Open Charge Alliance
Open Charge Alliance is a Dutch non-profit foundation that develops and maintains OCPP, the de facto global open communication standard for EV charging infrastructure. It serves 400+ member organizations worldwide including charging station manufacturers, CSMS providers, utilities, and regulators through membership fees, OCTT subscriptions, and certification.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersArnhem, Netherlands
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Open Charge Alliance does
Open Charge Alliance (OCA) is a Dutch non-profit foundation established in 2014 under Stichting law, headquartered at ElaadNL's testlab in Arnhem, Netherlands. The organization develops, maintains, and certifies the Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP), the de facto global open communication standard between EV charging stations and Charging Station Management Systems (CSMS). OCA also stewards the Open Smart Charging Protocol (OSCP) for grid capacity communication. Supported protocol versions include OCPP 1.6 (2015), OCPP 2.0.1 (2020), and OCPP 2.1 (January 2025), with the latter two achieving IEC International Standard status (IEC 63584 in October 2024 and IEC 63584-210 in September 2025, respectively).
OCA's core offerings are organized as a protocol-and-tooling stack: the OCPP specification (freely downloadable), the OCTT cloud-based Compliance Test Tool (handling 50,000+ test runs per month across OCPP 1.6 and 2.0.1 implementations), a formal certification program administered through independent approved laboratories (DEKRA, KTC, Vector Informatik), and recurring global Plugfest events in Europe, Asia, and (planned) Australia. Supporting assets include technical whitepapers, webinars, working groups (Technology Working Group, Compliance Working Group, and task groups on Commissioning, Cyber Security, and Networking/Local Controller), and member profiles on the OCA website.
OCA's revenue model is membership-funded and structurally non-profit. The organization derives recurring revenue from tiered annual membership fees (by company size/category), monthly subscriptions to the OCTT cloud platform, and certification fees routed through approved independent test laboratories. Membership benefits include working group participation, OCTT and certification discounts, and visibility through company profiles. OCA reinvests all collected fees back into OCPP development and ecosystem growth. The organization is governed by a five-member Board (Shell Recharge, ESB, ChargePoint, Pionix GmbH, ElaadNL) and serves 400+ member organizations spanning charging equipment manufacturers, CSMS software providers, network operators, utilities/grid operators, vehicle manufacturers, testing laboratories, and government/regulatory bodies globally.
Open Charge Alliance firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Open Charge Alliance
- Legal name
- Stichting Open Charge Alliance
- Website
- https://openchargealliance.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Open Charge Alliance is a Dutch non-profit foundation that develops and maintains OCPP, the de facto global open communication standard for EV charging infrastructure. It serves 400+ member organizations worldwide including charging station manufacturers, CSMS providers, utilities, and regulators through membership fees, OCTT subscriptions, and certification.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Open Charge Alliance industry classification
Industry- Product category
- EV Charging Communication Standards
- NAICS
- Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182), Electric Power Transmission, Control, and Distribution (22112)
- SIC
- Electric Services (4911)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Interoperability, Protocols & Standards (OCPP, ISO 15118, OCPI, OpenADR) (EUAFAMAH)
Keywords
Where Open Charge Alliance is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Arnhem
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Open Charge Alliance business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Membership Fees: OCA collects annual fees from members. As a non-profit foundation, fees are reinvested to advance OCPP and other open standards. Membership categories and annual fees are published on the join-us page. Benefits include discounts on certification and test tool purchases.
- OCTT Subscriptions: The OCPP Compliance Test Tool (OCTT) is available as a cloud-based subscription service with a web-based interface for testing OCPP implementations. Revenue supports tool development and maintenance.
- Certification Fees: Companies pay for OCPP certification through independent test laboratories. Certification is available for OCPP 1.6 and OCPP 2.0.1. Increasingly mandated by governments (Korea, US) for government funding eligibility. Members receive discounts on certification fees.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Annual membership fees based on company category |
| Subscription | Monthly | OCTT cloud-based subscription |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Open Charge Alliance product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Open Charge Alliance develops, maintains, and certifies the Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP), the global de facto standard for communication between EV charging stations and charging station management systems. It delivers supporting software (OCTT cloud compliance test tool), a formal OCPP Certification Program operated through independent test labs, and interoperability Plugfest events across multiple regions.
