Ireb

What Ireb does

IREB (International Requirements Engineering Board) is a Germany-based non-profit organization founded in 2006 that develops and governs globally recognized certification programs for the disciplines of Requirements Engineering and Digital Design. Its portfolio centers on the CPRE (Certified Professional for Requirements Engineering) program — a four-tier credential (Foundation, Practitioner, Specialist, Expert) covering both classical and agile RE — and the DDP (Digital Design Professional) program, which teaches the design of economically viable digital solutions. Supporting content is delivered through RE the magazine, a free online publication with 100+ community-authored articles.

The organization operates a dual-entity structure: IREB e.V., the registered association whose volunteer expert council develops certification content, wholly owns IREB GmbH, the operating company that handles administration, marketing, and community coordination. IREB does not sell training or administer exams directly. Instead, it licenses more than 100 recognized training providers to deliver courses and more than 20 licensed certification bodies — including GASQ, iSQI, Pearson VUE, TÜV SÜD, and SAQ — to administer exams under ISO/IEC 17024:2012. Revenue derives from training-provider recognition fees (volume- and region-based), certification-body licensing fees, and a Partner Program subscription tied to the number of CPRE/DDP-certified employees per partner company. Mutual recognition agreements with IIBA, BCS, ISTQB, iSAQB, ISPMA, UXQB, iNTACS, and VIW integrate IREB credentials into adjacent professional qualification ecosystems.

Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven. IREB cultivates 120+ active local communities across 14 countries, runs conferences (Modern RE 2026, AIDE#26, exploRE 2026) and recurring formats such as IREB Lunch Lab and RE Consultation Hours DACH, and distributes content via newsletter, social media, and the magazine. As of December 2024, more than 116,000 professionals in 106 countries had taken IREB exams, with 95,000+ certificates issued and approximately 1,200 training sessions delivered annually — placing IREB as the de facto global standard-setter for Requirements Engineering certification despite a deliberately small internal team.

Name

Ireb

Legal name

International Requirements Engineering Board e.V.

Website

https://ireb.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

IREB is a German non-profit that develops and licenses the globally recognized CPRE Requirements Engineering and DDP Digital Design certification programs, serving 85,000+ certified professionals across 106 countries through 100+ training providers and 20+ licensed certification bodies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Certification and Training

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Engineering & Technical Professions (PE, Engineering CPD) (EDAAALAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Professional Certification & Training Content Publishing (Exam Prep, CE/CPD) (MPAJACAL)

Keywords

• Requirements engineering certification
• Professional certification programs
• Digital design training
• Agile requirements training
• Software quality certification

Headquarters

HQ city

Karlsruhe

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Training Provider Recognition: Training providers pay recognition fees for CPRE and DDP training courses. Fees depend on annual training course volume and geographic region. Training providers receive the training provider seal, certificate of recognition, visibility on IREB website, and advance information on program updates.
2. Certification Body Licensing: Licensed certification bodies administer exams using IREB-developed examination questions, evaluate results, and issue certificates. Operates under ISO/IEC 17024:2012 standard compliance.
3. Partner Program Fees: Companies with CPRE/DDP-certified employees can join the Partner Program, receiving the IREB partner seal and visibility on the IREB website. Fees calculated based on number of certified employees.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

IREB develops internationally recognized certification programs in Requirements Engineering (CPRE at Foundation, Practitioner, Specialist, and Expert levels) and Digital Design (DDP). It licenses the curriculum to recognized training providers and certification bodies worldwide, maintains ISO/IEC 17024:2012-aligned exam standards, and supports an international community through RE the magazine, local communities, working groups, and partner programs.

Product overview

Ireb (International Requirements Engineering Board) is a global non-profit organization offering certification programs in Requirements Engineering and Digital Design. The portfolio consists of three core offerings: CPRE (Certified Professional for Requirements Engineering) - a four-level certification program (Foundation, Practitioner, Specialist, Expert) teaching professionals to handle requirements in traditional and agile environments; DDP (Digital Design Professional) - a certification focusing on designing innovative digital solutions by understanding technologies as design material; and RE the magazine - a free online publication with 100+ articles written by the community for professional development. The organization is structured as IREB e.V. (the association developing certification content through working groups) and IREB GmbH (handling administrative operations). Recent offerings include the IREB Lunch Lab - a new online discussion format launched October 2025.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CPRE (Certified Professional for Requirements Engineering): Internationally recognized certification program for Requirements Engineering with multiple levels: Foundation, Practitioner, Specialist, and Expert.
• DDP (Digital Design Professional)
• RE the magazine

Products and services

• CPRE (Certified Professional for Requirements Engineering) Internationally recognized four-level certification program (Foundation, Practitioner, Specialist, Expert) teaching professionals to handle requirements confidently in both classical and agile environments. Certificates are valid for life.
• DDP (Digital Design Professional) Certification program in Digital Design bundling design expertise, material expertise, and crosscutting skills, integrating technology, business, and user perspectives for innovative digital solutions.
• IREB Lunch Lab Weekly online discussion format featuring partner company-led 45-minute sessions on Requirements Engineering, Business Analysis, and Digital Design topics, with IREB Community Ambassadors from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland participating.

