Recovering, but healthy: The Amsterdam co-working ecosystem finds a new focus

Just when the Netherlands thought they could return back to normal, new restrictions were announced to stop the spread of COVID-19. A new blow for an industry that exists to bring people together: co-working spaces in Amsterdam went through some tough times. But many came out of the crisis with renewed focus while some new ones popped up. 

To get a feel of the situation in the Amsterdam co-working ecosystem, we reached out to StartDock, StartupVillage and Hashtagworkmode to find out more about their renewed focus. We checked in with newcomers Venu and Buro de Pijp and spoke with the booking platform Common Grounds for the overall view of the ecosystem.  

StartDock revitalises its community

“We have a playbook for everything by now”, says Thom Wernke. He is CEO at StartDock, the co-working space for startups which opened its fourth location – the third in Amsterdam – not too long ago. Whatever measure would be announced on last night’s announcement of new restrictions concerning COVID-19 in the Netherlands, StartDock can adjust. Wernke: “We’re not worried. We do see a lot of community members are getting tired of the restrictions. You can see there is some social discomfort among people. Do we shake hands or not? Do we hug?”

Read also: COVID and coworking: How hubs in Amsterdam are supporting startups through the crisis

One and a half years ago, the opposite was true. With the severe lockdowns in place, much of StartDock’s community was forced to work from home. It energised them to start CollabNow, an online marketplace where members of StartDock could advertise and sell their products or services. It didn’t last, says Wernke, although it did serve a purpose. “The initial shock and panic led to CollabNow. The cool thing about it is that it caused members to band together. For the community, it was very helpful.”

Functioning as ‘third office’

A boost in community feeling is welcome. Wernke found out it is hard to keep a tight-knit group together during these times. “The community feeling is not quite where it used to be. Especially because of that social discomfort. For the fun events, we can get people together but it’s slightly harder. There is more distance now.”

With regards to occupancy, Wernke sees that the situation at his spaces is almost back to normal. The composition of the visitors has changed. “The amount of expats in Amsterdam has decreased, so we see fewer of them. We do see more corporate workers who can’t go to the office or stay at home. People from companies like Nike, Booking.com or some of the banks choose to work here, with the consent of their employer. It’s not something we chose for, we’d like to target smaller companies and startups more.”

StartupVillage returning to full capacity

Over at StartupVillage, the buzz is back as well. The co-working space at the Amsterdam Science Park was hit hard by the COVID-restrictions, says Strategy & Partnerships manager Ferry Tillekens. “We are reliant on the rental of these containers. Several renters had to cancel their contract.” It caused some tough times in the village, where shipping containers are made into offices and work spaces. “Occupancy dropped to around 60 per cent”, says Tillekens. 

Right now, it is back to over 80 per cent. Tillekens expects the venue to be fully occupied by the end of the year. The Village also expects event season to start again, providing another source of income. However, new restrictions might make that harder. “Last month we had a couple of events, where it was nice to have a room full of people. A requirement of keeping 1.5 metres distance will make those events less attractive.”

Sharper focus on AI and quantum

Despite the hard times, Tillekens sees a clear upside; a sharper focus on what the community in StartupVillage should entail. “The companies that rent here are of higher quality than before. We can pick and choose who we want to join.” That doesn’t mean they have a bouncer guarding entry. It does mean they can focus more on companies that fall within one of the two pillars StartupVillage is built on: artificial intelligence and quantum computing.

“We are now aiming to get more parties involved and build a strong AI and quantum network here. The majority of renters work in either AI or quantum. And Quantum Amsterdam is now renting a fairly large container here, intending to build a proper quantum community.”

Hashtagworkmode bringing women together

At Hashtagworkmode, there always was a sharp focus. The co-working space, with two of its six locations in Amsterdam, is solely meant for female workers and entrepreneurs. The past year has made its mark on the company, says Chief Marketing Officer Stephanie Knoors. “On some locations, we still feel the results of the lockdowns, while others see increased demand in flexible workspaces. We do see many members feel the need for a community, and to be surrounded by other women.”

“During the pandemic, it was extra important to stay in touch with our community. We did so by organising online events and drinks. But you can see now that people crave offline contact.” Hashtagworkmode decided to meet that demand by going through with their female-focused business event The Self-Made Summit. 

‘We know we can do this’

Organising offline, in-person gatherings that require a lot of time to prepare is risky business these days. “It was very stressful”, according to Knoors. “Especially after last year, when we had to postpone the event and switch to a hybrid format. Of course, you’re afraid that will happen again this year. But it shows how agile you are. We know we can do this.”

Just like at StartDock, Hashtagworkmode sees an influx of people working for large companies, using co-working spaces as a ‘third office’ beside their home and company office space. The renewed call to work from home, as a result of the rising COVID-cases all over the country, is not ideal for a place that thrives to bring people together. 