Product overview
The Open Charge Alliance is a non-profit organization that develops, maintains, and promotes open communication protocol standards for EV charging infrastructure. The core offering is OCPP (Open Charge Point Protocol), with the current versions being OCPP 2.1 (released January 2025) and OCPP 2.0.1 (approved as IEC 63584 in 2024). Supporting the protocol ecosystem are the OCTT (OCPP Compliance Test Tool) for conformance testing, the OCPP Certification Program for product certification through independent labs, OCPP Plugfest events for interoperability testing, webinars for education, and technical whitepapers. The organization also manages OSCP (Open Smart Charging Protocol) for grid capacity communication, though it is not actively developed. OCA operates through member participation in working groups that shape the future of the protocols.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- OCPP (Open Charge Point Protocol): The primary open communication protocol standard for EV charging infrastructure managed by OCA
- OSCP (Open Smart Charging Protocol)
- OCTT (OCPP Compliance Test Tool)
Products and services
- OCPP (Open Charge Point Protocol) The primary open communication protocol enabling communication between electric vehicle (EV) Charging Stations and Charging Station Management Systems (CSMS). OCPP ensures interoperability across different hardware and software platforms, supporting smart charging, load balancing, secure data exchange, ISO 15118 Plug & Charge, and remote management. Current versions include OCPP 2.0.1 (IEC 63584) and OCPP 2.1 (IEC 63584-210).
- OSCP (Open Smart Charging Protocol) An open protocol for communicating physical net capacity from a Distribution System Operator (DSO) or site owner to the back-office of the charge spot operator. OSCP communicates a 24-hour prediction of local available capacity to enable optimal use of grid capacity without overburdening it.
- OCTT (OCPP Compliance Test Tool) Cloud-based compliance test tool for OCPP implementers to test their devices on protocol conformity. OCTT supports testing of OCPP 2.0.1 and OCPP 1.6 implementations for Charging Station Management Systems, Charging Stations, or Charging Station Software Stacks. Available as a subscription service with over 50,000 test runs per month.
- OCPP Certification Program Formal certification program managed by OCA in collaboration with independent test laboratories to verify that a product correctly implements the OCPP specification. Products submitted by manufacturers are tested using the official OCTT, and upon passing, receive an official certificate and are listed on the OCA website as certified. Certification is required for government funding eligibility in Korea and the United States.
- OCPP Plugfest Events Hands-on interoperability testing events organized worldwide where vendors can validate interoperability between Charging Stations and Charging Station Management Systems. Events feature structured round-robin testing schedules, conference sessions on OCPP developments, policy and industry topics, cybersecurity pentests, and networking opportunities.
- OCA Membership Program Tiered annual membership program providing benefits including working group access, certification discounts, OCTT discounts, company profile visibility on the OCA website, and direct access to technical experts. Reinvested into OCPP and other open standards development.
Quantifiable outcome
- OCPP certification required for government funding in Korea (2022) and USA (2023)
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Open Charge Alliance
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Open Charge Alliance technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Open Charge Alliance partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- ElaadNLcoreElaadNL is the non-profit organization founded by Dutch Distribution System Operators that started OCPP in 2009. OCA was founded in 2014 when ElaadNL transferred OCPP to the alliance. ElaadNL hosts Plugfests at their testlab in Arnhem (OCA headquarters location). ElaadNL also performs cybersecurity pentests at Plugfests.
- DEKRAcoreDEKRA is an approved testing laboratory for OCPP certification. They conduct conformance testing using the OCTT tool for companies seeking OCPP certification. DEKRA hosts Plugfest events as a partner location.
- KTL (Korea Testing Laboratory)coreKTL (Korea Testing Laboratory) co-hosts the OCPP Plugfest & Conference Asia 2026 in Seoul, Korea. Provides conference facilities and supports testing activities alongside OCA.
- Vector InformatikcoreVector Informatik is an approved testing laboratory and hosts Plugfest events. Jacob Betz from Vector Informatik serves on the OCA Board (joined December 2025). Contributed to OCPP 2.1 development and webinar presentations.
- Pionix GmbHcorePionix GmbH is represented on the OCA Board. Hosts Plugfest events as a partner location. Active contributor to OCPP development and working groups.
- KERI (Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute)coreKERI is a government-funded research institute specializing in electrotechnology research, testing and certification. Speaker at OCPP Plugfest & Conference Asia 2026 covering interoperability and ISO 15118-20.
- KSGA (Korea Smart Grid Association)coreKSGA is an organization supporting smart grid technologies in South Korea. Contributes to OCPP testing and certification. Speaker at OCPP Plugfest & Conference Asia 2026 covering DER Resources and OCPP Utilization.
- ESB (Electricity Supply Board)coreESB is an Irish utility and co-founder of OCA (alongside ElaadNL predecessor). Hosts Plugfest & Conference Europe 2026 at ESB Headquarters in Dublin. Peter Veale from ESB ecars serves on OCA Board. Brendan McMahon serves as Special Advisor to OCA.
- ChargePointcoreChargePoint is represented on the OCA Board through Kor Meelker as Director Global Standards. Active participant in standardization committees including OCA, ISO, IEC, and SAE. Contributes to OCPP development and certification programs.
- Shell RechargecoreShell Recharge is represented on the OCA Board through Karl Weinreich as Technology Expert E-Mobility. Active contributor to e-mobility technology and charging standards development.
- KTC (Korea Testing Certification)coreKTC hosts Plugfest events as a partner location. Collaborates with OCA on testing and certification activities in the Asian market.
