Dutch startup Bird — one of the Netherlands's highest valued private tech companies — plans to move its main operations out of Europe, its CEO says, citing restrictive AI regulations.
Bird, which provides cloud communications software, is swapping its Amsterdam HQ for six offices around the world: in the US, Singapore, Dubai, Istanbul and Thailand. It will also retain an office in Lithuania, its only European location going forward.
"We are mostly leaving Europe as it lacks the environment we need to innovate in an AI-first era of technology," CEO Robert Vis told Reuters.
"We foresee that regulations in Europe will block true innovation in a global economy moving extremely fast to AI.”
The European Union’s AI Act, introduced last year, has drawn criticism from those, including the United States, who say the legal framework will stifle innovation.
Vis first announced the news on LinkedIn, where he added that there was “no sight of it getting better” in Europe.
Bird, which was formerly known as MessageBird, has raised over $1bn in funding since it was founded 14 years ago, including an $800m Series C round in 2021. Investors include Atomico, Accel, Tiger Global and BlackRock.
The startup helps companies manage their communication with consumers through messaging, email and video apps.
