Youseum, an immersive social media museum in the Netherlands, has raised €3 million in growth capital to fund its expansion across Europe, starting with new locations in Sweden and Germany.
Youseum is a location-based experience in Amsterdam and Leidschendam. Its rooms are designed for guests to create content for social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok.
“We aim to build playgrounds of boundless creativity that invite our visitors to play with social media,” said Joep Heusschen, COO and co-founder. “Meanwhile, we try to spark a discussion about the role of social media in our day-to-day lives.”
Youseum first opened to the public in November 2019 as a pop-up venue in Amsterdam. Despite the pandemic, the attraction welcomed more than 75,000 visitors in its first year.
New locations in Westfield malls
The success of the museum in Amsterdam prompted the launch of Youseum’s next venue in June 2021 at Westfield Mall of the Netherlands, which is home to the country’s first TikTok experience.
It also features hidden passageways, as well as 18 unique spaces and 25 installations where guests can take photos for social media. These include slides, swings, optical illusions and an obligatory ball pit.
Now, the company plans to expand into Europe and the MENA region. It has raised €3m in growth capital from existing and new private equity and angel investors.
The new Youseum locations are opening at Westfield Mall of Scandinavia in Stockholm, Sweden and Westfield Centro in Oberhausen, Germany.
“Social media is about more than just a selfie,” Heusschen said last year. “At Youseum, we highlight the good and the bad sides of social media.”
Images: Youseum
