Building the AI community

by Hubert Deitmers, Managing Partner of Endeit Capital

I’m pleased to share with you personally the latest initiative we are involved in. Endeit Capital recently became founding partner of AI.nl, a new Dutch platform for the Intelligent Empowerment community founded by Remy Gieling. As former editor-in-chief of MT Sprout and author of the book “Ontdek de groeikansen van AI”, Remy is creating the leading Dutch platform for Artificial Intelligence. The new website discusses the latest developments in Artificial Intelligence, machine learning, deep learning, and quantum computing. It features a useful overview of AI-companies in The Netherlands, with a German version coming out soon.

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As a member of the advisory board, I am looking forward to helping build the AI community of the Netherlands. Endeit’s involvement in AI.nl builds on our strategy to stimulate Europe’s digital transformation, in face of American and Chinese dominance. Earlier this year, Endeit Capital launched its third and largest investment fund to date, with over 250 million euros in resources, to help creating the next generation of European scale-ups.

Endeit Capital invests in Intelligent Empowerment companies like Hubs (recently acquired by protolabs), the decentralized manufacturing platform that utilizes overcapacity in the 3D printing market. Or fintech company Floryn, which uses machine learning to make faster and better risk assessments, replacing complicated processes that used to be driven by human judgement.

It’s a brave new world. AI is going to change every aspect of our lives. As computers develop a better understanding of human emotions, desires, and choices through pattern recognition, they will steadily take over the more mundane tasks of our daily life. We are nearing a tipping point. Over the next few years, the winners -and losers- of AI and all the other Intelligent Empowerment technologies will be determined. The first movers will reap the benefits. If we manage to embrace AI it can create endless opportunities, and empower people, instead of making them redundant.

At Endeit Capital we want to be at the forefront of the Perfect Storm that will happen due to these developments. All of this is not possible without experienced entrepreneurs who can drive that change. At Endeit we therefore dedicate a lot of time to building and supporting local ecosystems and connecting professionals. The LOEY Foundation (Leading Online Entrepreneur of the Year) has grown since 2009 into the prime community for internet entrepreneurs in The Netherlands, bringing together over 1,600 entrepreneurs to date. As Chairman of the Jong Ondernemen Foundation between 2012 and 2020 I committed myself to encourage school children to develop entrepreneurial skills and preparing themselves for a future where many current jobs won’t exist anymore. AI.nl is the latest initiative to facilitate the change that’s needed.