Gaia-X

What Gaia-X does

Gaia-X European Association for Data and Cloud AISBL is a Brussels-headquartered, Belgian-law international non-profit association established in 2021 to build the de facto European standard for federated and trusted data infrastructure. Its core offering is the Gaia-X Trust Framework — currently at version 3.0 'Danube' — which provides specifications, rules, policies, and a verification framework built on three architectural planes (Trust, Management, Usage) that enable automated compliance checking via verifiable credentials, W3C DIDs, and OpenID Connect. Supporting deliverables include the three-level Gaia-X Label sovereignty certification, Gaia-X Digital Clearing Houses (GXDCH) for credential verification, the Gaia-X Registry and Compliance API for participant and service discovery, the Loire Participant Credential Wizard for self-service onboarding, and a Services Showroom catalogue of compliant solutions. The technology stack is open-source, aligns with Eclipse Data Space Components, IDSA, and eIDAS standards, and holds formal liaison status at CEN/CENELEC JTC 25 and ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 38.

The association serves companies, governments, and research institutions across Europe and beyond, addressing Europe's dependence on non-EU hyperscalers, the absence of interoperable trust frameworks for cross-border data sharing, and the fragmentation of sectoral data spaces. Its customer base exceeds 400 member organisations, supported by 20+ national hubs within the EU and 7 international hubs, with 200+ use cases initiated and a CISPE partnership scaling to up to 3,000 labelled cloud services. Notable lighthouse implementations include Community-X (Europe's first municipal data space), EMPOWER-X (energy), Data4Industry-X (manufacturing), and sector-specific data spaces in textiles, aerospace, and nuclear.

Gaia-X's business model is membership-fee funded (annual recurring subscriptions) without publicly disclosed pricing tiers, supplemented by member contributions and EU-funded project participation. Revenue is not disclosed. The organisation operates a community-led go-to-market driven by events (Summit, Tech-X, Hackathons), national hubs, content marketing (Gaia-X Magazine, blog, newsletter), and ecosystem partnerships with cloud providers, certification bodies, and standards organisations. Leadership comprises CEO Ulrich Ahle, Chairwoman Catherine Jestin (EVP Digital at Airbus), CTO Christoph Strnadl, COO Roland Fadrany, CSO Alberto Palomo (former Chief Data Officer of Spain), and CIO Pierre Gronlier, with a Board of Directors and Governmental Advisory Board providing multi-stakeholder governance. The association is currently transitioning from Season 1.0 (foundational technical development) to Season 2.0 (market adoption, SME accessibility, and economic sustainability of data spaces).

Name

Gaia-X

Legal name

Gaia-X European Association for Data and Cloud AISBL

Website

https://gaia-x.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Gaia-X is a European not-for-profit association developing the Gaia-X Trust Framework, a federated open-source data infrastructure standard with verifiable credentials, sovereign cloud labelling, and a network of 400+ members, 27 hubs, and 200+ use cases enabling trusted cross-border data sharing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Federated Data Infrastructure Standards

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

IT Governance, Risk & Compliance (IT GRC) Platforms (HDAEALAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Model Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) Platforms (HDAAAKAA), Audit, Explainability & Accountability Tooling (traceability, reporting) (HDAAAKAL)

Keywords

• Federated data infrastructure
• Data sovereignty frameworks
• Cloud interoperability standards
• Trust framework compliance
• Verifiable credentials infrastructure

Headquarters

HQ city

Brussels

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Gaia-X operates as a not-for-profit Association (AISBL) funded through membership fees. Membership offers access to the collaborative ecosystem, influence over technical developments, and participation in co-creating standards for secure and interoperable data infrastructure.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Gaia-X AISBL develops and maintains the Gaia-X Trust Framework, a federated specification and tooling stack that lets cloud providers, data-space operators, and end users verify sovereignty, interoperability, and data protection. The association operates software assets including a Compliance API, a Registry, Digital Clearing Houses, a Participant Credential Wizard, and a Meta-Registry that issue and revoke W3C Verifiable Credentials against the framework. A tiered Label scheme (compliant, qualified, sovereign) and an Academy/Education programme bundle certification, training, and ecosystem participation behind an annual membership model.

