ASQF
ASQF is a German registered association (e.V.) serving a 1,000+ member expert network for software quality professionals in the DACH region, delivering specialist groups, certifications (ISTQB CTFL, IREB CPRE, CPPM, CPIoT, SSE, QAMP), events, and the SQ Magazine through a small staff and partner providers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersPotsdam, Germany
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What ASQF does
ASQF (Arbeitskreis Software-Qualität und Fortbildung e.V.) is a German eingetragener Verein (registered association) founded on October 17, 1996, in the Nuremberg/Franconia region and now headquartered in Potsdam. The organization functions as an expert network and interest association (Interessenverband) for software quality professionals, serving over 1,000 members comprising companies and individuals in the German-speaking software quality industry across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
The association's core offerings include (i) a Specialist Groups (Fachgruppen) program with more than 20 regional and national expert communities covering areas such as Software Test, Automotive, Digital Health, Mobile Devices & Apps, Requirements Engineering, People Projects & Processes, Safety & Security, Agility, and Artificial Intelligence; (ii) personal certification programs including CPPM, CPIoT, SSE, QAMP, ISTQB CTFL, and IREB CPRE, developed by ASQF experts and delivered through partners including iSQI GmbH; (iii) events (Quality Nights, Testing Days, CONQUEST, ASQF-Net Week, Test Challenge); and (iv) the SQ Magazine publication. ASQF working groups laid the foundational pillars for the internationally recognized ISTQB CTFL and IREB CPRE standards; the former subsidiary iSQI GmbH (now independent, operating in 90+ countries with 30,000+ exams annually) continues to deliver these certifications globally.
ASQF's business model is membership-fee driven (corporate and individual annual subscriptions per a published Beitragsordnung) supplemented by training and certification coordination revenue through partner providers. Day-to-day operations are run by a small staff of 1-10 employees under a Geschäftsstelle headed by Anna-Christina Feldhusen, with Ronald Huster as Managing Director, and a Präsidium led by President Ludger Meyer (Siemens Head of Technology Field). Notable corporate members include ordix, imbus, CGI, Expleo, Deutsche Post, T-Systems, methodpark by UL, sepp.med, and Siemens Healthcare.
ASQF firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ASQF
- Legal name
- Arbeitskreis Software-Qualität und Fortbildung e.V.
- Website
- https://asqf.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- ASQF is a German registered association (e.V.) serving a 1,000+ member expert network for software quality professionals in the DACH region, delivering specialist groups, certifications (ISTQB CTFL, IREB CPRE, CPPM, CPIoT, SSE, QAMP), events, and the SQ Magazine through a small staff and partner providers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ASQF industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Professional Certification and Training Services
- NAICS
- Computer Training (611420), Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Computer Training (61142), Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Information Technology & Cybersecurity Certification Prep (CompTIA, Cisco, Microsoft, AWS, ISC2/ISACA) (EDANAIAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Data-Driven Operations & Quality Analytics (DOE, basic analytics) (EDABAKAO), Software Engineering & Application Development Training (Languages, Frameworks, Testing) (BPAEANAI)
Keywords
Where ASQF is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Potsdam
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
ASQF business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Membership Fees: Annual membership fees from corporate and individual members supporting the expert network
- Training and Certifications: IT training courses and personal certifications developed by ASQF experts and delivered through partnerships with training providers and certification bodies
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Corporate membership with multiple employee seats |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
ASQF product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ASQF e.V. (Arbeitskreis Software-Qualität und Fortbildung) is a German expert network and interest association for software quality professionals. The organization provides IT training programs and personal certifications (CPPM, CPIoT, SSE, QAMP), maintains more than 20 regional and national specialist groups (Fachgruppen), publishes the SQ Magazine, and hosts events such as conferences, workshops, Quality Nights, and the ASQF Net Week. Its training programs are delivered through partnerships with recognized training providers and certification bodies including iSQI GmbH.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- SQ Magazin (SQ Magazine) A professional magazine focused on software and system quality topics covering agility, digitization, artificial intelligence, automotive, digital health, IoT, requirements engineering, software testing, and project management. Distributed to members and the broader software quality community.
- Certified Professional for Project Management (CPPM) IT training program that combines critical success factors and teaches comprehensive project management skills tailored to modern industrial projects. Delivered through cooperation with recognized training providers and certification bodies including iSQI GmbH.
- Certified Professional for Internet of Things (CPIoT) Training program focusing on Quality Engineering as a key success factor for IoT solutions, providing comprehensive skills for the entire team working on Internet of Things projects.
- Secure Software Engineering (SSE)
Companies that use ASQF
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
ASQF technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
ASQF partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- German Testing Board (GTB)coreASQF working group laid the foundational pillars for the German certification GTB/ISTQB CTFL. GTB is a key certification partner for software testing standards.
