What German UPA does

German UPA e.V. is a registered professional association (eingetragener Verein, Berufsverband) for User Experience and Usability professionals in the German-speaking (DACH) market. Founded on February 22, 2002 in Munich as the German chapter of the international Usability Professionals' Association (UPA) and formally registered in 2003, the association rebranded to its current name in September 2009. Its registered seat is Keplerstraße 2, 39104 Magdeburg, and it is overseen by Chairman Thomas Jackstädt and an elected board (Jana Hesselbarth, Laura Marwede, Dominique Winter, Jelena Brandic, Florian Steier). The organization serves 2,251+ UX professionals as of 2026, making it the largest German-language UX community by membership, organized into 20 topic-based Arbeitskreise (working groups) covering AI, Accessibility, Automotive Systems, Med&Health, Usable Security & Privacy, UX-Management and others, and 15 Regionalgruppen across German cities from Berlin to Ulm-Bayerisch Schwaben.

The association is not a software product company; its core technology is the germanupa.de web platform, which handles membership management, event registration, working-group coordination, and content distribution, with virtual events delivered via Zoom and a separate online shop (germanupa.shop). Its portfolio consists of member services rather than unified software products: educational event programs (Summer School and Winter School at Kloster Bronnbach, UX Festival), flagship conferences (Mensch und Computer UP track, World Usability Day across 20+ city chapters), community artifacts (mentoring program, Branchenreport industry report, methods database, UX podcast, Usability Testessen community events), and professional certification support in partnership with UXQB (CPUX credential).

German UPA operates as a member-funded non-profit with diversified revenue. Primary revenue comes from annual individual membership dues (€95 Professional, €45 Young Professional), recurring subscription income that scales with member count. Secondary streams include paid event and workshop fees (Winter School at €450/€650 + VAT), conference registration fees, and a tiered corporate sponsorship program with adesso SE as Platinum Plus sponsor and a Silver/Bronze ladder including Atruvia, Centigrade, DATEV, usability.de, Haufe Akademie, slashwhy, Spiegel Institut, UX2B, forwerts, and UXQB. Go-to-market is community- and event-led: organic word-of-mouth within the UX profession is amplified by an active presence on seven social platforms (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Xing, YouTube, TikTok, Mastodon), flagship events serve as top-of-funnel entry points, and 10% partner discounts (notably with Haufe Akademie) reinforce the value proposition for working UX practitioners and early-career entrants.

Name

German UPA

Legal name

German UPA e.V.

Website

https://germanupa.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

German UPA e.V. is a registered German professional association (Berufsverband) serving 2,251+ UX and Usability professionals through 20 working groups, 15 regional chapters, educational events, and flagship conferences, funded by membership dues, event fees, and corporate sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), Educational Services (611), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

UX, Design Thinking & Customer Research for PMs (EDABAHAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Online/Hybrid Lifelong Learning Platforms & Open Enrollment Programs (EDAAAEAL), Hybrid Conferences & Conventions (In-Person + Streamed) (MPAGAOAC), Interpretation, Captioning & Accessibility Services (Live Translation, ASL, WCAG) (THAHAOAL)

Keywords

• User experience association
• UX professional community
• Usability professional network
• UX training programs
• Professional membership services

Headquarters

HQ city

Stuttgart

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership dues: 95 EUR for Professionals, 45 EUR for Young Professionals. Membership provides access to working groups, regional groups, events, knowledge resources, discounts on partner offerings, and networking community of 2,251+ UX professionals.
2. Event Fees (Winter School / Summer School): Paid training programs for young UX professionals. Winter School: 450 EUR + VAT for members, 650 EUR + VAT for non-members. Summer School similarly priced. Includes accommodation, meals, and workshop materials.
3. Conference Fees: Registration fees for Mensch und Computer (annual flagship conference), World Usability Day events, webinars, and other professional development events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

German UPA e.V. is a member-supported non-profit professional association that sells annual UX/usability memberships (95 EUR Professional, 45 EUR Young Professional) and paid access to educational events (Summer School, Winter School, Mensch und Computer conference, World Usability Day, UX Festival). It also runs 20 specialized Arbeitskreise (working groups), 15 Regionalgruppen (regional chapters), a mentoring program, the Branchenreport industry study, and a UX podcast to support professional development for UX practitioners in the German-speaking market.

Product overview

German UPA is a professional association (Berufsverband) for User Experience and Usability Professionals in Germany, offering a portfolio of membership-based services including educational events (Summer School, Winter School), professional community groups (20+ working groups and 15 regional groups), annual conferences (Mensch und Computer, World Usability Day, UX Festival), professional development resources (mentoring, methods database, industry report), and a podcast series. The organization serves over 2,200 UX professionals and does not offer a unified software product but rather a collection of community, educational, and knowledge-sharing services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Professional Membership Annual subscription membership at 95 EUR/year granting working UX/Usability professionals access to all 20 Arbeitskreise, 15 Regionalgruppen, flagship events, knowledge resources, partner discounts, and the 2,251+ member community.
• Young Professional Membership

Quantifiable outcome

• 2,251+ members as of 2026
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered platinum plus, silver and bronze.

