Amsterdam Data Academy wants to grow through Breaking Barriers. “You don’t have to come to Amsterdam to learn.” 

As the use of AI in our daily work grows, so does the demand for people with AI skills. Until recently, there were no accredited private education programs to meet this demand. Since July 2026, Amsterdam Data Academy has been the first private AI training provider in the Netherlands to offer certification at Level 6 of the Dutch Qualifications Framework (NLQF). Through Breaking Barriers, the Amsterdam-based training institute now aims to strengthen its technological foundation, increase its brand awareness, and expand into international markets. 

We spoke with founder Olivier van Hees about hands-on data and AI education and the program's growth goals. 

Teaching people 

Amsterdam Data Academy was founded in 2018 by Olivier van Hees. At the time, he was working as a consultant and realized there was a different way to bring knowledge to companies. “It seemed much more fun to teach people something myself, rather than walking into a company with a team of smart people and doing things for them.” Van Hees started with in-company training programs, and his concept grew into a full-fledged training institute with five full-time employees and twenty-five expert instructors.

The rapid development of AI has also broadened the target audience. “In the beginning, it was often data professionals who wanted to do even more with data. Now we have journalists, marketers, lawyers—really all sorts of people.” The academy has now trained over 2,500 professionals, including employees from Vodafone, NS, ING, Philips, and IKEA. According to Van Hees, all these diverse students come to master skills they can immediately apply in their work. “We want to keep it practical. With us, you take a course lasting a few months and learn—in a very focused way—the practical skills you need in your job.” 

AI Under the Hood 

In addition to training people, Amsterdam Data Academy also uses AI in its own operations. This takes place on three levels. The curriculum and personalized learning paths are largely generated by AI. AI agents guide participants through the self-study process as tutors. And in day-to-day operations, grading, support, and enrollment are largely automated. However, people always remain closely involved, Van Hees emphasizes. “There’s always a real instructor involved in the program—the ‘human’ stays in the loop. Students discuss their progress weekly via video calls with an instructor, either one-on-one or in small groups of two or three.” 

"We want to keep it practical. With us, you’ll complete a program that lasts a few months and learn, in a very focused way, the practical skills you need for your job."

Olivier van Hees, founder of Amsterdam Data Academy

Overcoming Obstacles 

The academy has gotten to where it is today without external funding. That’s great, but it also creates obstacles. “We’ve actually never had a budget to properly lay our foundation, especially when it comes to technology and product.” The Breaking Barriers program is meant to help with that, as well as with increasing brand awareness. “When we share our story, most people are enthusiastic. But too many people still don’t know about us. We basically start from scratch every month. We have to recruit all our students all over again.” 

Abroad 

International expansion is also a goal. That’s where the learning model comes in handy: students work in an online learning portal with videos and assignments, no matter where they’re from. “You don’t have to come to Amsterdam to learn. People from various countries are already signing up.” Brazil, Germany, and France are on the wish list, and discussions about the international strategy are already underway with partners. Van Hees believes that Breaking Barriers can make a difference here. “At first I thought: Is Breaking Barriers really right for us? We don’t have an immediate need for funding. But the program also helps you with growth goals that go far beyond just funding,” Van Hees concludes. 

Want to learn more? Visit Amsterdam Data Academy