ACE Press Release

Amsterdam, February 13, 2023 – The Amsterdam Center for Entrepreneurship (ACE) is pleased to announce that Oscar Kneppers has been appointed as director effective as of March 2023. Oscar Kneppers is a successful serial entrepreneur, tech investor and celebrated internet publisher. ACE is the academic startup incubator part of the knowledge institutions in Amsterdam.

Oscar Kneppers (1966) started his career in 1991 at the American tech publisher IDG where he led MacWorld in the Netherlands, founded the first Dutch internet magazine ‘Net Magazine’ (1994) and launched the online tech channel Webwereld (1995).

Cross media & innovation
In 1998 Oscar founded his first company: Emerce, a magazine, website and events about e-business, digital marketing and technology. Emerce is still considered the most prominent internet and e-commerce brand of the Netherlands. In 2005 Oscar launched Bright, a cross-media title for digital lifestyle, creative design and innovative technology.

Startups since 2010
Subsequently, Oscar started Rockstart in 2010, which helps startups by guiding them with early-stage funding and to mentors and investors. Rockstart operates in Amsterdam, Copenhagen and Bogota and includes a family of more than 300 technology companies from more than 60 countries.

Additionally, Oscar is a supervisor at the Dutch Design Foundation and a member of the professional field committee at Fontys University of Journalism. Oscar Kneppers is married, has 2 children and lives in Amsterdam. About his new role at ACE, Oscar 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 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.”

Director of VU Holding, Bart van Leijen, on behalf of the shareholders of ACE: “We are very happy to appoint Oscar as the new director of ACE Incubator BV. We got to know him as an experienced, inspiring and socially involved entrepreneur. He has a big heart for Amsterdam and is full of ideas about how we can further strengthen the valorisation landscape from the knowledge institutions. With Oscar at the helm, ACE Incubator BV will become a driving and connecting force in this matter. We wish Oscar the best of luck and look forward to working together.”

For further information, please contact: Maxime ten Brinke, marketing & communications manager at ACE.
Email: maxime@ace-incubator.nl
Website: www.ace-incubator.nl

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