ICO International Certification Organization

What ICO International Certification Organization does

ICO International Certification Organization GmbH is a Munich-based, ISO/IEC 17024-compliant person certification body founded in 2017. The company designs and administers 'university-level' professional certification exams in IT management disciplines including Information Security Management (ISMS 27001:2022), IT Service Management (ITSM 20000:2018), Business Continuity Management (BCM 22301:2019), Compliance (CMS 37301:2021), AI Management (AIMS 42001:2023), DevOps, Agile leadership, ITSec penetration testing, and auditing (AMS 19011:2018). Under its ITEMO brand, ICO also certifies FitSM, Scrum, and Kanban competencies. Its portfolio targets IT professionals seeking independent credentials, employers requiring verifiable staff qualifications, and training organizations needing a neutral examination body.

The underlying product is an AI-proctored online examination platform delivered on Microsoft Azure and AWS, featuring biometric identity verification via iDenfy, facial recognition through Azure Face API and AWS Rekognition, screen-integrity monitoring, multilingual exam delivery (English/German with 20 additional language display options), and Open Badge digital credentials with cryptographic verification. A three-tier partner program (Registered Partner, Mini ATO at EUR 100/year, ATO at EUR 500/year) supports a network of 23+ Accredited Training Organizations across Germany, Austria, Switzerland and beyond. ICO also operates a wholly-owned subsidiary, ICO Belgrad d.o.o. in Serbia, for exam evaluation and support.

The business model combines per-exam one-time fees (EUR 159 Foundation, EUR 219 Professional, EUR 329–649 role bundles such as ISMS/ITSM Auditor), recurring partner program subscriptions, and transactional fees for foreign certificate recognition (EUR 50). Exams are sold direct-to-consumer via the ico-cert.org e-commerce store with 24/7 global availability and 2-year transferable vouchers; free sample exams (up to 2 per person) drive top-of-funnel acquisition. ICO is led by Managing Director Robert Kuhlig and reports a small operating team of 8 employees, with no disclosed external funding.

Name

ICO International Certification Organization

Legal name

ICO - International Certification Organization GmbH

Website

https://ico-cert.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ICO International Certification Organization is a Munich-based, ISO/IEC 17024-compliant person certification body issuing globally recognized IT management certifications (ISMS, ITSM, Agile, AI, DevOps) via an AI-proctored online exam platform, serving IT professionals, employers, and training organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

IT Professional Certification Services

akta.pro primary industry

Identity & Access Management (IAM) (EDAOAIAF)

Keywords

• IT certification exams
• Professional person certification
• Online proctored examinations
• ISO management standards
• Agile scrum training

Headquarters

HQ city

Munich

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual certification exam fees: ICO generates revenue primarily from individual exam fees paid by certification candidates. Each exam package includes the exam and a sample exam. Bundles combining multiple required exams (e.g., Foundation + Professional for a role certificate) are offered at a discount vs. buying separately. Sample/practice exams are offered free (up to 2 per person) to drive conversion to paid exams. Revenue is one-time per exam attempt; vouchers are transferable and valid for 2 years, providing some revenue timing flexibility.
2. Partner program fees and volume discounts: ICO generates revenue from its three-tier partner model: Registered Partners receive at least 5% discount off ICO shop prices; Independent Trainer/Mini ATOs pay EUR 100/year and receive at least 10% discount; Accredited Training Organizations (ATOs) pay EUR 500/year and receive at least 11% discount. Higher discounts are available based on annual purchase volume. ATOs can also settle exam fees by invoice.
3. Foreign certificate recognition fees: ICO charges EUR 50 + VAT for processing recognition applications for certificates from other organizations not already on the approved list. Recognition of certificates already on the approved list is free.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ICO is an ISO/IEC 17024-accredited person certification body that develops, administers, and issues professional certifications for IT Management disciplines including Information Security (ISMS 27001), IT Service Management (ITSM 20000), AI Management (AIMS 42001), Agile/Scrum, DevOps, Business Continuity, Compliance, and Penetration Testing. Examinations are delivered online 24/7 worldwide through an AI-proctored platform with facial recognition, biometric identity verification, and multilingual support, with successful candidates receiving Open Badge digital credentials and PDF certificates.

