GENA

What GENA does

GENA (Global Exchange Network Association) is an international not-for-profit industry association organized under Belgian law as an AISBL/IVZW, originally founded in 2011 as the European E-Invoicing Service Providers Association (EESPA) and rebranded to GENA at the end of October 2023 to reflect an expanded global mandate. Headquartered at Avenue de Cortenbergh 66 in Brussels, GENA convenes over 150 members across 27 countries, including service and solution providers in e-invoicing, compliance, procurement, ERP, finance, and network technologies, with members such as SAP, IBM, Sage, Basware, Tradeshift, Sovos, Thomson Reuters, Swedbank, and Esker. The association does not deliver a software product; instead, it provides an interoperability ecosystem comprising five working groups (Interoperability, Public Policy and Compliance, Invoice Finance, Supply Chain, Innovation), nine regional chapters (Nordics, Italian, German, Middle-East, APAC, French, Greek, UK, Benelux), publications and position papers, the GENA Academy training program, and industry events including the E-Invoicing Exchange Summit and IDT Summit. Its core technical contributions center on standards advocacy: the Global Exchange Network Interoperability Framework, the four-corner exchange model, the Decentralized CTC and Exchange (DCTCE) 5-corner model adopted in France, Singapore, Slovakia, and UAE, and alignment with the OpenPeppol framework.

GENA is funded primarily through recurring membership fees from full and associate members, supplemented by revenue from GENA Academy training sessions (priced at €500-1,200 depending on geography and membership status) and event registration and sponsorship fees. The organization maintains direct engagement with the European Commission (DG GROW), CEN standards bodies, and national tax authorities on directives including ViDA and the EN16931-1:2026 e-invoicing standard. Strategic partnerships with OpenPeppol, DSPANZ (Australia/New Zealand), VeR (Germany), and Billentis extend its interoperability reach and co-author industry publications. Member firms collectively process over 3 billion invoices annually. The 18-person secretariat is led by Chair Christiaan van der Valk, Vice-Chairs Bengt Nilsson and Kathya Peimbert (elected at the 2025 Vienna AGM), Secretary General Marcus Laube, and Head of Secretariat Natacha Clarac of Athenora consulting.

Name

GENA

Legal name

Global Exchange Network Association (GENA)

Website

https://gena.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

GENA is a Brussels-based international not-for-profit association uniting 150+ e-invoicing, compliance, ERP, and network service providers across 27 countries to drive interoperability, policy advocacy, and industry standards for digital trade.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Brussels

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees for full and associate members including service providers, solution providers, and organizations in e-invoicing, compliance, procurement, ERP, finance, and network technologies sectors
2. GENA Academy Training Programs: Revenue from e-invoicing training sessions held in various locations (Dubai, Frankfurt, Philadelphia, USA) with pricing tiers for members and non-members
3. Event Fees: Registration and sponsorship fees for events including Annual General Meetings, E-Invoicing Exchange Summit, and regional chapter meetings

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

GENA is an international not-for-profit industry association that unites 150+ service and solution providers across e-invoicing, compliance, procurement, ERP, finance, and network technologies to drive interoperability, innovation, and market adoption of digital trade. Its core offering is a membership-based ecosystem that delivers working groups, regional chapters, the GENA Academy training programs, publications, position papers, and industry events such as the Annual General Meeting and the E-Invoicing Exchange Summit.

Product overview

GENA (Global Exchange Network Association) is an international not-for-profit industry association (AISBL/IVZW under Belgian law), originally established as EESPA in 2011. Rather than offering a product or platform, GENA provides a membership-based ecosystem that includes working groups (Interoperability, Public Policy and Compliance, Invoice Finance, Supply Chain, Innovation), regional chapters (Nordics, Italian, German, Middle-East, APAC, French, Greek, UK, Benelux), publications and white papers, GENA Academy training programs, and industry events. GENA facilitates collaboration among 150+ service and solution providers across e-invoicing, compliance, procurement, ERP, finance, and network technologies to drive interoperability, innovation, and market adoption worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• GENA Membership (Full and Associate) Annual membership for service and solution providers in e-invoicing, compliance, procurement, ERP, finance, and network technologies, providing access to working groups, regional chapters, policy advocacy, and the GENA member ecosystem of 150+ organizations across 27 countries.
• GENA Academy Training Programs Paid training sessions on e-invoicing and tax reporting requirements, delivered to members and non-members in cities including Dubai, Frankfurt, and Philadelphia, with tiered pricing for members, corporates, and specific partner workforces.
• GENA Industry Events (Annual General Meeting, E-Invoicing Exchange Summit, IDT Summit) Recurring flagship events for the global e-invoicing community, including the Annual General Meeting, the E-Invoicing Exchange Summit, the IDT Summit, and regional Reality Check events, with registration and sponsorship fees for members and industry stakeholders.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 3 billion invoices processed annually by member community
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments3 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

