Open Charge Alliance

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.

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

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

• EV charging protocol
• Open communication standards
• OCPP certification
• Interoperability testing
• EV charging infrastructure

Headquarters

HQ city

Arnhem

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core 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

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ElaadNLcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerElaadNL 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.
• DEKRAcoreTechnology or IntegrationDEKRA 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)coreTechnology or IntegrationKTL (Korea Testing Laboratory) co-hosts the OCPP Plugfest & Conference Asia 2026 in Seoul, Korea. Provides conference facilities and supports testing activities alongside OCA.
• Vector InformatikcoreTechnology or IntegrationVector 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 GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPionix 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)coreTechnology or IntegrationKERI 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)coreTechnology or IntegrationKSGA 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)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerESB 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.
• ChargePointcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChargePoint 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 RechargecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerShell 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)coreTechnology or IntegrationKTC hosts Plugfest events as a partner location. Collaborates with OCA on testing and certification activities in the Asian market.
• Canberra Institute of TechnologyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost 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)coreOthersIEC 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

Broad 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

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/open-charge-alliance

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Open Charge Alliance