eco - Association of Internet Industry eV
eco - Verband der Internetwirtschaft e.V. is Germany's largest internet industry association, providing roughly 1,000 member companies with policy advocacy, competence groups, events, certifications, and legal advisory across cloud, data center, security, domains, and AI.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1995
- HeadquartersCologne, Germany
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
eco - Association of Internet Industry eV firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- eco - Association of Internet Industry eV
- Legal name
- eco - Verband der Internetwirtschaft e.V.
- Website
- https://eco.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1995
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- eco - Verband der Internetwirtschaft e.V. is Germany's largest internet industry association, providing roughly 1,000 member companies with policy advocacy, competence groups, events, certifications, and legal advisory across cloud, data center, security, domains, and AI.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
eco - Association of Internet Industry eV industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industry Association Services
- NAICS
- Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (81392), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Digital Policy, Data Governance & Cybersecurity Standards Cooperation (BPADANAH)
Keywords
Where eco - Association of Internet Industry eV is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cologne
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
eco - Association of Internet Industry eV business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Membership dues: eco generates revenue through annual membership fees from approximately 1,000 member companies. Membership provides access to networking, political representation, exclusive content, discounted services, and free room bookings.
- Event participation fees: eco organizes over 100 events annually including conferences, roadshows, webinars, and workshops. Revenue is generated through paid event registrations, sponsorship, and tickets for non-members.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Tiered membership based on company size |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
eco - Association of Internet Industry eV product offering
Product offeringCore offering
eco – Verband der Internetwirtschaft e.V. is a registered nonprofit industry association representing approximately 1,000 internet economy companies in Europe. It delivers membership-based services including the members+ portal, competence groups, flagship events (Data Center Expert Summit, Internet Security Days, eco Interaction Day), newsletters and a podcast, free legal advisory, and specialized certifications such as CSA (email) and DCSA (data centers). Its core purpose is political representation, industry networking, and policy advocacy for the German and European internet industry.
Product overview
eco – Association of Internet Industry eV is Germany's largest internet industry association offering a unified platform of membership-based services. The core offering centers on the members+ portal providing exclusive content, networking groups, event benefits, and downloadable resources. The association operates multiple flagship events including the Data Center Expert Summit, Internet Security Days, and eco Interaction Day. It publishes newsletters (eco weekly, eco politik digital, dotmagazine) and the eco Podcast. Members access specialized services including CSA email certification, DCSA data center audits, a complaints office for illegal content, and free legal advisory. Competence groups foster expertise exchange across Cloud, Datacenter, AI, Security, IoT, and other domains. The association also conducts surveys and publishes whitepapers on key internet industry topics.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- #LiT – Ladies in Tech: Initiative to increase visibility of female role models in the tech industry
- eco://awards
- members+ (members plus)
- dotmagazine
- Das Ohr am Netz
Products and services
- members+ (Members Plus Portal) Member-only portal providing access to a network of contacts and companies, exclusive information, themed groups, event benefits with discounts and free tickets, and downloadable content including studies, position papers, and webinars.
- Data Center Expert Summit Annual flagship event bringing together experts from data center operations, energy, planning, network infrastructure, politics, and administration to discuss digital infrastructure development.
- Internet Security Days Annual security conference featuring workshops, security sessions, and panel discussions on current and future security trends, co-organized with Heise Events.
- eco Interaction Day Annual event focused on networking and interaction among internet industry professionals.
- Competence Groups Topic-specific working groups covering Cloud Computing, Datacenter, Digital Business Models, Domains, Email, Gaia-X, Internet of Things, KRITIS, Artificial Intelligence, Mobility, Networks, Policy & Law, and Security, enabling member exchange and expertise development.
- CSA (Certified Senders Alliance) Email certification service that certifies senders and provides a Certification Monitor tool for monitoring compliance with email standards.
- DCSA (Data Centre Star Audit) Independent quality seal for data centers, assessing and certifying data center facilities.
- eco Legal Advisory Free legal consultation services for members on internet-related legal matters, offered by a team of specialized lawyers.
- eco Complaints Office Reporting office for handling complaints related to illegal content on the internet, providing support and guidance.
- eco Meeting Centers Rental of seminar and meeting rooms at eco offices in Cologne, Berlin, and Frankfurt, with free quarterly access for members.
- Whitepapers and Studies Downloadable research publications, white papers, and surveys on topics including AI implementation, IT security, women in tech, and internet economy.
- eco Newsletter Publications Multiple newsletters including eco weekly, eco politik digital, dotmagazine, and CSA Update, providing regular updates on internet industry news and topics.
- eco Podcast (Das Ohr am Netz) Podcast hosted by Sidonie Krug and Sven Oswald discussing central themes and developments in the internet industry, interviewing leading figures and sharing relevant industry insights.
- ICANN Support Services Support for domain industry members including guidance on new gTLDs (generic top-level domains) and participation in ICANN meetings.
Quantifiable outcome
- 60% of Germans support data center expansion in Germany (YouGov survey)
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use eco - Association of Internet Industry eV
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
eco - Association of Internet Industry eV technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
eco - Association of Internet Industry eV partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- EuroCloud Deutschland_eco e.V.coreeco and EuroCloud share a joint database for address data management and operate as associated organizations. eco members receive free EuroCloud Deutschland membership as a bundled benefit. They have established a joint controllership arrangement for GDPR compliance purposes.
- ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers)coreeco co-hosts ICANN meetings and organizes ICANN Readout events in Germany. eco Director Names & Numbers participates in ICANN conferences and supports the domain industry through initiatives like topDNS and the Trusted Notifier Network.
- Allianz zur Stärkung digitaler Infrastrukturenmajoreco operates the 'Allianz zur Stärkung digitaler Infrastrukturen' (Alliance for Strengthening Digital Infrastructures) which commissioned a YouGov survey on data center expansion and represents industry interests in digital infrastructure policy.
- DE-CIXmajorDE-CIX (the world's largest internet exchange point in Frankfurt) partners with eco for the DE-CIX Meeting Center Frankfurt facilities. eco hosts events and meetings at the DE-CIX location.
- Heise Eventsmajoreco co-organizes the Internet Security Days (ISD) with Heise Events. ISD is a major security conference held annually since 2010.
- Gaia-X Hub Deutschlandmajoreco supports the Gaia-X European cloud project and hosts the Gaia-X Hub Deutschland. The association actively promotes Gaia-X as a key initiative for digital sovereignty.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
eco - Association of Internet Industry eV competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- BSA | The Software Alliance: Global trade group of major software and cloud companies, focused on policy advocacy on data, AI, and cybersecurity. It is a broader incumbent that competes with eco for policy attention and corporate memberships among large software and cloud vendors.
Direct peers
- DigitalEurope: The main pan-European digital industry association based in Brussels, representing the digital industry to EU institutions. It competes with eco for multinational members and for influence on EU digital policy, particularly given eco's Brussels office.
- EuroISPA: European association of internet service providers, headquartered in Brussels. It overlaps directly with eco's internet infrastructure and policy remit (domains, networks, content), making it a close peer for member companies in the ISP and hosting ecosystem.
- Bitkom: Germany's leading digital industry association, representing thousands of companies across IT, telecoms, and internet. It is eco's most direct domestic competitor for corporate memberships, policy influence, and event participation in Germany.
- Internet Society (ISOC): Global non-profit focused on internet openness, evolution, and standards, with chapters across Europe. It is a peer to eco in shaping internet policy and standards, and competes for corporate supporters and chapters in the DACH region.
- CCIA Europe (Computer & Communications Industry Association): European branch of CCIA, representing major internet, cloud, and digital services companies in EU policy debates. It is a direct peer to eco on EU-level digital regulation advocacy and competes for similar member companies in cloud, content, and platforms.
- EuroCloud Europe: Pan-European cloud computing industry association, with national chapters including EuroCloud Deutschland. It is directly comparable to eco's cloud competence group and related services, and shares a formal partnership/affiliation with eco.
Regional players
- ZVEI: Germany's central association of the electrical and digital industry. It is a peer only at the industry-association level and for digital-industrial policy topics (e.g., data centers, industrial AI), but its scope is much broader than eco's internet focus.
- ANGA Der Breitbandverband: German broadband and media industry association, with strong overlap on network infrastructure, data centers, and content policy. It competes for member companies and policy attention in adjacent parts of eco's remit.
- UKISPA: UK Internet Services Providers' Association, representing the UK internet industry to government and regulators. Comparable in mission (industry association for ISPs and internet economy) but operating in a different geography from eco.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
eco - Association of Internet Industry eV social profiles
Digital presenceeco - Association of Internet Industry eV financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
eco - Association of Internet Industry eV leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
eco - Association of Internet Industry eV subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
eco - Association of Internet Industry eV funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
eco - Association of Internet Industry eV M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about eco - Association of Internet Industry eV
What does eco - Association of Internet Industry eV do?
eco – Verband der Internetwirtschaft e.V. is a registered nonprofit industry association representing approximately 1,000 internet economy companies in Europe. It delivers membership-based services including the members+ portal, competence groups, flagship events (Data Center Expert Summit, Internet Security Days, eco Interaction Day), newsletters and a podcast, free legal advisory, and specialized certifications such as CSA (email) and DCSA (data centers). Its core purpose is political representation, industry networking, and policy advocacy for the German and European internet industry.
Is eco - Association of Internet Industry eV a public or private company?
eco - Association of Internet Industry eV is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was eco - Association of Internet Industry eV founded?
eco - Association of Internet Industry eV was founded in 1995. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is eco - Association of Internet Industry eV based?
eco - Association of Internet Industry eV is headquartered in Cologne, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does eco - Association of Internet Industry eV make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Membership dues are the primary driver. The others are event participation fees.
Who are eco - Association of Internet Industry eV's main competitors?
BSA | The Software Alliance is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are DigitalEurope, EuroISPA, Bitkom, Internet Society (ISOC), CCIA Europe (Computer & Communications Industry Association) and EuroCloud Europe. Regional players are ZVEI, ANGA Der Breitbandverband and UKISPA.
Does eco - Association of Internet Industry eV have an API?
No public API is recorded for eco - Association of Internet Industry eV.
What industry is eco - Association of Internet Industry eV in?
eco - Association of Internet Industry eV's product category is Industry Association Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPADANAH, Digital Policy, Data Governance & Cybersecurity Standards Cooperation. Its NAICS code is 813910 and its SIC code is 8600.