitions.
Our values
Everyone in the right place
We believe the right choice has an effect on society. Everything we build is aimed at helping people end up in the right place.
Built with the field
Schools, careers counsellors and career professionals help decide what we make. What comes from practice goes into the tools.
Reliable and secure
Privacy and security are not an afterthought. We are fully GDPR-proof and handle all data with care.
Together with education
We do not develop away from education, but with it. Schools and professionals actively think along.
Improving continuously
The world changes and so does the labour market. Our tools change with them. We keep developing them based on insight and feedback.
Concrete and usable
No vague advice, but clear direction. Our tools give you something solid you can use straight away.
Giving direction to who you are and what you can do
Choosing a course, a career direction or a profession are major moments in someone's life. Too often these choices are made on an incomplete picture: what someone thinks they should do, instead of what really suits them.
Icares makes those choices better. With well-founded tools and concrete insights that fit the daily practice of counsellors and schools.
From a small start to a proven platform
Founded in Tilburg
Hans Smetsers starts Icares with one goal: making sure people end up in the right place.
First study choice tests
The first schools start using the study choice test with their pupils.
The professions test
The professions test is developed and used for the first time.
Skills Match with UWV
Together with UWV: every Dutch profession linked to 130 skills.
New shareholder
Jim Luca Widdershoven takes over 50% of the shares.
Icares Quest goes live
The official launch of the career guidance tool Quest.
Continuing to grow
We keep adding new tools and widening how accessible they are.
Our tools
Three complementary tools that together give a complete picture, from orientation to a well-founded choice.
Icares Study
The study choice test that gives pupils direction and schools insight.
Icares Quest
The career guidance tool for continuous orientation in secondary education.
Icares Professional
The profession and skills match for career professionals and counsellors.
Trusted by more than 350 organisations
- Aventus
- CMLP
- Universiteit Utrecht
- Job Solutions
- Pius-X
- Maxima MC
- Radboud Universiteit
- Gemeente Oldebroek
- Albeda College
- Re-integratiepunt
- Artevelde Hogeschool
- RUFO
- Universiteit van Amsterdam
- WerkmansMobiliteit
- ROC Zadkine
- 2de Spoor
- Yonder
- AK Jobcoaching & Re-integratie
- University of Curaçao
- SHRM Talent
- ROC Rivor
- Efteling
- Sondervick College
Curious what Icares can do for your organisation?
Book a demo and see how our tools fit your situation.