- Canberra Institute of TechnologyminorHost of the first OCPP Plugfest & Conference Australia (planned). Organized in collaboration with Vehicle-Grid Network, Climate KIC Australia, UTS Institute for Sustainable Futures, RACE for 2030 CRC, and ARENA.
- IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission)coreIEC publishes OCPP as international standards. OCPP 2.0.1 approved as IEC 63584 (2024) and OCPP 2.1 as IEC 63584-210 (2025). IEC experts can apply for OCA liaison membership. Collaboration enables formal standardization of OCPP.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Open Charge Alliance competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission): The IEC publishes international electrotechnical standards and recently adopted OCPP as IEC 63584 and IEC 63584-210. It is a broad incumbent peer: a standards body that both partners with and competes for influence over EV charging protocol standardization at the global regulatory level.
- SAE International: SAE is a long-established standards body that, through SAE J3400, adopted the Tesla-derived NACS connector standard in the US. It is broadly comparable to OCA as a global standards organization competing for influence over the EV charging stack, though SAE operates across many industries while OCA is EV-specific.
Direct peers
- CharIN e.V. CharIN is a global industry association that develops and promotes the Combined Charging System (CCS) and ISO 15118 standards for EV charging. It is the most direct peer to OCA in mission and model: another standards-focused non-profit shaping the EV charging protocol stack, with CharIN focused on vehicle-to-charger (ISO 15118) where OCA focuses on back-office communication (OCPP).
- CHAdeMO Association: CHAdeMO Association develops and maintains the CHAdeMO DC fast-charging protocol, particularly prominent in Japan. It is comparable to OCA as an EV charging protocol steward operating a member-funded consortium model and influencing the global charging standards landscape alongside OCPP and ISO 15118.
- Hubject GmbH: Hubject operates the OCPI (Open Charge Point Interface) protocol for roaming and the intercharge network connecting charging operators. It is directly comparable to OCA as an EV-charging interoperability platform whose commercial model (subscriptions, certification, services) parallels OCTT and OCPP certification.
- OpenADR Alliance: OpenADR Alliance maintains the OpenADR protocol for automated demand response across smart grid and DER applications. It is directly comparable to OCA in structure (open standards body with member-funded governance, certification, and test tools) and in relevance to grid-integrated EV charging demand response.
Emerging players
- EVRoaming Foundation: EVRoaming Foundation promotes cross-border EV charging roaming and interoperability initiatives, with overlapping membership at companies like ChargePoint. It is comparable to OCA as a smaller, mission-aligned association focused on EV charging interoperability, complementary to OCPP at the roaming layer.
- Energy Web Foundation: Energy Web Foundation is a non-profit developing open-source blockchain and digital tooling for energy and grid applications, including EV-grid integration. It is comparable to OCA as a member-supported open-standards organization focused on energy-sector digital infrastructure, though with a different technology stack and smaller scale.
- Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA / Matter): CSA drives the Matter smart-home interoperability standard and operates as a member-funded standards alliance. It is comparable to OCA in governance and business model (membership fees, certification programs, member-led working groups) rather than direct EV charging overlap.
Others
- Linux Foundation Energy: Linux Foundation Energy hosts open-source projects relevant to grid and EV charging (e.g., EVerest via Pionix). It is comparable to OCA as an adjacent ecosystem steward enabling interoperable EV charging software, with overlap on contributors (Pionix sits on both the OCA Board and contributes to LF Energy projects).
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Open Charge Alliance social profiles
Digital presenceOpen Charge Alliance compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Open Charge Alliance financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Open Charge Alliance leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Open Charge Alliance funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Open Charge Alliance 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 Open Charge Alliance
What does Open Charge Alliance do?
Open Charge Alliance develops, maintains, and certifies the Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP), the global de facto standard for communication between EV charging stations and charging station management systems. It delivers supporting software (OCTT cloud compliance test tool), a formal OCPP Certification Program operated through independent test labs, and interoperability Plugfest events across multiple regions.
Is Open Charge Alliance a public or private company?
Open Charge Alliance is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Open Charge Alliance founded?
Open Charge Alliance was founded in 2014. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Open Charge Alliance based?
Open Charge Alliance is headquartered in Arnhem, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does Open Charge Alliance make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Membership Fees are the primary driver. The others are OCTT Subscriptions and certification Fees.
Who are Open Charge Alliance's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) and SAE International. Direct peers are CharIN e.V., CHAdeMO Association, Hubject GmbH and OpenADR Alliance. Emerging players are EVRoaming Foundation, Energy Web Foundation and Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA / Matter). Linux Foundation Energy is listed as an others.
Does Open Charge Alliance have an API?
No public API is recorded for Open Charge Alliance.
What industry is Open Charge Alliance in?
Open Charge Alliance's product category is EV Charging Communication Standards. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAFAMAH, Interoperability, Protocols & Standards (OCPP, ISO 15118, OCPI, OpenADR). Its NAICS code is 5182 and its SIC code is 4911.