Quantifiable outcome

• 95,000+ certificates issued to professionals worldwide
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• summitcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 September 2026IREB is competence and community partner for Modern RE 2026 organized by summit in Leipzig, Germany. This partnership signals commitment to advancing the RE community and brings together professionals who want to advance Requirements Engineering.
• Various Partner Companies (IREB Lunch Lab)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 October 2024IREB Lunch Lab is a new online format launched October 2024, featuring different partner companies each Thursday. Partner companies lead sessions on Requirements Engineering, Business Analysis, and Digital Design topics, with Community Ambassadors from DACH region participating.
• iSAQB (International Software Architecture Qualification Board)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIREB and iSAQB are co-hosting AIDE#26 (AI-assisted Design & Engineering) event in Graz, Austria. Both organizations focus on professional qualification in software-related disciplines and collaborate on content development and community events.
• IIBA (International Institute of Business Analysis)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIREB and IIBA recognize each other's certificates. IIBA defines business analysis as 'the practice of enabling change in the context of an enterprise by defining needs and recommending solutions that deliver value to stakeholders.' Both organizations promote professional standards in their respective domains.
• BCS (British Computer Society)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIREB and BCS have mutual recognition of certificates. BCS is the professional body for information technology in the UK, promoting professional standards in computing.
• ISTQB (International Software Testing Qualifications Board)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIREB and ISTQB recognize each other's certificates. ISTQB is the leading global testing certification body, and both organizations promote complementary disciplines in software quality.
• iNTACS (International Assessor Certification Scheme e.V.)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMutual certificate recognition between IREB and iNTACS, which focuses on assessor certification for process improvement.
• ISPMA (International Software Product Management Association)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIREB and ISPMA have mutual certificate recognition. ISPMA focuses on software product management, complementing IREB's Requirements Engineering focus.
• UXQB (International Usability and User Experience Qualification Board)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIREB and UXQB recognize each other's certificates. UXQB focuses on usability and user experience, complementing IREB's requirements and digital design scope.
• VIW (Association of Information Systems Switzerland)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIREB and VIW have mutual certificate recognition. VIW is the Swiss association for information systems professionals.
• Recognized Training Providers (100+ globally)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTraining providers worldwide offer CPRE and DDP courses. Prerequisite: trainers must hold CPRE or DDP certification. Providers receive training provider seal, certificate of recognition, visibility on IREB website, advance program updates, and marketing support. Examples include SOPHIST, adesso, Zühlke, OOSE, and 100+ others.
• Licensed Certification BodiescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor20+ certification bodies licensed by IREB to administer exams. Key partners include GASQ Service GmbH (international, remote exams), iSQI GmbH, Pearson VUE, TÜV SÜD (South Asia, Europe), SAQ Swiss Association for Quality, Future Network Cert (DACH), Certible, CIFAL Shanghai, and regional bodies in Brazil, China, Hungary, Italy, South Korea, Malaysia, Poland, South Africa, Sweden, Thailand.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Scrum Alliance: Largest global agile certification body offering CSM, CSPO, and CST credentials. Scrum Alliance is a broader incumbent competing for the same enterprise training budget on agile/RE topics that IREB addresses with CPRE agile-level content.
• Scaled Agile (SAFe): Provider of the Scaled Agile Framework certification program (SAFe). SAFe competes with CPRE agile-level content for enterprise agile transformation training budgets and represents the leading alternative framework for requirements handling in scaled environments.
• PMI (Project Management Institute): Global professional association offering PMP and other project management certifications. PMI is a broad incumbent whose project management certifications overlap with IREB's project manager segment targeting.

Direct peers

• ISTQB (International Software Testing Qualifications Board): Global certification body for software testing with similar Foundation/Advanced/Expert tier structure to CPRE. ISTQB and IREB have mutual certificate recognition and both serve the broader software quality professional ecosystem with comparable non-profit operating models.
• BCS (British Computer Society): UK chartered professional body for IT offering certifications across multiple IT disciplines. BCS has mutual recognition with IREB and serves a comparable role in the UK/Commonwealth, making it a peer in professional IT certification.
• iNTACS (International Assessor Certification Scheme): Non-profit certification body for process improvement assessors. iNTACS has mutual recognition with IREB and operates a similar tiered certification model for a niche professional discipline (process assessment vs. Requirements Engineering).
• ISPMA (International Software Product Management Association): Non-profit association offering software product management certifications. ISPMA has mutual recognition with IREB and serves overlapping software engineering professional audiences with a comparable certification framework.
• IIBA (International Institute of Business Analysis): Global professional association offering CBAP, ECBA, and other Business Analysis certifications. IIBA is IREB's closest peer, with mutual certificate recognition, and operates in the same non-profit professional certification model targeting overlapping software/business professional segments.
• UXQB (International Usability and User Experience Qualification Board): Non-profit certification body for usability and UX professionals. UXQB has mutual recognition with IREB and operates a near-identical certification board model for an adjacent discipline (UX vs. Requirements Engineering).
• iSAQB (International Software Architecture Qualification Board): Non-profit organization offering Certified Professional for Software Architecture (CPSA) certifications. IREB and iSAQB co-host the AIDE#26 AI-assisted Design & Engineering bootcamp and operate nearly identical certification association models for adjacent software disciplines.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ireb-org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ireb-gmbh
• Xx.com/IREBinternat
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 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 Ireb