Top tech and startup communities
A sense of connectedness, professional advice and colleagues you can turn to are always crucial, but even more so if you have a startup or are an entrepreneur-in-the-making. Fortunately, in Amsterdam and its great worldwide network, startup and tech communities abound. Most are open to everyone and offer tech topic-relevant programmes and support cost-free.
Read on to learn about the top tech communities, online communities for entrepreneurs and related inclusivity-focused communities in Amsterdam and beyond.
Communities for tech professionals in Amsterdam
Around since 2010, this community calls itself ‘the largest and longest-running JavaScript meetup in town’. Covering everything JavaScript-related, AmsterdamJS organises three meetups a year plus a conference.
An English-speaking group for PHP Developers in and around Amsterdam. Their goal is to grow the local community, search for new developers and spread knowledge and resources.
Volunteer-run and not-for-profit, Appsterdam provides infrastructure to support all app makers. Its events attract developers, designers, marketers and other finance-focused professionals across platforms in Amsterdam and beyond.
This meetup unites developers and IT operations specialists in a common goal. DevOps Amsterdam aims to destroy silos and obstacles in the way of successfully deploying software and infrastructure.
Inspiring frontend experts share their knowledge and speak about experiences during this active community’s meetups. Stay up to date on all their community events via their newsletter.
Hackers & Founders Amsterdam calls itself the ‘biggest community of technology entrepreneurs and developers in the Netherlands’. It hosts monthly meetings and has a co-working space, The Hacker Building.
The technically and the non-technically inclined are equally welcome in this volunteer-based new technology community. SensemakersAMS is dedicated to connecting people and sharing knowledge about AI, IoT and more.
This community calls itself ‘the fastest-growing group of VueJS on the planet’. VueJS Amsterdam already has hundreds of members who are passionate about this JavaScript framework.
Communities focused on DEI
Equals are committed to supporting women in the growth and development of their careers. As a member of equals, you’ll be part of their mission and ecosystem of ambitious women that are eager to connect, grow and to empower each other. You’ll have access to their Clubhouse, a canal house in the heart of Amsterdam that serves as the heart of their community.
This not-for-profit provides a variety of programmes, platforms and events for female entrepreneurs, including a safe online community for connecting like-minded women and a six-month-long ‘Career Vitality Mentor Program’.
Get access to the FEM-START Platform where you'll get a unique combination of online educational courses, a network of mentors and advisors, and a community of ambitious female entrepreneurs.
Open to all backgrounds and genders, this community supports women working in user experience and across tech. Ladies that UX Amsterdam hosts speakers and get-togethers in a relaxed setting.
Calling itself ‘home of the global bicultural community’, Omek is a platform connecting and advancing African diaspora professionals. The free membership offers access to events, programmes and career opportunities.
Local chapter PyLadies Amsterdam provides a safe space for people from marginalised genders interested in Python. The community offers events, workshops, talks and mentorship devoted to the coding language.
A network & community for experience design in the Randstad region with monthly events. Each month is different in size and location with some events being small such as hangouts and others much bigger such as interactive discussion panels. The network also collaborates and shares valuable information with members, as well as making connections and uniting people.
SheSharp is an Amsterdam-based non-profit foundation that encourages diversity and inclusion in tech and entrepreneurship. The community seeks to help people from underrepresented groups explore their interests and potential.
A partnership between two Dutch QTBIPOC tech startups (freeQ and iSeekMe), The Future is Queer aims to match mentors with queer tech talent in Amsterdam.
Online and offline communities for entrepreneurs
The DSA interactive community organises events, debates and webinars on a range of topics, including grant applications, approaching investors and creating pitch decks. Members come from startups across all industries. Sign up to join their Whatsapp group, Dutch Startup Founders.
DutchTechSF builds community and gives Dutch startups a head start in Silicon Valley.
This digital platform is a curated community of companies, contacts, tools and other resources for entrepreneurs. Entnest is by invitation only, and some features carry a fee.
An initiative by an Amsterdam-based startup, Founders Mesh are cozy founder-focused pitching events that aim to replicate and improve on the San Francisco & Silicon Valley model of networking and fundraising events for startups.
Through its online community, events and mastermind sessions, Growth Hacker Talk invites growth-minded founders and marketers to connect. It is open to all levels of growth hackers.
This Dutch organisation promotes innovation through hands-on learning and brings together a community of professionals to support entrepreneurs. IdeaHackers hosts training sessions for accelerators, governments, start-ups and multinationals.
Sigma Squared unites a global community of over 1,000 entrepreneurs seeking to make a positive impact. The non-profit’s mission is to empower the most exceptional founders under age 26.
Startup Boot is the connector of founders, startup CEOs and entrepreneurs. They organize proactive events that inspire like-minded business people to learn from one other and grow their businesses.
The largest independent startup community, Startup Grind connects over 3,000,000 startups and entrepreneurs in over 600 chapters. Since 2016, Amsterdam has had its own chapter, community and monthly events.
Tech Makers seeks to unite and empower the tech community in Amsterdam and beyond. Its mission is to contribute to developing technology that can meaningfully impact the world.
Weekly Running + Networking events in Amsterdam and six other locations around the globe for founders, tech pros, investors, creatives of all kinds and anyone interested in startups.
Over 30,000 young startup founders, freelancers and other professionals come together in the Young Creators community. The network connects likeminded peers and shares information about jobs, events and more.
Young Professionals Amsterdam (YPA) is the community of ORAM – Ondernemend Amsterdam – for people up to the age of 39. YPO is for everyone who wants to build a network with like-minded people, develop themselves and/or who has the ambition to become an independent entrepreneur. Whatever the reason, at YPO you can network in a relaxed and informal way.
Sector-specific communities
Amsterdam Smart City connects companies, academic and research institutions, governments and people working on metropolitan challenges. The platform is dedicated to creating a liveable urban future through collaboration and innovation.
Aims to be a leading community of Climate Tech innovators, experts and enthusiasts gathering during meetups, roundtables and events to exchange best practices, discuss challenges and opportunities and showcase success stories within Climate Tech. Stay tuned for the mailing list!
CryptoCanal hosts meetups for cryoto enthusiasts of all levels. It started as a hub in Amsterdam, now spreading it's roots all around.
The Smart Health Amsterdam platform aims to spur innovation in data and AI for the life sciences and health sector. Its community helps businesses grow, gain exposure and network.
Founded by Impact Hub Amsterdam and Starters4Communities, Young Impactmakers supports social entrepreneurs still in the making. Community members can follow programmes and courses and apply to join the related incubator.
One of five similar hubs in the Netherlands, Quantum.Amsterdam connects researchers and companies specialising in quantum software, tech and other new applications – with workshops, training and meetups. It is one of the five official hubs of Quantum Delta NL.
This network of academic and industrial partners maintains an ecosystem of data science and AI experts, offering many free meetups each year based on a variety of topics.
Find mentors through these communities
This network and platform for startups offers a mentor matching tool, linking entrepreneurs with startup mentors: expert founders and coaches from an extremely wide variety of industries.
Still studying or recently graduated (within two years)? Hello Mentor specifically links students and graduates from tech-related fields together with experts in tech, providing four-month-long programmes to help kick-start careers.
Learn more about startup and tech communities on the StartupAmsterdam homepage. Explore other hubs like startup accelerators and incubators and coworking spaces.
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