Informationsdienst Holz

What Informationsdienst Holz does

Informationsdienst Holz is a Düsseldorf-based, non-profit technical information service for the German timber construction industry, operated by the registered association Informationsverein Holz e.V. (Amtsgericht Düsseldorf, VR 11814). The service has operated continuously since 1953 — making it the oldest information service of its kind for the building sector — and was formally constituted as an association in 2009 by timber construction entrepreneurs, planners, and university professors. With a lean team of approximately 8 employees, it provides manufacturer-neutral (herstellerunabhängig) technical knowledge to architects, structural engineers (Tragwerksplaner), carpenters, building owners, and educational institutions. Its core offerings include the holzbau handbuch series of approximately 70 technical publications covering design, structural planning, building materials, and building physics, plus specialized holzbau spezial and holzbau statik aktuell publications.

The organization's digital infrastructure comprises dataholz.eu, an online catalog of physically and ecologically tested wood products and building components with verified characteristic values from accredited testing institutions (used as documentation for building authorities); the Bildungsplattform e-learning platform developed in collaboration with timber construction specialists and adult education experts; the Forschungsarchiv, a research archive of approximately 400 reports dating from 1973 onward; the Holzbauten database documenting 200+ contemporary timber construction buildings; and the Raumluftqualität indoor air quality portal. The free Fachberatung Holzbau advisory service (Monday-Friday 9:00-16:00) has cumulatively delivered 20,000 expert consultations as of July 2026. Distribution occurs through the central website with free PDF downloads, monthly newsletter, LinkedIn/Facebook presence, industry events (notably the Hochschultage Holzbau for university educators), and a cooperation with Baunetz Wissen.

Revenue derives from four streams: annual membership fees from 850+ association members (as of January 2025) providing access to a 30-year publication archive, event discounts, and preferential pricing; one-time fees on premium publications (e.g., the 340-page Holztafelbau at €39 standard / €19 for students and apprentices); subscription access to the fee-based Bildungsplattform with member discounts introduced in 2025; and industry funding from a consortium including Holzbau Deutschland, regional Landesverbände, proHolz initiatives, and the Verband niedersächsischer Zimmermeister. The organization is governed by a board elected every three years and co-publishes with Holzbau Deutschland Institut e.V. and Studiengemeinschaft Holzleimbau e.V.

Name

Informationsdienst Holz

Legal name

Informationsverein Holz e.V.

Website

https://informationsdienst-holz.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1953

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Informationsdienst Holz is a Düsseldorf-based non-profit technical information service for the German timber construction industry, providing manufacturer-neutral publications, the dataholz.eu materials catalog, a Bildungsplattform e-learning platform, and free expert advisory services to architects, structural engineers, carpenters, and building owners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Düsseldorf

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: Annual membership fees from the Informationsverein Holz e.V. provide core funding. Members receive access to archive of publications from the last 30 years, discounts on events, and preferential pricing on standard works.
2. Publication sales: Sale of premium publications such as the Holztafelbau (340 pages) at €39 for standard pricing and €19 for students/apprentices. Most publications are available free as PDF downloads.
3. E-learning platform fees: Paid access to the Bildungsplaltform online training platform. Since 2025, members receive special discounts on the fee-based training platform.
4. Industry funding and sponsorships: Financial support from industry associations including Holzbau Deutschland, Landesverbände, and regional wood initiatives. The Fachberatung is financially enabled by funding partners.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Informationsdienst Holz is a non-profit information service for the German timber construction (Holzbau) industry, operated by Informationsverein Holz e.V. It publishes technical reference works such as holzbau handbuch, holzbau spezial, and holzbau statik aktuell, runs a free Fachberatung Holzbau expert advisory service, and provides an online e-learning Bildungsplattform, the dataholz.eu materials catalog, a Holzbauten building database, an indoor air quality portal, and a member newsletter.

