In collaboration with MT/Sprout – Written by: John van Schagen
From a vacant IBM office to a bustling entrepreneurial hub. Over the past eleven years, B. Amsterdam has grown into one of the largest incubators for startups and scaleups in Europe. Next year, residential units will be added to the complex. “You can offer employees not only an inspiring workplace, but soon also a place to live.”
Amsterdam-West, at the intersection of the A10 and A4, just outside the ring road. Anyone who visited this area about eleven years ago was met with a somewhat bleak sight. The striking IBM office building had stood empty for at least ten years, and the adjacent factory hall was falling into disrepair. Typewriters had been manufactured here for decades—a relic of the old economy.
“Several property developers and real estate agents had already struggled with this area. It was a different time; we were still in the aftermath of the credit crisis,” says Bas van Veggel of Timeless Investments.
Through a real estate transaction, his company acquired the old typewriter factory and issued a call for proposals to people with creative concepts. That’s how the idea for a new coworking space was born, inspired by a trend that was still in its infancy at the time in Berlin: a startup community with a raw, industrial vibe.
Rapid growth
Without a detailed plan drawn up with architects, a clear marketing strategy, or glossy brochures, Van Veggel and his colleagues had to go out and find tenants. “There wasn’t much of a budget; it was literally pioneering work,” he says. “A startup from Delft was the first to take the plunge, and others quickly followed. First the startups, and later a number of established names that wanted to be close to that fresh energy. That’s how, little by little, a patchwork of partition walls came into being.”
Initially, the plan was to lease out the upper floors through a real estate agent—the old-school way. But B. Amsterdam became such a huge success in such a short time that the entire building was soon filled with startups and a number of corporate companies. “The concept turned out to be a huge hit. The city was on board, and sports facilities, restaurants, and event spaces were added. The concept became a small city within a single building,” says Van Veggel.
B. Amsterdam now has three such buildings. Together, they cover 40,000 square meters and house more than 300 companies. “We’re the largest event venue in Amsterdam after the RAI,” Van Veggel says proudly. “For example, a major international brand is organizing a conference here in September and October for hundreds of people from the Netherlands and abroad. You can literally feel the energy flowing through the building.”
Cross-pollination works wonders
About eight years ago, Tessa Bakker joined the company as CEO. In her own words, she found a lot of creativity but little structure. “I set out to build the internal organization and put together a strong team,” says Bakker. According to her, what makes B. Amsterdam so special is the mix of startups, scale-ups, and established companies.
“That cross-pollination works wonderfully. Startups bring boldness and dynamism, while corporations have the budget and clout. That leads to new partnerships and projects.” She also cites flexibility as a decisive factor. “A company can double in size here in a short period of time, but it can also scale back if necessary. Traditional landlords often work with multi-year leases, but with us, entrepreneurs can also opt for more flexibility and freedom.”
Of course, there have been setbacks in recent years as well. Bakker remembers the COVID-19 crisis as if it were yesterday. “We immediately started actively talking with our tenants to figure out together how we could get through this period.” One of the initiatives from that time is the B. Padel Club, which in the years that followed would grow into one of the city’s most popular padel venues, with no fewer than twelve courts. “Exercise was still allowed during the lockdowns. It gave us energy during a difficult time.”
Success stories from our own company
Over the years, many companies have grown within the walls of B. Amsterdam. A well-known example is Source.ag, a startup that develops AI and data systems to help greenhouse growers optimize their production. Bakker: “They started here with a small office and now occupy nearly an entire floor. The flexibility and the environment helped them grow faster and attract talent.”
Still, B. Amsterdam isn’t just for fast-growing startups, she emphasizes. “PwC and Atradius are located nearby and are more than happy to use our creative spaces. Hospitals, law firms, and Rabobank also regularly host their events here. Every year, thousands of visitors pass through the event spaces, for everything from product launches to large-scale conferences.’
In addition to office space and events, B. Amsterdam also serves as a laboratory for new ideas. “Testing a golf simulator, building a podcast studio, or starting a nightclub. Ideas like these regularly land on our desk,” says Van Veggel.
“Just go for it,” is usually our response. “If it works, we’ll figure out the details later. For example, we also give creative makers room to thrive, provided they give something back to the community. It’s all about cross-pollination.” This approach to fostering new ideas is even more relevant now that the area has been officially designated as one of Amsterdam’s innovation districts.
Toward a complete neighborhood
However, the greatest growth is no longer taking place within the buildings themselves, but in the surrounding area. B. Amsterdam is part of the Schinkelkwartier, the site of one of the largest urban expansion projects in the Netherlands. “We’re talking about one million square meters that will be developed here over the next ten years,” says Van Veggel.
“It will be a mix of residential, commercial, retail, and recreational spaces, with plenty of green space and improved public transportation connections. This will transform the area from a single-use office park into a truly vibrant neighborhood, inspired by London’s King’s Cross.”
Right next to the old typewriter factory, we can already see the first signs of that ambition. Work is underway here on a new housing concept, B. at Home. “In the first phase, we’re building 300 homes. These will include public housing, mid-range rentals, and private-sector units,” says Bakker.
“What’s truly special is that our members and tenants can be given priority. In times of severe labor shortages, that’s worth its weight in gold. So you can offer employees not only an inspiring workplace, but soon also a place to live. That’s truly special.”
After eleven years of pioneering work, B. Amsterdam is now looking firmly ahead to an even brighter future. Van Veggel says, “We’ve proven that you can turn vacant properties into something special. Now we want to be the driving force behind the transformation of this entire area, which we believe will become the best place to work and live in all of Amsterdam.”
