OUR STORY
YOUNG is not a single business.
It is an ecosystem of ventures built around ownership, execution and long-term thinking.
We build companies that stand on their own, but move faster together.
YOUNG did not start as a company. It started as a way of building.
Long before YOUNG existed as a group, its founder, Wim de Jong, was already building. From selling cookies at school at 12 years old, to organizing alcohol-free events for young people, and sourcing leather jackets in Italy to sell in his hometown, everything was driven by one thing: action.
These early ventures were not isolated ideas, they were a continuous process of learning how to create value. They allowed him to generate his first capital and eventually invest in his first real estate asset.
Over more than a decade of hands-on experience, constantly building, testing and executing, this way of working evolved into something more structured. In his early twenties, Wim registered the name YOUNG, marking the beginning of a platform designed to build, own and grow ventures with a long-term perspective.
Our Journey
2012 - 2021
Real estate Engine – The first real scale came through real estate, where YOUNG built a strong track record in boutique development across the Netherlands.
A defining chapter was the transformation of the Seven Cities site in Rijswijk, part of a broader portfolio totalling 20,000 m² of developed space. The project gained national media recognition and became a reference for large-scale transformation.
This phase proved YOUNG’s ability to execute at scale and laid the foundation for everything that followed.
2021-2022
YOUNG Media – In 2021, through connections built in real estate, the opportunity arose to acquire Vastgoed Visie (VG Visie), marking the creation of YOUNG Media.
This was followed by the acquisition of The Post Online and the well-known youth magazine Pauze, forming the foundation of a growing portfolio of media brands.
YOUNG Media is currently in an active building phase, with the ambition to develop a strong portfolio of brands reaching millions of people and becoming a key strategic pillar within the YOUNG ecosystem.
2021
ReBirth Development | a YOUNG Company – In 2021, the original real estate development company was closed, marking a clear shift from a single business to a group of ventures.
The activities continued in a leaner form through Rebirth Development, led by former CEO Nanne Venstra, who became a partner and co-founder within the broader YOUNG ecosystem.
From this point forward, YOUNG focused on building multiple companies in parallel, while Rebirth Development continues to operate independently, including a major development project in Curaçao.
Baia Vista Project
2021
YOUNG Workspaces – Through its real estate activities, YOUNG acquired the Zeestraat building in The Hague, where a key insight emerged: owning assets creates value, but operating them unlocks significantly more.
This led to the creation of YOUNG Workspaces, transforming buildings into active businesses through coworking and flexible office concepts.
Now in an active expansion phase, YOUNG Workspaces is scaling across the Netherlands and Spain, with a clear path towards multi-million revenue in the coming years.
2024
Valencia Hub – In late 2024, YOUNG expanded to Spain, starting in Valencia, which quickly became a second core hub for the group.
This marked a significant step in scaling the organization, with the team growing rapidly and becoming more international, including a strong influx of entrepreneurial talent from Argentina.
At the same time, the leadership structure was strengthened with Valeria Zancaner as CEO and Juan Cruz Mesigos as COO, enabling the next phase of growth.
2024
YOUNG Hotels – In 2025, YOUNG launched YOUNG Hotels with the acquisition of La Casa del Pantano in Spain as its flagship, marking the entry into hospitality.
Alongside boutique, high-quality assets, the venture also builds on the Learning Hotel concept in the Netherlands, combining hospitality with a “school” model focused on training and developing talent.
With Felipe Robles joining as co-founder in early 2026, YOUNG Hotels is now in a strong growth phase, building a differentiated and scalable hospitality platform
2025-2026
YOUNG Foundation – YOUNG Foundation was established between 2025 and 2026 and is currently in its early phase, focused on creating real and tangible impact.
Its initiatives range from supporting young talent through entrepreneurship and sports to simple, direct actions such as offering free water across YOUNG hospitality concepts.
With board members including Sara Driessen and Nanne Venstra, the foundation is being built as a structured platform for long-term impact.
Go to YOUNG Foundation Website2025-2026
YOUNG Coffee was launched in Valencia in 2025, with its first flagship location opening after a full development and renovation process.
The concept focuses on quality, speed and operational efficiency, and remains in an early stage with clear ambitions to expand.
2025 - Present
YOUNG Hospitality – At the end of 2025, YOUNG Hospitality was launched in the Netherlands, beginning with Brasserie Runners in The Hague.
It is the hospitality platform of YOUNG, created to build and scale founder-led concepts across food, beverage and guest experience.
What starts with one location is designed to grow into a multi-location group, combining strong identities on the front end with disciplined operations behind the scenes.
From all-day brasseries to fast casual concepts, neighbourhood favourites and future lifestyle destinations, YOUNG Hospitality is built for long-term growth.
2025 - 2026
YOUNG Talents was created to power the growth of the ecosystem through people.
It identifies entrepreneurial talent, future leaders and high-potential operators who align with YOUNG’s DNA, then connects them with opportunities across existing and emerging ventures.
More than recruitment, it is the talent engine behind YOUNG’s next generation of builders.
See Open PositionsOngoing Expansion
YOUNG continues to explore new verticals behind the scenes, including YOUNG AI, YOUNG Data, YOUNG Mobility, YOUNG Airlines and more!
From ventures
to ecosystem
What started as individual ventures evolved into something bigger.
An ecosystem.
Today, YOUNG is a group of founder-led companies built to operate independently, but designed to move faster together through shared infrastructure, capital and experience.
Across the group, around 250 people contribute to ventures and operations connected to the YOUNG ecosystem, with approximately 50,000 m² of real estate under management across YOUNG concepts and investments.
Each venture has its own leadership, ownership and responsibility. At the same time, being part of YOUNG means access to a platform that accelerates growth, from strategy and capital to brand, talent and execution.
YOUNG does not build randomly. It builds within clear frameworks, focused on proven markets, repeatable models and founder-led execution.
We don’t centralize control. We build alignment.
We don’t aim to build one company. We build multiple, with discipline and long-term intent.
With a clear ambition: to create a global ecosystem of companies, built on ownership, speed and long-term thinking.