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• BillentisminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 June 2026GENA partnership with the 2026 Billentis Report 'Riding the Tornado: A Guide to Mastering E-Invoicing and Compliance', supporting the annual industry report publication.
• DSPANZ (Digital Service Providers Australia New Zealand)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 June 2022Memorandum of Understanding on strategic cooperation signed between EESPA/GENA and DSPANZ. Both organizations share similar objectives to improve adoption of business document automation and e-invoicing. DSPANZ represents e-invoicing providers across Australia and New Zealand while GENA represents this industry at European level. Combined forces to increase awareness and adoption of e-invoicing worldwide and promote cooperation in interoperability and advocacy.
• OpenPeppolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 February 2022Strategic cooperation to align interoperability frameworks. Both organizations co-created and support the Global Interoperability Framework based on the four-corner exchange model. A joint working group was established to make recommendations for convergence of their respective interoperability efforts, working towards a common framework based on multi-stakeholder governance.
• VeR (Verband elektronische Rechnung - German Association of Electronic Invoicing)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 January 2022Strategic cooperation agreement where VeR presents itself as 'EESPA Chapter Germany'. Both organizations share similar objectives to improve adoption of business document automation and e-invoicing. VeR leadership attends EESPA Executive and Working Committees. Members of VeR can become members of EESPA without paying an admission fee.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• DigitalEurope: European trade association representing the digital technology industry. Comparable as a Brussels-based industry association with overlapping regulatory engagement (DG GROW), although broader in scope than GENA's e-invoicing focus.
• European Association of Corporate Treasurers (EACT): Pan-European not-for-profit association representing corporate treasurers, with adjacent interest in digital invoicing/finance. Comparable as a European membership-based industry association serving financial and treasury professionals, though narrower in scope than GENA.
• European Technology Chamber (ETC): International not-for-profit membership organization promoting digital transformation and standardization. Comparable structural model (Brussels-anchored, international membership associations), though broader scope than GENA's e-invoicing focus.
• ACT (The Association of Corporate Treasurers): International body for corporate treasury professionals with emphasis on standards, education, and policy. Operates a similar membership-driven professional association model that overlaps with GENA's invoice finance working group interests.

Direct peers

• OpenPeppol: International non-profit organization governing the Peppol interoperability framework for e-invoicing and supply chain automation. Both organizations co-developed the Global Interoperability Framework and have a joint working group on convergence, making OpenPeppol the closest conceptual peer to GENA.
• DSPANZ (Digital Service Providers Australia New Zealand): Industry association for e-invoicing and digital service providers in Australia and New Zealand. DSPANZ has a formal MOU with GENA/EESPA to jointly promote e-invoicing adoption and interoperability, functioning as a regional counterpart.

Others

• Billentis: Independent research and advisory firm publishing the annual 'Mastering E-Invoicing' report. Listed as a thematic peer / knowledge partner — GENA partners with Billentis on the 2026 report — rather than a direct membership association.
• EESPA (legacy / conceptual): GENA's predecessor entity. Listed here only as a historical reference; the entity was renamed to GENA in 2023 and there is no separate operational peer.

Regional players

• VeR (Verband elektronische Rechnung): German Association of Electronic Invoicing, presenting itself as 'EESPA Chapter Germany'. Operates as a regional peer within GENA's chapter structure, focusing on local e-invoicing adoption and policy.

Emerging players

• OCF (Open Connectivity Foundation): Industry standards organization for IoT and connectivity interoperability. Comparable as a non-profit industry association driving interoperability standards, though in a different technology vertical.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gena-net

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 GENA