Product overview

ICO International Certification Organization is a person certification body (as defined by ISO/IEC 17024) headquartered in Munich, Germany, founded in 2017, offering university-level professional certifications in IT Management. The portfolio consists of two main certification brands: ICO certifications (ISMS, ITSM, Agile, AI, BCM, Compliance, DevOps, ITSec, AIMS, AMS auditing) and ITEMO (IT Education Management Organisation) certifications (FitSM, Kanban, Scrum). The core product is an AI-proctored online examination system delivered via cloud infrastructure (Microsoft Azure and AWS), featuring biometric identity verification via iDenfy and facial recognition, continuous monitoring, and multilingual support. Supporting offerings include free sample exams, a network of accredited training organizations (ATOs), digital Open Badges, third-party certificate verification, and downloadable regulatory documents. The company targets IT professionals globally seeking independent, standardized certification to validate expertise in information security, service management, and agile practices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ITEMO (IT Education Management Organisation): An association of experts in IT management that identifies and defines role models within IT management with the goal of establishing an internationally recognized training concept for information technology. ITEMO offers modular training for IT managers, including FitSM and Scrum certifications.
• ICO AIMS 42001:2023
• ICO AMS 19011:2018
• ICO Agile
• ICO Artificial Intelligence
• ICO BCM 22301:2019
• ICO CMS 37301:2021
• ICO DevOps
• ICO ISMS 27001:2022
• ICO ITSM 20000:2018
• ICO ITSec Penetration Testing

