What TeleTrusT does

TeleTrusT (legal name Bundesverband IT-Sicherheit e.V., DBA 'IT Security Association Germany') is a registered non-profit industry association headquartered in Berlin that has operated an IT security competence network since 1989. Its core function is convening roughly 100 member organizations — IT security manufacturers and service providers, public administration bodies, research institutions, and consultancies — to exchange expertise, influence policy, and set standards across the German and European cybersecurity ecosystem.

The association's product surface is structured around three monetized assets: (1) proprietary professional certifications T.I.S.P. (TeleTrusT Information Security Professional) and T.P.S.S.E. (TeleTrusT Professional for Secure Software Engineering), delivered through approved training providers with multi-year issuance cycles; (2) trust marks 'IT Security made in Germany' (with BMWE endorsement) and the newer 'IT Security made in EU'; and (3) the European Bridge CA, a Public Key Infrastructure service issuing certificates for secure email communication. Supporting infrastructure includes 15+ specialized working groups (biometrics, blockchain, cloud security, cryptography agility, secure AI, smart grids, etc.), publications and position papers, a member supplier directory (Anbieterverzeichnis), and conferences including the TeleTrusT conference and IT Security Rights Day. TeleTrusT maintains voting or advisory seats in DIN, ETSI, CEN/CENELEC, ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 27, and BMWK/BMWE advisory committees, plus DKE/VDE and Austrian Standards cooperation agreements.

The business model is a hybrid association model: (a) annual membership dues from ~100 institutional members form the baseline; (b) certification program fees (exams, recertification, trainer recognition) drive recurring revenue through the T.I.S.P. and T.P.S.S.E. programs and their approved training-provider channel; (c) European Bridge CA operations generate small-volume PKI service fees; (d) standardization and market-exploration projects (notably BMWK 'Exportinitiative Sicherheitswirtschaft') provide project-based funding. Geographic scope spans DACH primarily, with formal participation extending to Europe via Hexatrust/European Champions Alliance and broader international engagement through events (RSA, GISEC, FIC) and the Markterkundung program covering 15+ target countries across Africa, the Americas, and Asia.

Name

TeleTrusT

Legal name

Bundesverband IT-Sicherheit e.V. (TeleTrusT)

Website

https://teletrust.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

TeleTrusT (Bundesverband IT-Sicherheit e.V.) is a Berlin-based, non-profit IT security association founded in 1989, serving roughly 100 industry, public-sector, research, and consulting members across Germany and Europe through certifications (T.I.S.P., T.P.S.S.E.), trust marks, PKI services, and standardization influence.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

TeleTrusT is a German IT security industry association (Bundesverband IT-Sicherheit e.V.) that operates a cross-sector competence network of approximately 100 member organizations from industry, government, and science. Its core offerings include IT security trust marks (IT Security made in Germany and IT Security made in EU), professional certification programs (T.I.S.P., T.P.S.S.E.), the European Bridge CA public-key infrastructure service for cross-border certificate interoperability, and coordination of working groups and standardization initiatives.

Product overview

TeleTrusT (Bundesverband IT-Sicherheit e.V.) is a competence network and industry association for IT security in Germany, not a product company per se. Its offerings consist primarily of trust marks and certifications: 'IT Security made in Germany' and 'IT Security made in EU' certification marks granted to qualifying member companies; professional certifications T.I.S.P. (TeleTrusT Information Security Professional) and T.P.S.S.E. (TeleTrusT Professional for Secure Software Engineering) for individuals; and the European Bridge CA public-key certificate service for secure email. Additionally, TeleTrusT operates working groups on specialized security topics, publishes research brochures and position papers, maintains a supplier directory of member companies, and organizes conferences and events. The association does not develop or sell commercial software products; instead it serves as a coordination body, standards advocate, and certification body for the German and European IT security ecosystem.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• European Bridge CA: Provision of Public-Key certificates for secure email communication
• T.I.S.P.
• T.P.S.S.E.
• IT Security made in Germany
• IT Security made in EU
• TeleTrusT Innovation Award

Products and services

• IT Security made in Germany (Trust Mark) Recognized trust mark for IT security products and services with German origin/footprint, issued by TeleTrusT to qualifying vendors as a credibility and trust signal in the German market.
• IT Security made in EU (Trust Mark) European-scope trust mark for IT security products and services meeting defined EU-origin and trustworthiness criteria, extending TeleTrusT's trust-mark model beyond Germany.
• T.I.S.P. Certification (TeleTrusT Information Security Professional) Professional certification for IT/ICT security practitioners, validating competence in information security and serving individual security professionals and the organizations that employ them.
• T.P.S.S.E. Certification (TeleTrusT Professional for Secure Software Engineering) Professional certification targeting secure software engineering competence, for practitioners and organizations seeking verifiable secure-development credentials.
• European Bridge CA Public-key infrastructure (PKI) bridge service enabling cross-border certificate interoperability between participating trust domains/CAs across Europe, for member organizations and partners requiring cross-jurisdiction certificate trust.
• TeleTrusT Supplier Directory Online directory listing member organizations that supply IT security products and services, supporting vendor discovery for buyers seeking vetted IT security providers.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 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 flagship and core.

• HexatrustflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench IT security association partnership. Hexatrust is a partner association of TeleTrusT, enabling cross-border cooperation in the European cybersecurity ecosystem.
• European Champions AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner organization. TeleTrusT co-organizes joint stands with European Champions Alliance at international events like FIC.
• BMWK (Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTeleTrusT participates in the BMWK advisory board 'Exportinitiative Sicherheitswirtschaft' (Export Initiative for the Security Industry) and conducts target market preference surveys among members for BMWK-supported market exploration measures.
• BMWE (Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of the Advisory Board for Standardization in Information and Communication Technology (BSIKT) and the 'Beraterkreises Normung' advisory committee for standardization strategy.
• DIN (German Institute for Standardization)coreTechnology or IntegrationRegular member of DIN. Active member of DIN coordination office for IT security standardization (KITS), DIN project committee 'Secure Digital Identities', and designated active member of CEN/CENELEC Cybersecurity Standardisation Coordination Group.
• ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute)coreTechnology or IntegrationRegular member of ETSI with voting rights in the ETSI General Assembly. Participates with expert nominations in ETSI projects including electronic signatures (PAdES) and Quantum Cryptography events.
• CEN/CENELECcoreTechnology or IntegrationMonitors standardization activities at CEN and CENELEC. Designated member of Advisory Group for CEN-CLC/JTC 13 'Cybersecurity and Data Protection'.
• ISO (International Organization for Standardization)coreTechnology or IntegrationRepresented in ISO/TC 225 for market, opinion and social research standardization. Supports German secretariat leadership at ISO/IEC/JTC 1/SC 27/WG 5 (Information Security, Cyber Security, Privacy, Identity Management).
• DKE/VDE (German Commission for Electrical, Electronic and Information Technologies)coreTechnology or IntegrationCooperation agreement to strengthen partnership. DKE is responsible for standards in electrical engineering, electronics and IT. DKE includes CERT@VDE, a platform for coordinating IT security for industrial automation companies.
• EBCA (European Bridge CA)coreOthersTeleTrusT operates the European Bridge CA, providing Public-Key certificates for secure email communication.
• T.I.S.P. Training ProviderscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorApproved training providers delivering T.I.S.P. certification curriculum across Germany with regular training dates and community meetings.
• T.P.S.S.E. Training ProviderscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorApproved training providers delivering T.P.S.S.E. certification curriculum with training dates and community meetings.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• ClusIT: Italian Association for IT Security, the national Italian cybersecurity industry association. Comparable as a European national cybersecurity association promoting standards, awareness, and member services in its home market.
• eco – Verband der Internetwirtschaft: German Internet industry association with a strong IT security and infrastructure focus, based in Cologne. Comparable as a German industry association running trust-mark-style initiatives, member networks, and policy advocacy touching cybersecurity.

Direct peers

• Hexatrust: French IT security association of sovereign cybersecurity vendors — an explicit TeleTrusT partner association. Directly comparable as a national industry body promoting trusted cybersecurity vendors and operating trust-mark / certification schemes.
• ISACA: Global non-profit membership association for IT governance, risk, and cybersecurity professionals (CISA, CISM, CGEIT). Comparable as a non-profit running multiple professional certifications, publications, and member chapters.
• Bitkom: Germany's largest digital industry association, covering IT security among a broader digital and tech mandate. Directly comparable as a Berlin-based industry body influencing German digital policy, publishing position papers, and running member services.
• ECSO (European Cyber Security Organisation): The pan-European counterpart industry association for cybersecurity, contracted by the European Commission. Directly comparable as a non-profit cybersecurity competence network representing industry, academia, and public institutions across Europe.
• (ISC)²: Global non-profit membership association for cybersecurity professionals, best known for the CISSP credential. Comparable as a non-profit operating a flagship professional certification franchise with member communities and chapters.

Emerging players

• SANS Institute: Specialized cybersecurity training and certification body (GIAC credentials). Comparable as a competing provider of professional cybersecurity certifications and instructor-led training, though commercially structured rather than membership-based.
• Cloud Security Alliance (CSA): Global non-profit organization defining standards and certifications (CCM, CCSK, CCSP) for cloud security. Comparable as a non-profit issuing both trust marks and professional certifications in a cybersecurity sub-domain.

Broad incumbents

• Allianz für Cyber-Sicherheit: Initiative of the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) connecting German organizations with cybersecurity expertise. Comparable as a German cybersecurity network providing member services, though government-led rather than industry-led.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/teletrust_info
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/teletrust-it-security-association-germany

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 TeleTrusT