What USB Implementers does

USB Implementers Forum, Inc. (USB-IF) is a non-profit trade association founded in 1995 and headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon, that serves as the official standards development organization for Universal Serial Bus (USB) technology. The organization develops, publishes, and maintains the USB specification suite — including USB4, USB 3.2, USB 2.0, USB Type-C, and USB Power Delivery — and holds registered trademarks for USB4®, USB Type-C®, and USB-C®. It operates a portfolio of compliance and certification programs (USB4 Compliance Program, USB 3.2 Compliance Program, USB 2.0 Compliance Program, USB Type-C Compliance Program) supported by proprietary test tools (USB4CV, USB3CV, USB PD CTS) and a network of authorized Primary Integration Labs (PILs).

The organization monetizes through three core mechanisms: (1) corporate membership fees from technology companies participating in the USB ecosystem, (2) compliance testing and certification fees collected through in-person Compliance Workshops held multiple times per year and through authorized test labs, and (3) logo licensing and Vendor ID / XID programs that grant manufacturers the right to display USB-IF branding on certified products. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. Its served segments include USB device manufacturers (computers, smartphones, peripherals), cable and connector producers, semiconductor companies developing USB controllers and hubs, and downstream retailers/distributors sourcing certified products. Geographic reach is global via its website, eStore, and certified product directories, with primary incorporation in Oregon, USA.

USB-IF is governed by its member companies rather than a parent entity, with no outside equity ownership and no public listing. Administrative scale is lean (1-10 employees per firmographic data), with operations apparently supported through affiliated entities such as VTM Group for back-office functions. The organization maintains an extensive document library dating to 1996 and runs ongoing member engagement through its Causeway member portal, developer documentation, and a regular cadence of compliance workshops and specification updates.

Name

USB Implementers

Legal name

USB Implementers Forum, Inc.

Website

https://usb.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

USB Implementers Forum is a non-profit standards body that develops USB specifications, operates compliance and certification programs, and licenses USB trademarks for global device, cable, and semiconductor manufacturers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Technology Standards & Compliance Certification

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (541380)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Verification IP (VIP) & Protocol Compliance Suites (HDAHAFAG)

Keywords

• USB technology standards
• USB compliance certification
• USB interoperability testing
• USB specification development
• USB trademark licensing

Headquarters

HQ city

Beaverton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) is a non-profit standards organization that develops and maintains Universal Serial Bus (USB) technical specifications, including USB4, USB 3.2, USB Type-C, USB Power Delivery, and USB 2.0. It operates compliance and certification programs that test and certify USB products, issues Vendor IDs and XIDs, and licenses USB-IF trademarks (logos) to manufacturers whose products meet USB standards.

Product overview

USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) is a standards development organization that maintains and publishes USB specifications, manages compliance and certification programs, and licenses trademarks for USB technology. The organization offers a portfolio of compliance testing programs including USB4, USB 3.2, USB 2.0, and USB Type-C certification, along with associated test tools (USB4CV, USB3CV) and the USB Power Delivery compliance test specification. USB-IF publishes technical specifications including USB4 Specification v2.0 (80Gbps), USB Power Delivery R3.2, and USB Type-C Cable and Connector Specification Release 2.5. The organization maintains a Certified Product List and EU Conformity List (IEC 62680), operates a Vendor ID program, and hosts USB-IF Compliance Workshops for member product testing. USB-IF also provides a Logo License program for authorized use of USB-IF trademarks on compliant products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• USB4 Compliance Program Compliance program that tests and certifies USB4 products against the USB4 Specification, enabling certified products to bear the USB-IF logo. Targets USB4 device manufacturers and OEMs.
• USB 3.2 Compliance Program Compliance program that tests and certifies USB 3.2 products to ensure interoperability and specification conformance. Targets USB 3.2 device and peripheral manufacturers.
• USB 2.0 Compliance Program Compliance program for legacy USB 2.0 products ensuring backward compatibility and specification conformance. Targets USB 2.0 device manufacturers.
• USB Type-C Compliance Program Compliance program that tests and certifies USB Type-C connectors, cables, and devices. Targets USB Type-C cable and connector manufacturers.
• Vendor ID Program Service that provides unique vendor identifiers for USB product manufacturers to use in their USB product descriptors.
• XID Program XID (eXperience ID) number program for USB products that have passed USB-IF compliance testing, assigning unique identifiers to certified products.
• USB-IF Compliance Workshop Compliance workshop events where member companies can test their products against USB specifications in person, held multiple times yearly.
• USB-IF Logo License Logo license program allowing companies to use USB-IF trademarks on products that have passed USB-IF compliance testing.
• Conformity Test Program for OEMs/ODMs (EU IEC 62680) New conformity test program enabling OEMs/ODMs to test USB products for EU Conformity to USB Specifications (IEC 62680) for USB Type-C Cable and Connector and USB Power Delivery.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SD Association: Industry consortium governing the SD card standard, including specifications, compliance, and trademark licensing. Operates in the same non-profit, member-funded standards-and-certification model as USB-IF, focused on removable storage connectivity.
• HDMI Licensing Administrator: Licensing administrator for HDMI connectivity standards, the most direct peer to USB-IF in the connector/interface standards body category. Operates a similar trademark-licensing and compliance-certification model around a competing wired connectivity standard.
• PCI-SIG: Consortium managing PCIe specifications and compliance programs for internal compute connectivity. Operates under a similar non-profit standards-development model with member-driven governance and certification programs analogous to USB-IF.
• VESA (Video Electronics Standards Association): Non-profit standards body managing DisplayPort and other display-interface specifications with associated compliance programs. Comparable to USB-IF as a connector/interface standards organization with member-driven governance and testing programs.
• NFC Forum: Non-profit industry association overseeing near-field communication specifications, certification, and trademark licensing. Mirrors USB-IF's compliance-testing-and-branding model for a different but adjacent connectivity technology.
• Bluetooth SIG: Standards body overseeing Bluetooth wireless technology specifications, qualification programs, and trademark licensing. Closely mirrors USB-IF's model of member-funded specification maintenance and a certification regime that gates product branding.
• Wi-Fi Alliance: Global non-profit organization that certifies Wi-Fi products and develops wireless networking standards. Operates a member-based, certification-and-logo-licensing model that parallels USB-IF's approach to USB interoperability assurance.
• MIPI Alliance: Industry collaboration that develops interface specifications for mobile and mobile-influenced devices. Operates a comparable non-profit, member-funded model with specification-development, compliance-testing, and brand-certification programs analogous to USB-IF.

Broad incumbents

• Thunderbolt (Intel): Intel-led high-bandwidth connectivity standard competing in the same overlapping use cases as USB4. Represents a commercial standards program rather than a multi-member non-profit, making it a useful counterpoint and competitive reference point for USB-IF.
• JEDEC Solid State Technology Association: Global standards body for microelectronics, including memory and interface specifications. Broader in scope than USB-IF but comparable as a long-standing non-profit engineering standards organization with committee-driven specification work and member funding.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about USB Implementers