About us

www.exchangehistory.nl is an initiative of the Capital Amsterdam Foundation.

In 1602, the Dutch East India Company (VOC) was the first company in the world to go public. The shares became listed in Amsterdam. The first IPO was not an isolated event. It was preceded by a major innovation: the invention of the modern company concept, the joint stock company. This is why the Netherlands is known all over the world as the birthplace of global share trading.

This website intends to introduce a wide audience to the rich, 400-year-long Dutch stock exchange history in an accessible, modern fashion. The idea behind the website is that a good knowledge of this history can lead to a better understanding of the importance of a well-functioning public capital market for the Netherlands – in the past, present and future.