The Stack will open its doors in September 2026 at Jacob Bontiusplaats 9 in Oostenburg. The building will serve as a physical hub for entrepreneurs looking to strengthen the entire AI value chain, from hardware and computing power to the final application layer. The ambition is substantial. While the space will initially cover 4,500 square meters, the plan is to expand to 12,000 square meters by 2029. This should create space for more than 200 founders who work on their technology every day.
The initiative was conceived by entrepreneurs Lennard Zwart, Maarten Stolk, and Philip Gast. They joined forces with Techleap and raised over 10 million euros in private capital to bring the project to fruition. Esther Bisschop has been appointed as founding director to oversee day-to-day operations. The project enjoys broad support, with involvement from organizations such as IMC, Google, ABN AMRO, ClickHouse, Deloitte, Miro, Prosus, and the municipality.
Knowledge grows exponentially when you work in close proximity to one another and interact informally on a daily basis in the workplace.
The concept revolves around proximity and a shared mindset. By creating a curated community—which already includes companies such as Ubicloud, Dawnguard, and Iconic Works—the initiative aims to counteract the fragmentation in the European AI sector. The facility offers more than just workspaces. It also features labs and dedicated event spaces. These spaces form the beating heart of the hub, hosting more than 100 events throughout the year, ranging from intensive hackathons to investor days and product demos.
At The Stack, everything revolves around collaboration that arises from daily interactions. Founders don’t just work in their own offices; they also share an ecosystem with researchers and institutional partners. This is designed to ensure that prototypes can more quickly evolve into globally scalable companies. The connection between the various layers of the AI stack is at the heart of the operation. Knowledge grows exponentially when people work in close physical proximity and interact informally with one another on a daily basis in the workplace. That is the guiding principle for the founders who establish their base here. Instead of operating in isolation, the companies here are encouraged to support one another—often even by becoming each other’s first customer.
Through this concentration of capital and talent in Oostenburg, the hub hopes to further strengthen the country’s position as an international hub for technological innovation. The building is therefore not a static office complex, but an active environment designed to bridge the gap between American and European AI capabilities. The focus remains on building its own infrastructure, so that Europe becomes less dependent on external services.