Products and services

• ICO ISMS 27001:2022 Certification Suite

Quantifiable outcome

• 60% pass rate required across all ICO certification exams
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• ITEMO International Education Organization e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerITEMO (IT Education Management Organisation) is a coalition of experts in IT management that identifies and defines role models within IT management, with the goal of establishing an internationally recognized training concept for information technology. ICO administers ITEMO's certification exams (Scrum, FitSM, Kanban). ITEMO is the education provider for FitSM and Scrum topics, while ICO handles examination and certification.
• mITSM GmbHmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributormITSM GmbH (Munich, Germany) is an Accredited Training Organization (ATO) for ICO certifications, offering instructor-led training for ICO exam preparation. Also provides JIRA service desk services and project management for ICO.
• PCG Pure Consultant GmbHmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPCG Pure Consultant GmbH is an ATO offering Scrum training with ICO certification exams.
• expertplace networks group AGmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributorexpertplace networks group AG is an ATO offering ICO certification training.
• SERVIEW GmbHmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSERVIEW GmbH is an ATO offering ICO certification training.
• Digicomp Academy AGmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDigicomp Academy AG is an ATO offering ICO certification training (Swiss market).
• DB Systel GmbHminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDB Systel GmbH is an ATO offering ICO certification training.
• Goldsteps Consulting GmbH & Co. KGminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGoldsteps Consulting GmbH & Co. KG is an ATO offering FitSM Foundation training with ICO certification.
• KRIPPEL Information Security ManagementminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKRIPPEL Information Security Management is an ATO offering ICO certification training.
• Schönbrunn TASC GmbHminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSchönbrunn TASC GmbH is an ATO offering ICO certification training.
• Emendis GmbHminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEmendis GmbH is an ATO offering ICO certification training.
• PSW GROUP GmbH & Co. KGminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPSW GROUP GmbH & Co. KG is an ATO offering ICO certification training.
• Althammer & KillminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAlthammer & Kill is an ATO offering ICO certification training.
• Systemdienstleistungen.deminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSystemdienstleistungen.de is an ATO offering ICO certification training.
• CertNow GmbHminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCertNow GmbH is an ATO offering ICO certification training.
• Normiks UGminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNormiks UG is an ATO offering ICO certification training.
• IT-Sicherheitscluster e.V.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe IT-Sicherheitscluster e.V. is the education provider for the CISIS12 topic area. ICO administers certification exams for CISIS12 under this partnership. Contact: [email protected].
• Microsoft CorporationcoreTechnology or IntegrationMicrosoft Azure provides cloud infrastructure and cognitive services (Face API for facial recognition) for ICO's online examination platform. Data is processed in EU data center regions. Microsoft is EU-US Data Privacy Framework certified.
• Amazon Web Services (AWS)coreTechnology or IntegrationAWS (Amazon Rekognition for facial recognition and S3 for object storage) is used for ICO's online exam proctoring and certificate generation. Amazon Rekognition's CompareFaces function performs 1:1 biometric comparison at runtime without storing persistent biometric templates at AWS. Data is stored in EU regions.
• iDenfymajorTechnology or IntegrationiDenfy (UAB, Kaunas, Lithuania) provides identity verification services (ID document + selfie matching) for ICO's biometric 1:1 identity verification before or after exams. Operates as ICO's processor under Art. 28 GDPR.
• ICO Belgrad d.o.o.majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerICO Belgrad d.o.o. (Belgrade, Serbia) is a 100% subsidiary of ICO GmbH providing exam evaluation and correction in representation of the Munich location, marketing/sales support, and maintenance. It is a separate legal entity from ICO GmbH; data access is secured via EU Standard Contractual Clauses.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• EC-Council: EC-Council offers Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), ECSA, and other cybersecurity and penetration testing certifications. Directly comparable to ICO's ITSec Penetration Testing certification track as a competing cybersecurity credentialing body.
• ISACA: ISACA is a global professional association offering IT governance, risk, security, and audit certifications (CISA, CISM, CRISC, CGEIT, CSX-P). Directly comparable as an IT management certification body competing for the same employer recognition and candidate pool as ICO's ISMS/ITSM/Audit certifications.
• Scrum.org: Scrum.org offers Professional Scrum Master, Product Owner, and Developer certifications founded by Ken Schwaber. Directly comparable to ICO/ITEMO's Scrum Master and Product Owner certifications as a competing Scrum credentialing body.
• EXIN: EXIN is a global certification provider for IT and business professionals covering ITSM, Information Security, Agile/Scrum, and ISO-based certifications. Directly comparable to ICO's portfolio across ISMS, ITSM, Agile, Scrum, and DevOps tracks, with similar online exam delivery model.
• Scaled Agile: Scaled Agile offers SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework) certifications for Agile practitioners and leaders. Directly comparable to ICO's Agile Leader/Coach certifications and ITEMO Scrum track as a competing Agile methodology certification provider.
• AXELOS Global Best Practice (PeopleCert): PeopleCert (which acquired AXELOS) owns ITIL, PRINCE2, and other IT service management and project management certifications. Directly comparable to ICO's ITSM 20000 portfolio and represents the dominant incumbent in IT service management certification that ICO competes against.
• APMG International: APMG International accredits and manages ISO-based certifications including ISO/IEC 20000 (ITSM) and ISO/IEC 27001 (ISMS). Directly comparable to ICO's ISO-based certification tracks and operates a similar accredited training organization partner model.
• (ISC)²: (ISC)² is the international nonprofit association offering the CISSP, CCSP, and other cybersecurity certifications. Directly comparable to ICO's ISMS 27001 and ITSec Penetration Testing certifications as a credentialing body for security professionals.

Broad incumbents

• CompTIA: CompTIA is a large incumbent IT certification provider offering Security+, Network+, CySA+, and other foundational IT certifications. Comparable to ICO as an IT certification body but with a broader, more vendor-neutral portfolio and significantly larger market presence.

Emerging players

• IIBA (International Institute of Business Analysis): IIBA offers CBAP, ECBA, and other business analysis certifications. Partially comparable to ICO's IT management certification portfolio with similar professional credentialing model, but focused on business analysis rather than IT security/service management.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/61557903844265
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ico-international-certification-organization

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 ICO International Certification Organization