Read also: Shaken by the pandemic, but not stirred: The current state of co-working in Amsterdam

Knoors admits the Dutch policy makes it hard to stay positive. “On the other hand, our business model is not based on people looking for a permanent workplace. Women often opt for a flexible workplace for three days a week. In that respect, we’re good.” 

New places popping up: Venu

Despite the tough times co-working spaces went through, it didn’t stop new ones from popping up all over the city. The East of Amsterdam saw its first co-working space in a middle school, at IJburg College. At a more central location, Venu opened its doors close to the Central Station in Amsterdam. Founded by Yulia Nikitina and Olga Konovalchuk, Venu is created as an ideal place for entrepreneurs and creatives who no longer want to hang out at cafes or coffee shops with their laptops, but also don’t see themselves at an actual office. 

“We see many people adapting to hybrid working”, says Nikitina. “Venu is not an office, not a membership-driven co-working office. We want to have more of a lifestyle concept for modern entrepreneurs.” This concept comes complete with a swanky interior, a variety of workspaces and a coffee made by an in-house barista. Memberships are not needed, as anyone can book a workplace from the hour.

Momentum to scale up

Venu seems like a sign of the time, with hybrid working being the new normal post-COVID. However, Nikitina noticed that shift happening already before the pandemic. “We already believed in this concept before COVID. We noticed a lot of startups coming to The Netherlands, looking for freedom to work on their firm. But when the lockdown started, more people found out they can do well while working remotely.” 

Nikitina wants to use that momentum to scale up quickly. Together with Konovalchuk, she sees Venu’s all over Europe. “This specific location is a try-out to gather feedback. Now we want to scale up our concept. We are fundraising for three new locations.” Nikitina is also looking to bring her concept across the border through franchising. “London would be my dream. But realistically, we’d aim for Germany first.”

Buro de Pijp opened its doors

Meanwhile, in the southern part of Amsterdam, Buro de Pijp opened its doors last April, to offer the neighbourhood – called de Pijp – a place to get out of the house and get some work done. Co-founder Simone van der Wal had the idea well before corona. “I found many coworking spaces feel too corporate, while coffeehouses were too…well, coffeehousey. There wasn’t anything in between.” 

Van der Wal decided to jump into the gap in between. Het Buro de Pijp aims to create a homey feel, playing a central role in the neighbourhood. Important is that it also doesn’t require a membership: desks can be booked by the hour. And there is specialty coffee available. Van der Wal: “All three founders have a corporate background and we noticed working from home became more accepted. But it can be annoying or not very inspirational.”

Looking for collaboration with corporations

“COVID gave hybrid working a boost”, says Van der Wal. “But it also limited us. When we opened, we would’ve loved to throw a party for the neighbourhood. That was harder due to the pandemic.” She sees a varied audience visiting Buro de Pijp, including employees from large corporations looking for a third office. “We wanted to get in contact with corporations, to see if they could use us as an alternative workplace. But when the government advises you to work from home, it doesn’t make sense to allow your employees to go to a co-working space.”

Despite the complications due to COVID, Van der Wal is already convinced of the bright future of her concept. “We’re working on financing a second location in the West of Amsterdam early next year. And we’re looking at an office in the city centre. After that, we’re ready to go to other Dutch cities.”

Common Grounds offers overview

While COVID offers threats and opportunities for individual co-working spaces, the overall situation in the Amsterdam ecosystem is ‘healthy…but recovering’. At least, according to Fredrik Henningson, founder and CEO of Common Grounds, an Amsterdam-founded booking platform for flexible offices. Their app gives digital nomads access to co-working spaces all over Europe, offering Henningson a good overview of the market.

“The situation in every country was different, but in general the whole co-working ecosystem was hit hard.” The same goes for Common Grounds, explains Henningson. “We were founded in 2019 and found a market fit right away as we grew organically and from word-of-mouth. 2020 was our second year in business and the expected growth did not happen then. Everything was on hold.”

Third office as permanent solution

Now, Henningson finds his company in a different landscape to sell in. “People have been quite good in following restrictions. We still see them working in shared spaces less often. So we decided to pivot and develop our offering for teams and businesses. During COVID, everyone got a crash course in remote work, so these organisations are very open to that idea. Customers fully recognise the third office as a permanent solution.”

Henningson is convinced this will lead to an increased demand for co-working, but also a more diverse supply. “We’ll see spaces closing down and new ones popping up. The increase in co-working will also offer opportunities for other venues, like hotels, cafes or even workations.” 

However healthy and dynamic the co-working ecosystem in Amsterdam is, Henningson still sees a lot of hesitation. Last night’s announcement of new restrictions just showed there are still many uncertainties. “Some partners are maintaining restrictions because they don’t know what the future will look like. It will take a while before the ecosystem is fully thriving again.”