By Channy Yun (윤석찬) on 18 AUG 2026 in News
In the early days of cloud computing, AWS backed intensive, hands-on learning for builders through physical hubs known as AWS Pop-up Lofts in cities around the world. These spaces welcomed startup founders, developers, and anyone curious about AWS for events, meetings, and co-working. More recently, with the rise of generative AI, AWS Gen AI Lofts offered pop-up collaborative environments globally and immersive experiences for startups and developers.
We recognized that permanent community spaces give students and developers somewhere to learn, connect, and contribute through hands-on experience, community-led knowledge sharing, and technical collaboration. Since opening in San Francisco in July 2025, the first AWS Builder Loft has drawn more than 22,500 developers through its doors, hosting hackathons, workshops, demo nights, and community-led events that bring the local tech scene together under one roof.
Today, we’re announcing plans to open new Builder Lofts in Berlin, Hyderabad, and São Paulo. Each will be a permanent community space offering free workshops, networking events, pitch nights, content creation areas, collaboration and co-working spaces, and event hosting for developers, students, and tech professionals who walk through the doors.
You’ll still be able to meet AWS experts there, but we also want to go further and establish a true home for local tech communities—from AWS User Groups and AWS Student Builder Groups to the independent developer groups you already belong to. If you’re a tech community leader, you’re welcome to request booking of our space to host your meetup at no cost.
Why three cities
This expansion focuses on fast-growing developer cities that serve as important talent and innovation hubs for their respective regions:
Berlin: Following the launch of AWS European Sovereign Cloud, we’re deepening our commitment to Europe’s developer community. Berlin’s Builder Loft will host educational sessions on digital sovereignty, hackathons, security-readiness workshops, and community meetups that connect Germany’s growing startup ecosystem with the broader European and global tech landscape.
Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Builder Loft will give Indian developers a dedicated space to upskill on AI, explore cloud-native architecture, and connect with peers building the next generation of applications.
São Paulo: Brazil’s cloud market is growing at 30% annually, and São Paulo sits at the heart of Latin America’s tech boom. The Builder Loft will serve as a hub for the region’s developers, offering free programming in partnership with local communities, universities, and startup networks.
A typical week at the Builder Loft
The Builder Loft in San Francisco hosts four to eight community events every week, from technical deep dives on generative AI to startup pitch nights, and from coding workshops for students to networking sessions that bring developers together from across the region.
The spaces are designed to be flexible. A training room might fill with more than 50 students on a Tuesday morning. By evening, the same room transforms into a demo stage where a startup showcases its latest prototype to a room full of potential collaborators. On weekends, community groups host their own meetups.
What makes this model work is that it’s driven by the community itself. Local developers, meetup organizers, and tech leaders shape the programming. AWS provides the space, infrastructure, and support, but the energy comes from the builders who take part. You can find upcoming events or request to host your own event at the Builder Loft San Francisco.
Stay tuned
We’ll announce the Builder Loft openings in these three cities in future blog posts, so stay tuned for updates. To learn more about Builder Lofts and follow along for the latest news, read Rick’s blog post and visit the AWS Builder Loft page.
— Channy
