Eric Schmidt joins TQ for one year anniversary
17-10-2017 10:33:00 | Editor: Max Vlugt | hits: 4099 | Tags:

Amsterdam’s tech hub, TQ, celebrated its one year anniversary at the top floor of their canal-side headquarters in the company of Alphabet’s Eric Schmidt.

TQ has undergone a remarkable transformation since its inception in October 2016. What started as an old bank building in the heart of Amsterdam is now a tech hub, home to over 200 tech companies. Of these, 50 have their own dedicated office space, and over 150 founders, investors and tech experts are part of its members club.

Over the course of the previous year, TQ has welcomed promising Dutch startups to its community, such as Homerun and Tripaneer, as well as American hypergrowth companies such as Stripe and Flexport. These companies enjoy an inspiring workspace, supplied with cozy lounge areas, hammocks, weekly yoga and massage sessions and other perks. TQ has all sorts of easter eggs around every corner, from the ‘world’s smallest disco’ to jungle-themed phone booths. True to form as a tech hub, residents can book meeting rooms online, while the TQ team controls the building’s lighting, music and door locks through apps on their smartphones.

Eric Schmidt, Executive Chairman of Alphabet, Google’s parent company, joined in on the festivities for a fireside chat with Robert Gaal, TQ’s Managing Director.

Schmidt: "You need gathering mechanisms that will cause informal, face to face communication, the crazy ideas. One of our goals with the satellite departments of Google for Entrepreneurs is to get that network strong enough. It’s a good thing for everyone, you clearly benefit from a strong ecosystem."

Gaal: "The aim of TQ is to help push the Dutch tech ecosystem to the next level. Startups are an important engine for growth of the Dutch economy, and nurturing their community is essential to that growth. During our first year, we’ve hosted over 250 events, bringing together more than 15,000 attendees. We’ve welcomed the Chief People Officer at Booking.com, the CTO of Amazon, and also local founders like Nalden of WeTransfer and Alexander Klopping of Blendle. Creating connections between our residents and these successful experts really support their growth exponentially."

www.tq.co