Product overview

Informationsdienst Holz operates as an information and advisory service for timber construction, offering a portfolio of publications, digital platforms, and advisory services. The core offerings include the holzbau handbuch series (technical handbooks in ~70 titles), holzbau spezial publications, and holzbau statik aktuell for structural analysis. Digital platforms include the Bildungsplattform (e-learning platform for timber construction education), dataholz.eu (online catalog of verified wood products and components), and the Holzbauten database of 200+ timber buildings. The Fachberatung (expert advisory service) provides free telephone and email consultation for architects, engineers, and builders. Supporting services include the Raumluftqualität portal, Forschungsarchiv (research archive from 1973-present), Baunetz Wissen cooperation, and a password-protected member area with 30-year publication archive access. The organization is operated by Informationsverein Holz e.V. and serves building clients, planners, craftspeople, and educators with manufacturer-neutral technical knowledge.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• dataholz.eu: Online catalog for timber construction containing physically and ecologically tested and/or approved wood and wood-based materials, building materials, building components and connections.
• Holzbau-Deutschland-Bildungsplattform
• Holz-und-Raumluft
• holzbau handbuch
• holzbau spezial
• holzbau statik aktuell

Products and services

• holzbau handbuch

Quantifiable outcome

• 20,000 expert consultations provided to architects, engineers, and building professionals
• +1 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Holzbau Deutschland Institut e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009Co-publisher of Informationsdienst Holz publications. Provides technical expertise and ensures manufacturer-neutral content. Operates the Fachberatung (expert consultation) service in partnership with Informationsverein Holz.
• Studiengemeinschaft Holzleimbau e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-publisher of Informationsdienst Holz publications. Contributes to technical content development and quality assurance for wood construction information.
• Förderpartner Deutscher HolzbaucoreOthersFunding consortium enabling the free Fachberatung service, including Holzbau Deutschland, Landesverbände, Informationsverein Holz, Landesbeirat Holz Niedersachsen, proHolz Baden-Württemberg, proHolz NRW, and Verband niedersächsischer Zimmermeister.
• 81fünf high-tech & holzbau AGminorOthersPremium contributing member of Informationsverein Holz, one of several corporate members supporting the association's activities.
• Gesamtverband Deutscher Holzhandel e.V.minorOthersContributing member representing the German wood trade industry within the Informationsverein Holz network.
• Baunetz WissenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration where Informationsdienst Holz manages the 'Holz' (Wood) chapter on Baunetz Wissen, a major German online knowledge platform for architecture and building technology. The cooperation is supported by Informationsverein Holz, Holzbau Deutschland-Institut, and Studiengemeinschaft Holzleimbau.
• Frankfurt University of Applied SciencesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner collaborating on the Hochschultage Holzbau (University Days for Wood Construction), an event for higher education instructors in civil engineering.
• Fachagentur Nachwachsende Rohstoffe e.V. (FNR)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch agency working with Informationsdienst Holz on the Hochschultage Holzbau event. Hosts the office of the Federal Wood Construction Initiative on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Food and Agriculture.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Forest & Wood Products Australia: Australian industry services body delivering research, education, and design resources for timber construction. Comparable mission of bridging research, codes, and practitioner knowledge in a regional market.
• proHolz Baden-Württemberg: Regional German wood-promotion cluster and IDH funding partner. Provides cluster-level publications, events, and member services for the Baden-Württemberg timber sector, with substantial overlap with IDH's audience and content.
• proHolz Austria: Austrian wood-promotion cluster operating a comparable model of publications, education, and advisory services for the Austrian timber sector. Same 'proHolz' cluster concept as proHolz Baden-Württemberg and proHolz NRW that already partner with IDH.

Broad incumbents

• WoodWorks: US non-profit providing technical support, education, and publications for commercial and multi-family wood construction. Closest North American analog to IDH's combination of code-aligned publications and design-support services.
• American Wood Council: US trade association developing design standards, codes, and technical publications for wood construction. Comparable role as a code-and-standards reference body for the building industry, though with a stronger standards-development function.
• Canadian Wood Council: Canadian federation providing technical publications, design tools, and educational programming for wood construction. Closest Canadian analog of IDH's reference-publication and design-support mandate.

Direct peers

• Think Wood: Wood-promotion initiative funded by North American lumber associations delivering free continuing-education courses, case studies, and technical resources for architects and engineers — a direct functional analog of IDH's e-learning and publication model.
• Studiengemeinschaft Holzleimbau e.V. Co-publisher of IDH publications focused on glued-laminated timber. Provides industry-association content, technical documentation, and quality assurance for engineered wood — directly overlapping IDH's content mandate.
• Holzbau Deutschland Institut e.V. Co-publisher of IDH publications and operator of the Fachberatung partnership. Operates a near-identical mission of providing manufacturer-neutral technical knowledge to the German timber construction industry.

Others

• Baunetz Wissen: Major German online architecture and building-technology knowledge platform with which IDH cooperates to deliver its 'Holz' chapter. Operates as a broader-knowledge enabling platform rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/informationsdienst-holz

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Informationsdienst Holz