Product overview

Gaia-X is a federated data infrastructure framework provided by the European Association for Data and Cloud (AISBL). The core offering is the Gaia-X Trust Framework, which provides specifications, rules, policies, and a verification framework for enabling trusted and interoperable data ecosystems. Key products include: the Gaia-X Label (three-level sovereignty certification for cloud services), Gaia-X Digital Clearing Houses (GXDCH network for credential verification), Gaia-X Registry/Meta-Registry (participant directories), Gaia-X Compliance API (automated verification), and the Gaia-X Participant Credential Wizard (onboarding tool). The Gaia-X 3.0 'Danube' Release introduced extensibility mechanisms (BYOR) for cross-sector and geographic federation. Additional services include the Services Showroom (catalogue of compliant solutions), Academy (training), Endorsement Programme, and Lighthouse Ecosystems (exemplary implementations). The ecosystem is supported by national Hubs across Europe and beyond, and governance is managed through Board of Directors, Governmental Advisory Board, and General Advisory Board structures.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Gaia-X Trust Framework: A verification framework providing baseline rules for participation in the Gaia-X ecosystem, supporting machine-readable trust information through verifiable credentials and linked data. Version 3.0 'Danube' introduced extensibility mechanisms for domain and geographic expansion.
• Gaia-X Label
• Tech-X
• Market-X

Products and services

• Gaia-X AISBL Membership Annual membership in the Gaia-X AISBL that grants organisations, SMEs, NGOs, research institutions and individuals access to the collaborative ecosystem, working groups, the Trust Framework, and influence over technical developments for a federated European data infrastructure.
• Gaia-X Trust Framework Foundational open specification defining trust, sovereignty, interoperability, portability, and compliance requirements for services and data spaces in the Gaia-X ecosystem, available as open source.
• Gaia-X Label Tiered certification scheme for services and data spaces, available in three levels (Label Level 1: "compliant", Label Level 2: "qualified", Label Level 3: "sovereign"), with a publicly accessible catalogue for end users to identify certified solutions.
• Gaia-X Digital Clearing House (GXDCH) Issuing and revocation infrastructure for Gaia-X W3C Verifiable Credentials (Self-Signed, Participant, Service Offering) and a Discovery Service for the Federation Services, supporting cross-ecosystem trust and credential lifecycles.
• Gaia-X Registry Self-service registry where participants can create and manage Gaia-X participant credentials as a public-facing database of trust anchors within the ecosystem.
• Gaia-X Compliance API RESTful service exposing the Gaia-X compliance flow in four steps (Credential Issuance Flow, Credential Presentation Flow, Service Offering Update Flow, Signposting Flow) for integration of Gaia-X Trust Framework compliance into third-party services and tooling.
• Gaia-X Participant Credential Wizard Self-service tool that lets Gaia-X participants create signed Gaia-X Verifiable Credentials containing details such as legal name, legal address, country code, and LEI, using the chain of trust established through GXDCH and the Registry.
• Gaia-X Services Showroom Curated catalogue of ready-to-use solutions showcasing deployable services that are aligned with the Gaia-X Trust Framework and associated data spaces.
• Gaia-X Meta-Registry Cross-ecosystem Gaia-X Registry enabling discovery and federation across Gaia-X sovereign domains and external sources such as IDS Adapter, International Data Spaces (IDS), and Eclipse Dataspace Connector (EDC).
• Gaia-X Academy Training and education arm of Gaia-X that supports learning Gaia-X concepts, supporting ecosystem enablement through courses, certifications, and community-aligned learning programmes.
• Gaia-X Endorsement Programme Programme through which members can formally endorse Gaia-X activities, providing visible support for the association's mission and standards work outside of standard membership.
• Gaia-X Danube Release (3.0) Third major release of the Gaia-X Trust Framework (3.0) introducing extensibility mechanisms that enable domain-specific and geographic expansion, including support for cross-domain, multi-country data spaces, additional compliance criteria, and federation semantics.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 600 cloud and edge services available in CISPE catalogue, with 14 services complying with Gaia-X Label Level 3
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability3 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

