Good morning, Amsterdam!
First stop: Venture Studio Startup Village. A container village in the university’s Science Park.
I’ve been saying this for a long time: we need something like that in Wilhelmsburg. With a cable car. Of course, we don’t need something like that here—it’s all flat.
100% subsidiary of the university. Rent for containers (approx. EUR 450 for a small container or EUR 150 per space) and event spaces; everything else is free of charge, to be repaid through profit sharing. The project was initially set to run for 5 years, now 10. 1 million investment, with funding also from affiliated companies.
B. Building Business Amsterdam
Since 2014, 18,000 square meters, former IBM building; a total of 40,000 square meters across 3 buildings; on its way to becoming an innovation hub. No laboratories yet.
Business model: Rent (EUR 175 per table), approximately EUR 1,200 for 25 square meters. Also includes services and “content.” Currently in a growth phase; no positive cash flow. Privately funded.
Next step: online resources for business development. Hubs in New York, checklist for going global.
Matching platform for grants currently in development. Hiring service providers, e.g., Startup Boo Camp.
In-house design and architecture team; ongoing development of design and expansion. Approximately 300 events, all of which should be related to the theme; a total of 100 employees.
Fairphone
Founded in 2013 after three years of preparation, the company now has 65 employees.
160,000 phones sold, investors, and crowdfunding.
Braincreators, AI Specialists
The servers are located in the basement—accessible via a trapdoor—well below sea level.
It’s all about pattern recognition—from tagging paparazzi photos to genetic modification, logistics, and gamification.
Co-founder Gerberd Kaandorp says that he initially financed his companies through consulting projects, which is how they identified the market and developed specific ideas.
In the Catacombs
These are very exciting use cases.
Now it’s getting touristy—we’re about to head out onto the water.
Dinner at Cafe de Jaren. Lovely! Delicious!