• adesso SEplatinum plusOthersadesso SE is a Platinum Plus sponsor of GermanUPA. The company is a leading IT services provider operating in 13 countries with 57 locations across Europe, employing 150 UX professionals as part of its UX & UI Professionals team alongside 7,500+ IT experts.
• Atruvia AGsilverOthersAtruvia AG is a Silver sponsor. It is a digitalization partner for the Cooperative Financial Group (Genossenschaftliche FinanzGruppe) and one of the largest financial IT service providers in Germany, managing ~164,000 bank workstations and ~86 million customer accounts with annual revenue of 1.77 billion EUR.
• Centigrade GmbHsilverOthersCentigrade GmbH is a Silver sponsor and one of Germany's leading UX agencies. It has operated for 19 years across thousands of software projects, offering full-service UX including User Requirements Engineering, Screen & Visual Design, Frontend Engineering, and UX Academy training. It has won the iF Design Award and Red Dot Award.
• DATEV eGsilverOthersDATEV eG is a Silver sponsor and one of Germany's largest software companies, providing IT solutions for tax consultants, lawyers, and auditors. It employs over 9,000 people and serves ~900,000 customers. It has a mature UX community with UX Designers, UX Researchers, and Business Analysts working directly in development teams.
• usability.de GmbH & Co. KGsilverOthersusability.de GmbH & Co. KG is a Silver sponsor and an independent, owner-managed UX design and consulting agency based in Hannover. Founded in 2004, it is one of the pioneers of UX in the German-speaking world, offering User Experience Design, User Research & Testing, UX Management & Consulting, Human-Centered AI, and Medical UX, as well as UXQB-certified training.
• forwertsbronzeOthersforwerts is a Bronze sponsor and a leading digital agency for DX transformation, design, and strategy. Headquartered in Frankfurt am Main with additional offices in Hamburg, Osnabrück, Bielefeld, Kiel, and Heilbronn. Part of the slashwhy Group with 270+ digital experts across 6 locations.
• Haufe AkademiebronzeOthersHaufe Akademie is a Bronze sponsor and a leading German training provider. It offers an advanced UX Management training program with certification as 'Geprüfte:r UX Manager:in', certified by the Hochschule der Wirtschaft für Management (HdWM) in Mannheim and ZFU in Cologne. GermanUPA members receive a 10% discount.
• slashwhybronzeOthersslashwhy is a Bronze sponsor and a partner for user-centered software development. With offices in Osnabrück and Hamburg, it employs more than 250 people. It specializes in agile methods, UX design, workshops, and training, serving industries including Agritech, CleanTech, Health, Manufacturing, Medical, and Smart Home.
• Spiegel InstitutbronzeOthersSpiegel Institut is a Bronze sponsor and a research and consulting institute for consumer research and UX consulting. Founded in 1950 by Dr. Bernt Spiegel as Germany's first market psychology institute, it employs ~240 people across offices in Mannheim, Ingolstadt, Stuttgart, Hamburg, Braunschweig, Munich, Beijing, and Shanghai.
• UX2B GmbHbronzeOthersUX2B GmbH is a Bronze sponsor and a specialized agency for User Experience, Customer Experience, and User Interface Design based in Jena. It focuses on the power of the user-centered design loop, combining analytical thinking with creative and strategic approaches.
• UXQB – International Usability and User Experience Qualification Board e.V.bronzeOthersUXQB is a Bronze sponsor and the international certification body for UX professionals, offering the CPUX (Certified Professional for Usability and User Experience) certification program based on international standards. GermanUPA works with UXQB to support professional certification and qualification standards in the German UX community.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Centigrade GmbH: Centigrade is a leading German UX agency, Silver sponsor of German UPA, offering UX Academy training alongside full-service UX. It is a regional peer in German UX education/training and community engagement.
• Haufe Akademie: Haufe Akademie is a leading German corporate training provider offering UX Management certification, a Bronze sponsor and training partner of German UPA. It is a regional peer in German professional UX training with overlapping certification programs.
• Spiegel Institut: Spiegel Institut is a German UX research and consumer research consultancy founded in 1950, a Bronze sponsor of German UPA. It is a regional peer operating in UX research and consulting within Germany.
• Usability.de GmbH: usability.de is a Hannover-based German UX agency and Silver sponsor of German UPA, offering UX design, research, and UXQB-certified training. It overlaps as a regional player in German UX training and professional services.

Direct peers

• Interaction Design Association (IxDA): IxDA is a global network of interaction designers with local chapters and an annual conference (Interaction). It is a direct peer in serving the UX practitioner community with conferences, local groups, and educational content.
• Nielsen Norman Group (NN/g): NN/g is a leading UX research and training firm offering deep-dive UX training, certification, and reports. Its UX Certification and in-person workshops compete with German UPA's Winter/Summer School and CPUX-aligned training.
• Interaction Design Foundation (IxDF): IxDF is a global online learning community for UX/design professionals offering courses, certifications, and local meetups. It competes directly with German UPA's training (Summer/Winter School) and professional development mandate, and overlaps with CPUX-style certification.
• UXPA International: UXPA International is the parent/umbrella professional association for usability and UX practitioners of which German UPA is the German chapter. It serves the same professional community, offers similar membership benefits, and co-organizes World Usability Day globally.
• UXQB e.V. UXQB is the international qualification board that administers the CPUX certification program and is a partner/sponsor of German UPA. It is directly comparable as a UX certification body with overlapping training and standards-setting activities.

Broad incumbents

• ACM SIGCHI: ACM SIGCHI is the premier academic society for human-computer interaction, co-organizer of the Mensch und Computer conference. It is a broader incumbent that overlaps with German UPA's academic/standards positioning but operates at a research rather than practitioner level.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@GermanUPA
• Facebookfacebook.com/germanupa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/german-upa
• Instagraminstagram.com/german_upa
• TikToktiktok.com/@germanupa
• Xx.com/germanupa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about German UPA