Tech giant Bird leaves the Netherlands
According to the CEO, Bird is struggling to remain competitive due to strict Dutch regulations.
Published on February 24, 2025
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Messaging service Bird is closing its office in Amsterdam, the city where the company was originally founded. Founder Robert Vis says that Dutch regulations are not favorable for the company. He also claims that the Netherlands is 'hopelessly' lagging behind in the field of AI.
According to Vis, Bird is struggling to remain competitive due to strict Dutch rules regarding pay and dismissal. He also believes that the Netherlands is far behind in the field of AI, he told Het Parool.
Successful unicorn
Bird, which started out as MessageBird in 2011 and is valued at 3.6 billion euros, is one of the most successful 'unicorns' in the Netherlands. It recently cut 120 jobs in preparation for this reorganization. Until recently, there were still approximately 600 employees active in Amsterdam, but that number has now been reduced to 240. The remaining employees will move to seven other offices worldwide, including locations in New York and Dubai.
Netherlands less popular
The Netherlands has become less popular among tech companies over the years. Many foreign companies are also not keen on opening a branch in the Netherlands. The Taiwanese chip manufacturer TSMC is opening a new factory in Germany, and Tesla has built a factory in Berlin in recent years. Both companies considered the Netherlands as a possible location, but ultimately chose another country.
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