eurobits e.V. (registered association) - European Center of Competence for IT Security (Bochum)

What eurobits e.V. (registered association) - European Center of Competence for IT Security (Bochum) does

eurobits e.V. is a German non-profit registered association (eingetragener Verein) founded in 1999 in Bochum, North Rhine-Westphalia, that operates as the European Center of Competence for IT Security. The association functions as a coordination and technology-transfer hub rather than a product vendor: it integrates leading research institutes (e.g., Max-Planck-Institut für Sicherheit und Privatsphäre, hgi – Horst Görtz Institut at Ruhr University Bochum), established cybersecurity companies (secunet Security Networks, G DATA, Deutsche Telekom, HiSolutions AG, 9elements Cyber Security), startups (XignSys), and individual experts into a Europe-wide network. Its founding and institutional development owed materially to the personal backing of entrepreneur Dr.-Ing. E.h. Horst Görtz, and it is co-located in Bochum's recognized IT security district.

The association's portfolio spans certification, training, advocacy, awards, and recurring events. Its most differentiated asset is the exclusive designation as the sole German issuing body for the ECSO "Cybersecurity Made In Europe" label, which enhances the international visibility of qualifying European cybersecurity companies. Other offerings include the eurobits women academy and the Women4Cyber Germany chapter for workforce diversity, the NIS2-Anlaufstelle NRW advisory contact point for EU directive compliance, advocacy for an official IT security training profession (Fachinformatiker:in Fachrichtung IT-Sicherheit), the eurobits Excellence Award (1,000 EUR, annual since 2017), the eurobits ECSO STARTup Award, and recurring events such as the eurobits Security Summit, CYBICS, PHISH & CHIPS, and Networking Night Invest4Cyber. No proprietary technology products are developed; the value proposition is institutional convening power and curated access.

eurobits e.V. is funded primarily through membership fees from corporate, institutional, and individual members (pricing tiers governed by a published Beitragsordnung) and supplemented by event-related revenue from conferences, sponsorships, and exhibition space. Its go-to-market is community-led and event-driven — member acquisition and engagement flow through the Security Summit, member assemblies, research days, the women academy, and strategic alliances with ECSO, Allianz für Sicherheit in der Wirtschaft West (ASW West), CISO Alliance, DIGITAL.SICHER.NRW, and Pôle d'Excellence Cyber (Bretagne, France). Operating geographies span Germany (with a strong NRW concentration), the broader DACH region for member activity, and Europe via international cooperation agreements.

Name

eurobits e.V. (registered association) - European Center of Competence for IT Security (Bochum)

Legal name

eurobits e.V. – Europäisches Kompetenzzentrum für IT-Sicherheit Bochum

Website

https://eurobits.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

eurobits e.V. is a German non-profit registered association founded in 1999 in Bochum that operates as the European Center of Competence for IT Security, running a 50+ member network connecting research institutes, established cybersecurity firms, and startups through certification (ECSO "Cybersecurity Made In Europe" label), events, training, and advocacy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bochum

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: eurobits e.V. is funded through membership fees from companies, research institutions, and individual members. The association publishes its members' contribution rules (Beitragsordnung) on its website.
2. Event Revenue: The association organizes and hosts cybersecurity conferences and events, which may generate revenue through participant fees, sponsorships, or exhibition space.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

eurobits e.V. is a registered non-profit association that acts as a networking and technology-transfer hub for IT security in Europe, bundling research institutes, established companies, and startups into a common ecosystem. Its sellable offerings include the ECSO "Cybersecurity Made In Europe" certification label (as the sole German issuing body), member-exclusive events such as the eurobits Security Summit and Networking Night Invest4Cyber, training initiatives such as the eurobits women academy, advocacy programs for an IT security training profession, and the NIS2-Anlaufstelle NRW advisory contact point. Revenue is generated primarily through membership fees, event participation, and certification-related income rather than commercial software or product sales.

