The Amsterdam Center for Entrepreneurship (ACE), an incubator for science and high-tech startups, announced on Monday that it has appointed Oscar Kneppers as its director. The appointment is effective as of March 2023.
ACE supports students, professors, and professionals who are beginning or expanding their businesses by offering training, mentoring, and introductions to a wide network of business experts, investors, and service suppliers.
By helping knowledge-based startups and scale-ups, ACE hopes to establish a learning ground for future impactful businesses. It is a university-based business incubator supported by research institutes in Amsterdam.
Everything you need to know about Oscar Kneppers
Oscar Kneppers is a renowned online publisher, successful serial entrepreneur, and investor in technology. He (b. 1966) began his career in 1991 with the American tech publisher IDG, where he was in charge of MacWorld in the Netherlands. He also developed the first Dutch internet magazine, Net Magazine, in 1994, and the online tech channel Webwereld in 1995.
Kneppers established his first firm, Emerce, in 1998. Emerce is an e-business, digital marketing, and technology-focused magazine, website, and events platform. Oscar, in 2005, also introduced Bright, a cross-media label for digital living, creative design, and innovative technology.
In 2010, Kneppers founded Rockstart, which aids companies by directing them to mentors and investors as well as early-stage funding. Rockstart is a family of more than 300 technology businesses, and has offices in Amsterdam, Copenhagen, and Bogota.
Additionally, he also oversees the Dutch Design Foundation and serves on the committee for the professional field of journalism at Fontys University.
Speaking on his new role at ACE, Kneppers says, “After 25 years of entrepreneurship, I want to commit myself to the public good in my beloved metropolis of Amsterdam, where our children were born and grew up. I build upon from a rich network and relevant knowledge and experience to help future generations of academic entrepreneurs put forward their ideas to convert truly groundbreaking developments into sustainable companies that the Netherlands can be proud of.”
