EU is killing innovation, says CEO of Netherlands-based software firm Bird

Robert Vis, the outspoken CEO of Dutch tech darling Bird, isn’t mincing words. “The EU is killing innovation,” he declared this week, as the cloud communications giant announced plans to shift most operations out of Europe, fleeing what Vis calls a “quicksand of overregulation.” The move comes amid growing tensions between Silicon Valley-esque ambition and Brussels’ rulebooks, with Bird joining a chorus of tech firms grumbling about Europe’s regulatory labyrinth.

Bird, formerly MessageBird, isn’t just any startup. Crowned a unicorn in 2018, the Amsterdam-based company became a poster child for European tech success, offering businesses tools to manage customer communications across apps like WhatsApp, email, and its new AI-powered “employee” chatbots. But now, Bird is spreading its wings far beyond the EU, opening three U.S. offices and hubs in Singapore, Dubai, and Istanbul — plus a meditation and rejuvenation center in Thailand (because even robots need zen time).

“Both The Hague and Brussels enjoy being in meetings and talking more than they get sh*t done,” Vis quipped to The Next Web, lambasting EU policies like the AI Act, strict employment laws, and fragmented markets. “Starting a company here is hard. Running one? Even harder.”

Bird’s exit highlights a widening rift between Europe’s regulatory ambitions and tech’s breakneck pace. The EU’s landmark AI Act, enacted in 2024, categorizes AI systems by risk and mandates transparency — a framework lauded by privacy advocates but criticized as a creativity straitjacket by founders like Vis. Meanwhile, the U.S. is sprinting in the opposite direction: the Trump administration has scrapped AI risk rules and enlisted tech titans like Elon Musk to steer policy, betting on a “move fast and break things” ethos.

“There’s no stopping this technology,” Vis argued. “If you want to compete, you need to be liberal, not restrictive.”

Europe’s regulatory grip isn’t loosening, though. The Digital Markets Act (DMA) and Digital Services Act (DSA) have already forced Apple to pull over 130,000 apps from its EU App Store, sparking outcry. Meta and Google, too, have clashed with Brussels over data practices. And when the UK demanded backdoor access to encrypted iCloud data, Apple told Britain to take a hike — a standoff that underscores global tech’s regulatory tug-of-war.

Bird’s relocation isn’t all sunshine and yoga mats. The company recently axed 120 jobs (30% of its workforce), blaming both AI efficiency gains and the pivot to “customer-centric” hubs in the Americas and Asia. “While Bird was founded in Amsterdam and built strong European roots, our customer footprint has grown significantly in the Americas and Asia,” Vis told TechCrunch. “This realignment will position our teams closer to our customers, enabling us to better serve them in their local time zones and cultural contexts.”

While Bird isn’t fully abandoning Europe — it’s keeping a Lithuanian office and its Dutch tax base — the message is clear: the EU is no longer the main stage. Critics argue Vis’s stance overlooks the EU’s efforts to protect consumers and prevent AI dystopias. Regulation isn’t about stifling innovation; it’s about ensuring tech serves humanity, as evidenced by the AI Act’s bans on high-risk applications like biometric surveillance.

For now, Vis is focused on Bird’s next chapter. Between scaling AI chatbots and prepping that Thai wellness retreat, the CEO remains defiant. Sure, Europe might be a great place to live, but for building the future? Vis and Bird are looking elsewhere.

As the EU doubles down on red tape and the U.S. embraces tech’s wild west, the innovation arms race is heating up. And for Europe’s tech scene, the question lingers: can it balance ethics with ambition, or will more unicorns flee for greener (and less regulated) pastures?

Featured image: Bird