The Stack to open as AI hub in Amsterdam Oostenburg in September

Europe has world-class AI research talent and strong technical universities, yet produces very few homegrown foundation models. To illustrate the gap: the United States has developed forty AI foundation models, compared to just three in Europe. Anthropic's recent decision to stop making its latest AI models available in Europe underscores that vulnerability. To help address this, The Stack will open in September 2026, a new AI hub at Jacob Bontiusplaats 9 in Oostenburg, Amsterdam. The initiative is being realised in partnership with real-estate parties HighBrook and Aroundtown, and is financed with more than €10 million in private capital.

What is The Stack

At opening, The Stack will cover 4,500 square metres and is set up as a physical home for a carefully selected group of fast-growing AI startups. The hub offers workspaces, labs and development programmes, but the emphasis is on the network and community that form around them. At the heart of the building will be an event space for programmes, founder sessions, investor days, hackathons and product demos. The idea is that daily encounters between founders, investors and operators lead to funding rounds, product launches and partnerships that would otherwise not materialise.

The Stack positions itself as a node in a broader network of tech and AI hubs across the Netherlands and Europe, with the goal of strengthening the Eindhoven–Amsterdam axis as a leading corridor for AI innovation. Through partner Techleap, the hub is connected to universities and research institutions at home and abroad. The ambition is to grow to 12,000 square metres by 2029, accommodating more than 200 founders.

First tenants and founders

The first confirmed tenants are Ubicloud, Dawnguard and Iconic Works. The Stack was co-founded by three Dutch AI entrepreneurs: Lennard Zwart (Ascending AI), Maarten Stolk (Deeploy, Enjins) and Philip Gast (AdamI, The AI Foundry), together with Techleap. The founding director is Esther Bisschop, whose previous company Th3rd was acquired by Snap Inc. in 2022.

Partners and financing

In addition to the more than €10 million in private capital, The Stack has attracted a number of founding partners. Global quantitative trading firm IMC, which builds its competitive edge on world-class research, applied AI and machine learning, joins as a founding partner. The other founding partners are ABN AMRO, ClickHouse, Deloitte, Google, Miro and Prosus. The City of Amsterdam is supporting the initiative. All partners contribute not only their name but also their expertise and networks.

The real estate is being realised in partnership with HighBrook and Aroundtown, brokered by NL Real Estate and Flexas.com. Legal support is provided by New Ground Law; the interior design is by TANK Architects.

Sovereignty through collaboration

The inclusion of American technology companies among the founding partners is deliberate. The founders argue that strengthening European AI capacity and working with global players are not mutually exclusive. The goal is to develop European intellectual property, European companies and European jobs, while maintaining a connection with the global AI ecosystem.

"The news that Anthropic's latest AI models are no longer available in Europe is a stark wake-up call: it shows how dependent we are on players outside our continent for our digital infrastructure. The US and China continue to race ahead, while Europe watches from the sidelines. The talent and ambition to change this exist, and with The Stack we are giving that a home. Here we connect it with capital and customers, and create the daily encounters between brilliant people that turn an idea into a company: that is The Stack. We are not here to celebrate European AI potential, but to ensure that potential actually translates into concrete new products and a stronger, less vulnerable AI infrastructure for Europe."

Esther Bisschop, founding director, The Stack

What the founders say

"We have proven in the Netherlands and beyond that we can build strong economic clusters: Eindhoven is the economic heart for semiconductors, and Amsterdam is a leading hub for fintech and payments. But when it comes to AI, we are falling behind. In Europe, we are consumers of American technology, not the builders of tomorrow's AI giants. Our landscape is fragmented. The Stack aims to solve that by giving the best talent and the most promising entrepreneurs behind tomorrow's AI technology a home. Let's build AI ourselves, rather than just use it."

Maarten Stolk, co-founder, The Stack

"For years we have been talking about digital autonomy, while the US and China build large digital companies. When it comes to European autonomy, the development of a strong AI ecosystem will likely be a defining theme for the years ahead. Europe, and certainly the Netherlands, has enormous talent, but that talent is not yet translating sufficiently into independent companies that can act as a flywheel for innovation. The Stack is our answer to that: we offer European AI entrepreneurs a place where they find all the resources and inspiration to build European success stories."

Lennard Zwart, co-founder, The Stack

"Most people may see The Stack as a building, but for me it is primarily a way of thinking. Bring enough exceptionally ambitious people together in one place and something happens: ambition becomes more than a personal trait, it becomes part of the culture. A hundred AI companies under one roof are stronger than a hundred companies on their own island, precisely because ideas, collaborations and initiatives emerge far more easily when everyone is together. The Stack is an important step in reducing our dependence on foreign tech: a place where we organise serendipity by design and work on digital resilience, so that European AI talent is no longer a spectator but helps shape the playing field."

Philip Gast, co-founder, The Stack

Responses from Techleap and the City of Amsterdam

"AI is not just a technology trend. Every country, every sector and every company will need to build advanced AI capabilities to remain relevant. Together with leading AI entrepreneurs, Techleap is building an international breeding ground for AI companies. In doing so, we are contributing to the core infrastructure for Europe's sovereign AI stack: from hardware and chips all the way up to the AI application layer. At The Stack, the entrepreneur is central and together we are building our European AI alternatives."

Constantijn van Oranje, general director, Stichting Techleap

"For years we have been investing in the development and attraction of companies in the field of tech and innovation to put Amsterdam on the map as a tech city. With the AI hub, we are now ensuring that Amsterdam becomes the place where everything for AI tech companies in the Netherlands comes together. Talent, capital and entrepreneurship converge here, and in doing so we are laying the foundation for a strong Amsterdam AI ecosystem."

Melanie van der Horst, alderman, City of Amsterdam

Key facts at a glance

• Location: Jacob Bontiusplaats 9, 1018 LL Amsterdam (Oostenburg)
• Opening: September 2026
• Floor area at opening: 4,500 m²; ambition of 12,000 m² by 2029
• First tenants: Ubicloud, Dawnguard, Iconic Works
• Founders: Lennard Zwart, Maarten Stolk, Philip Gast and Techleap
• Founding director: Esther Bisschop
• Financing: more than €10 million in private capital
• Founding partners: IMC, ABN AMRO, ClickHouse, Deloitte, Google, Miro, Prosus
• Supported by: City of Amsterdam
• Real estate: HighBrook and Aroundtown; brokered by NL Real Estate and Flexas.com; legal: New Ground Law; interior: TANK Architects