24 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• FIDEREminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 June 2026FIDERE joined Gaia-X as a new member. Company focused on enabling trusted interactions between physical assets and digital ecosystems through Verifiable Product Identity (VPI), connecting physical assets to trusted digital ecosystems such as Data Spaces.
• Kiwa SpainminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 May 2026Kiwa Spain joined Gaia-X as new member. As the Spanish delegation of globally active TIC institution Kiwa, it brings expertise in Testing, Inspection, and Certification, supporting data sovereignty, interoperability and regulatory compliance across sectors.
• EMPOWER-XcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 May 2026EMPOWER-X became a Gaia-X Lighthouse Ecosystem. Coordinated by ZERTIFIER, it is an energy data space supporting trusted data sharing across energy, mobility and smart community contexts with focus on practical deployment in real environments.
• MicelioDataminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 March 2026MicelioData joined Gaia-X as new member. A global digital infrastructure company for the textile industry, building the first data space for traceable and sustainable textile supply chains.
• Cloud Data Engine (CDE)coreTechnology or Integration · 12 June 2025Cloud Data Engine joined Gaia-X and unveiled at VivaTech 2025 the first compliance suite for monitoring Gaia-X labeled cloud services, ensuring ongoing adherence to Gaia-X Trust Framework criteria.
• Gaia-X Hub Greece (operated by LMS - Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems & Automation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGaia-X Hub Greece operates under Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems & Automation at University of Patras. Hosted Tech-X & Hackathon #9 in Athens in May 2026. LMS Professor Kosmas Alexopoulos highlighted the combination of GenAI and Gaia-X Data Spaces for industrial intelligence.
• Gaia-X Hub Portugal (led by TICE.PT and Porto Digital)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGaia-X Hub Portugal, led by TICE.PT and Porto Digital, co-hosted the Gaia-X Summit 2025 in Porto, Portugal.
• Gaia-X Hub Germany (acatech)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGaia-X Hub Germany has been the central point of contact for data exchange in open data ecosystems since 2020. Operated by acatech - National Academy of Science and Engineering.
• AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOperates Gaia-X Hub Austria. Co-hosting Gaia-X Summit 2026 in Vienna, Austria (19-20 November 2026).
• Gaia-X Hub FrancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGaia-X Hub France held its 8th Plenary Session in April 2026 at the French Ministry of the Economy and Finance in Paris, bringing together around 200 participants. Focus on data spaces and AI ecosystems.
• ZERTIFIERcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordinates EMPOWER-X, the energy data space that became a Gaia-X Lighthouse Ecosystem. Represents sector-specific implementation of the Gaia-X Trust Framework.
• Cloud TemplecoreTechnology or IntegrationCloud Temple, along with deltaDAO, neusta aerospace, and IRT SystemX featured in the Partners Theatre at Gaia-X Summit 2025. Cloud Temple CEO highlighted Gaia-X Label level 3 as enabling secure, high-performance cloud services free from dependence on non-European legal frameworks.
• deltaDAOcoreTechnology or IntegrationFeatured in Partners Theatre at Gaia-X Summit 2025. Contributes to the Gaia-X ecosystem with data exchange and integration solutions.
• IRT SystemXcoreTechnology or IntegrationFeatured in Partners Theatre at Gaia-X Summit 2025. French research institute contributing to collaborative discussions within the Gaia-X ecosystem.
• T-SystemscoreTechnology or IntegrationT-Systems highlighted as an industry adopter of Gaia-X. A joint blog post explored the importance of Gaia-X and the relevance of industry adopters for driving data sovereignty in digital Europe.
• CISPE (Cloud Infrastructure Services Data & AI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCISPE cooperation with Gaia-X launched the first catalogue of labelled cloud services. CISPE committed to deliver up to 3,000 European Cloud infrastructure services compliant with Gaia-X Trust Framework and Label specifications. 14 services already comply with Level 3 requirements.
• Data4Industry-X (France)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench Industry Data Space solution relying on technology and industry expertise of Dawex, Schneider Electric, Valeo, CEA and Prosyst. Interoperates with Community-X municipal data space, promoting resilience of cities and companies.
• Community-X (Etteln, Germany)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEurope's first municipal data space in Etteln, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Won first place in IEEE Smart City Contest 2024. Manages mobility, environmental and energy data for intelligent energy management and climate neutrality.
• Eclipse Foundation (Eclipse Data Space Components)coreTechnology or IntegrationEclipse Data Space Components (EDC) with OID4VC integrated with Gaia-X Danube for trusted data transactions. Part of the broader open-source ecosystem alignment.
• NTT DATAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner collaborating with Gaia-X at CEATEC 2025 in Japan. Engaging with international stakeholders on the future of digital trust and interoperability.
• Data Society Alliance (Japan)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner collaborating with Gaia-X on initiatives like the Gaia-X Digital Clearing House in Japan, advancing digital trust and interoperability.
• University of TokyominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating partner advancing initiatives such as the Gaia-X Digital Clearing House in Japan.
• OrangecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCatherine Simonnin from Orange was co-opted as Director on the Gaia-X Board of Directors, succeeding Emanuel Cacheux. Orange is represented at the board level of the association.
• MYRTUS ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject focused on orchestrating the cloud-fog-edge continuum securely and sustainably. Showcased the MYRTUS-Gaia-X Danube compliance framework, verifying whether partners are eligible to join clusters using Gaia-X Verifiable Presentations and Credentials.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Strengths5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/gaiax_aisbl
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCB5WMc2FfrxKzfd7XIODoMw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gaia-x-aisbl

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Gaia-X