Product overview

Eurobits e.V. is a not-for-profit association (registered association) established in 1999 that serves as the European Center of Competence for IT Security in Bochum. Rather than offering a commercial product, eurobits functions as a networking and technology transfer organization that connects leading research institutes, established companies, and growth-stage startups in a unique European network. The organization's portfolio consists of certification services (issuing the ECSO 'Cybersecurity Made In Europe' label), training and diversity programs (eurobits women academy, Women4Cyber Germany), advocacy initiatives (IT security training profession), international partnerships, industry awards (eurobits Excellence Award, ECSO STARTup Award), and recurring events (eurobits Security Summit, Networking Night Invest4Cyber, member meetings). Its core value proposition is facilitating collaboration between academia and industry to advance IT security knowledge, commercialization, and workforce development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ECSO Label 'Cybersecurity Made In Europe' Certification label issued by eurobits e.V. as the sole German issuing body for the ECSO 'Cybersecurity Made In Europe' label. It is awarded to qualified European cybersecurity companies to enhance their international visibility and credibility.
• eurobits Security Summit Annual cybersecurity conference organized by eurobits e.V. that brings together experts from research, policy, and industry for networking, knowledge exchange, and visibility.
• NIS2-Anlaufstelle NRW Advisory contact point operated by eurobits e.V. for organizations in North Rhine-Westphalia on the EU NIS2 cybersecurity directive, supporting compliance and interpretation.
• eurobits Excellence Award Annual award of 1,000 EUR for outstanding theses that demonstrate scientific excellence along with high practical relevance for IT security and information security applications.
• eurobits ECSO STARTup Award Award program recognizing innovative cybersecurity startups in Europe, delivered in partnership with the European Cyber Security Organisation (ECSO).
• eurobits women academy (ewa) Training program for women seeking to enter the cybersecurity field, aimed at promoting diversity in the IT security sector and addressing the workforce shortage.
• Women4Cyber Germany Chapter German chapter of the European Women4Cyber initiative, operated by eurobits e.V. to promote women's participation in the cybersecurity workforce.
• Networking Night Invest4Cyber Networking event connecting cybersecurity startups with investors, organized in coordination with SuperVenture and SuperReturn industry events.
• Initiative for IT Security Training Profession Advocacy initiative for establishing an officially recognized IT security training profession in Germany, addressing the shortage of over 120,000 cybersecurity positions, led by eurobits e.V. with CISO Alliance and DIGITAL.SICHER.NRW.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 50 organizations in network
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Pôle d'Excellence Cyber (Bretagne)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 November 2024International cooperation agreement between eurobits e.V. from North Rhine-Westphalia and Pôle d'Excellence Cyber from Brittany, France. The partnership aims to conduct measures and activities that contribute to raising the IT security level in both regions and strengthening resilience in cybersecurity. The agreement was signed at the European Cyber Week in Rennes.
• European Cyber Security Organisation (ECSO)coreStrategic or Co-development Partnereurobits e.V. is the only German issuing body for the 'Cybersecurity Made In Europe' label awarded by ECSO. This partnership improves the visibility of European cybersecurity companies in the global market.
• Allianz für Sicherheit in der Wirtschaft West e.V. (ASW West)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional alliance for economic security in Western Germany, collaborating on cybersecurity initiatives and events such as the NRW Security Day.
• 9elements Cyber SecuritycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner company bringing the Open Source Firmware Conference to Europe in 2026, hosted at Pakhuis de Zwijger in Amsterdam. eurobits promotes this event as part of its conference portfolio.
• CISO AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership advocating for the introduction of a recognized training profession for IT security, addressing the shortage of 120,000+ cybersecurity professionals in Germany.
• DIGITAL.SICHER.NRWminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership working on initiatives to establish a recognized training profession for IT security in North Rhine-Westphalia and Germany.
• Women4Cyber Germany / eurobits women academycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProgram supporting women entering the cybersecurity field, successfully concluded in September 2025 with recognition from Minister Mona Neubaur. Promotes diversity in the cybersecurity workforce.
• isits AG International School of IT SecuritycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMember company organizing the CYBICS cybersecurity conference, bringing together leaders from IT, Audit, and Cyber Security to help companies strengthen digital resilience.
• secunet Security Networks AGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading German IT security provider and eurobits member, representing over 500 security experts. Long-standing security partnership with the Federal Republic of Germany since 2004.
• ZESS Bochum (Zentrum für Eingebettete Sicherheitssysteme)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for eurobits women academy graduation ceremony in September 2025, located in Bochum's IT security district.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Women4Cyber Foundation: The European foundation that eurobits' Women4Cyber Germany chapter operates under. Functions as a non-profit diversity initiative in cybersecurity, directly comparable to eurobits' women academy and Women4Cyber Germany program.
• European Cyber Security Organisation (ECSO): ECSO is the pan-European organization that awards the 'Cybersecurity Made In Europe' label, and eurobits is its sole German issuing body. Both serve as industry-association intermediaries between cybersecurity providers, end users, and policymakers, making them the most direct comparable peer.
• Security Valley e.V. Germany's largest cybersecurity industry cluster, based in the Nuremberg/Erlangen region. Operates as a membership-based association promoting IT security technology transfer between academia and industry—directly comparable to eurobits' role in Bochum.
• Allianz für Sicherheit in der Wirtschaft West e.V. (ASW West): A regional security-industry association in Western Germany that collaborates with eurobits on initiatives like the NRW Security Day. Comparable as a German security-industry association with a regional focus and member-driven advocacy model.
• Pôle d'Excellence Cyber (Bretagne): A French regional cybersecurity cluster in Brittany that operates as a competence center analogous to eurobits. The two signed a cooperation agreement in November 2024, and their shared role as regional cybersecurity hubs for industry-academia collaboration makes them directly comparable.

Emerging players

• Cyber Valley: A research consortium in AI and cybersecurity based in Stuttgart-Tübingen backed by Max Planck, the State of Baden-Württemberg, and major industry partners. Comparable to eurobits in its academia-industry translation mandate, though focused on AI/ML intersecting cybersecurity.

Broad incumbents

• CISPA Helmholtz Center for Information Security: A national BMBF-funded German research center for cybersecurity based in Saarbrücken. Comparable to eurobits in pursuing cybersecurity research and industry transfer, but operating at a much larger scale with federal funding and broader geographic reach.
• European Cybersecurity Competence Centre (ECCC): The EU's central coordination body for cybersecurity competence, established in Bucharest. Comparable to eurobits as a public-policy-oriented cybersecurity coordination hub, though operating at the EU level with significantly larger resources and governmental backing.
• ATHENE (National Research Center for Applied Cybersecurity): Germany's largest application-oriented cybersecurity research center, a joint initiative of Fraunhofer SIT and Fraunhofer IGD with TU Darmstadt and Hochschule Darmstadt. Comparable to eurobits in its academia-industry bridge function, but with substantially larger scale and federal funding.

Regional players

• SIBB e.V. (Digital Industry Berlin-Brandenburg): A regional IT industry association in Berlin-Brandenburg with cybersecurity-relevant membership. Comparable to eurobits as a non-profit industry network/association, though geographically focused on the Berlin-Brandenburg region rather than NRW.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/eurobitsCyber
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCrUpAjgpa73vG8d5Nk6j0Bw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/eurobits-cybersecurity
• Instagraminstagram.com/eurobitscyber

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about eurobits e.V. (registered association) - European Center of Competence for IT Security (Bochum)