- ISTQB (International Software Testing Qualifications Board)coreASQF contributed to the development of the ISTQB CTFL certification which has become an internationally recognized standard for software testing.
- IREB (International Requirements Engineering Board)coreASQF working group created the training curriculum for the IREB CPRE certification, which is now conducted by recognized training providers worldwide.
- iSQI GmbHcoreASQF was a shareholder of the International Software Quality Institute (iSQI) which certifies IT professionals worldwide. iSQI is the market leader and operates in over 90 countries on 6 continents in 10 languages, conducting more than 30,000 examinations annually. ASQF works together with iSQI on certification programs.
- INTACS (International Assessor Certification Scheme)coreASQF maintains and establishes the INTACS certification scheme internationally, supporting assessor certification for process improvement.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves13 records
Expansion highlights5 records
ASQF competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- IREB (International Requirements Engineering Board): IREB was founded in 2006 out of an ASQF working group and administers the CPRE (Certified Professional for Requirements Engineering) program globally. It is a spin-off peer operating the RE certification that ASQF co-created.
- INTACS (International Assessor Certification Scheme): INTACS is a process assessor certification scheme that was established and maintained by ASQF for global rollout. It operates the certification program that ASQF's expert network feeds into and is administered by an international community.
- ISTQB (International Software Testing Qualifications Board): ISTQB is the global umbrella for the Certified Tester scheme that ASQF's working group helped found. It coordinates national testing boards (including Germany's GTB) and is the direct standards counterpart to ASQF's CTFL content.
- iSQI GmbH: iSQI is the global certification body that was originally a subsidiary of ASQF (founded 2004) and now administers ISTQB, IREB, and ASQF-derived certifications in 90+ countries. It is the most direct commercial peer and delivery arm for ASQF's content IP.
- GTB - German Testing Board: The German Testing Board is the national member of ISTQB and a direct strategic partner of ASQF. It administers the GTB/ISTQB CTFL certification in Germany, with ASQF's expert network feeding into its standards development.
Broad incumbents
- ISACA: ISACA is a global professional association for IT governance, risk, security, and audit professionals, offering certifications (CISA, CISM, CRISC). It is a broad incumbent that competes for the same IT quality/governance professional mindshare as ASQF but on a much larger international scale.
- BCS - The Chartered Institute for IT: BCS is the UK professional body for IT with a comparable membership, certification (including ISTQB-aligned), and event model. It is a broad incumbent operating at a larger scale across the UK and internationally.
Regional players
- SI (Swiss Informatics Society): SI is the Swiss national informatics society, a comparable professional association serving Switzerland — one of ASQF's three core DACH geographies where ASQF has established a regional Fachgruppe.
- OCG (Austrian Computer Society): OCG is the Austrian national informatics society, a peer national professional association in one of ASQF's core DACH markets. Both organizations address IT professional development and standards in their respective geographies.
- GI (Gesellschaft für Informatik): GI is Germany's primary professional society for informatics and a co-organizer with ASQF of the Deutscher Preis für Software-Qualit\u00e4t. It is a comparable DACH membership organization covering broader IT/computer science rather than specializing in software quality.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
ASQF social profiles
Digital presenceASQF financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ASQF leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles15 records
ASQF funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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ASQF M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
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Frequently asked questions about ASQF
What does ASQF do?
ASQF e.V. (Arbeitskreis Software-Qualität und Fortbildung) is a German expert network and interest association for software quality professionals. The organization provides IT training programs and personal certifications (CPPM, CPIoT, SSE, QAMP), maintains more than 20 regional and national specialist groups (Fachgruppen), publishes the SQ Magazine, and hosts events such as conferences, workshops, Quality Nights, and the ASQF Net Week. Its training programs are delivered through partnerships with recognized training providers and certification bodies including iSQI GmbH.
Is ASQF a public or private company?
ASQF is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was ASQF founded?
ASQF was founded in 1996. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is ASQF based?
ASQF is headquartered in Potsdam, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does ASQF make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Membership Fees are the primary driver. The others are training and Certifications.
Who are ASQF's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are IREB (International Requirements Engineering Board), INTACS (International Assessor Certification Scheme), ISTQB (International Software Testing Qualifications Board), iSQI GmbH and GTB - German Testing Board. Broad incumbents are ISACA and BCS - The Chartered Institute for IT. Regional players are SI (Swiss Informatics Society), OCG (Austrian Computer Society) and GI (Gesellschaft für Informatik).
Does ASQF have an API?
No public API is recorded for ASQF.
What industry is ASQF in?
ASQF's product category is Professional Certification and Training Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDANAIAF, Information Technology & Cybersecurity Certification Prep (CompTIA, Cisco, Microsoft, AWS, ISC2/ISACA), with a secondary code of EDABAKAO, Data-Driven Operations & Quality Analytics (DOE, basic analytics). Its NAICS code is 611420 and its SIC code is 8200.