What Negotiation Academy Potsdam does

Negotiation Academy Potsdam (NAP), legally Negotiation Academy Potsdam GmbH, is a German boutique consultancy founded in 2014 and headquartered in Potsdam, Brandenburg, with approximately 26 employees. It is positioned as Germany's only university-affiliated negotiation consultancy, with close scientific ties to Prof. Dr. Uta Herbst's chair at the University of Potsdam and Prof. Dr. Markus Voeth's chair at the University of Hohenheim. The firm delivers negotiation training, executive coaching, and organizational consulting to large enterprises across automotive, construction, chemicals, finance, logistics, aviation, and pharmaceuticals — including at least 9 DAX-listed companies among 76 disclosed customers, with 527 trainings delivered and over 5,600 participants coached to date. Its intellectual core is the proprietary NAP Methodology, an interdisciplinary framework combining psychology, game theory, economics, and computer science, codified in a standard textbook and an academic publication record. Revenue is generated through five streams: customized inhouse training programs (quote-based), open training seminars priced at €1,400-€2,600 per participant, individual and team coaching engagements, organizational consulting (including Competence Center implementation and Balanced Scorecard negotiation controlling), and annual NEMA software subscriptions. GTM is enterprise field sales with direct senior-consultant engagement, supplemented by event-driven thought leadership and a growing digital/online training channel. The proprietary technology stack consists of NEMA (a web application for structured negotiation preparation with Power Matrix, Issue Analysis, Offer Management, Battle Planning, and Reporting modules), NAP NegoBots (autonomous AI negotiation agents for routine structured B2B negotiations), the NAP Dashboard (AI-powered analytics over negotiation KPIs), and NAP Booklets (digital step-by-step guides). Together, the software tools are intended to scale the firm's methodology beyond human-delivered services and embed it within client sales and purchasing workflows.

Name

Negotiation Academy Potsdam

Legal name

Negotiation Academy Potsdam GmbH

Website

https://negotiation-academy-potsdam.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Negotiation Academy Potsdam is a German university-affiliated boutique consultancy that delivers negotiation training, coaching, and consulting to large enterprises, supported by proprietary digital tools including the NEMA web app, autonomous NAP NegoBots, and an AI-powered NAP Dashboard.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Negotiation consulting and corporate training services

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Negotiation & Closing Skills (EDABABAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Conflict Management, Negotiation & Difficult Conversations (EDABAAAJ), Corporate Learning & Training Content Development (EDAGAKAC), Training Delivery Providers (In-Person, Virtual, Train-the-Trainer) (BPACANAM)

Keywords

• Negotiation consulting
• Corporate negotiation training
• Executive negotiation coaching
• Negotiation management software
• University-affiliated education

Headquarters

HQ city

Potsdam

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Inhouse Training Programs: Customized negotiation training programs delivered at client locations or NAP facilities. Programs are tailored to specific organizational needs and industry requirements, including modules on NAP methodology, business games, and coaching.
2. Open Training Seminars: Public training programs including Knowledge & Competences, Application & Practice, NEMA software training, and specialized courses. Offered at set prices per participant with catering and social programs included.
3. Negotiation Coaching: Individual and team coaching services for complex and challenging negotiation situations. Includes analysis of negotiation scenarios, strategy development, workshop facilitation, and post-negotiation review.
4. Consulting Services: Organizational development and consulting services including implementation of competence centers, negotiation controlling, process redesign, and performance analysis.
5. NEMA Software Licensing: Annual licenses for the NEMA web application, available as part of training programs or separately. Provides ongoing access to digital negotiation preparation tools.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

NAP delivers professional negotiation training, individual and team coaching, organizational consulting, and proprietary digital tools built on the interdisciplinary NAP Methodology. Offerings include open seminars, customized inhouse training programs, the NEMA web application for structured digital negotiation preparation, NAP NegoBots for automating standardized negotiations, and the NAP Dashboard for negotiation analytics. The portfolio targets enterprise purchasing, sales, HR, and executive leadership functions across automotive, construction, chemical, finance, logistics, aviation, and pharmaceutical industries.

Product overview

Negotiation Academy Potsdam (NAP) is Germany's only university-affiliated negotiation consultancy, offering a portfolio of digital products and training services built on an interdisciplinary NAP Methodology. The core digital platform is NEMA (Negotiation Manager), a web application for structured negotiation preparation featuring interlinked modules (Power Matrix, Issue Analysis, Offer Management, Battle Planning, Reporting). The NAP product family also includes NAP NegoBots (autonomous negotiation agents) and the NAP Dashboard (AI-powered analytics). These digital tools are complemented by training programs — including Wissen & Kompetenzen (Knowledge & Competences), Anwendung & Praxis (Application & Practice with the 'Big Mountain' simulation), NEMA software training, and the Social Partnership Negotiations simulation — as well as professional certifications (University Certificate 'Professional Negotiator' and the MBA Negotiation Management with the University of Potsdam). Consulting sub-brands cover Coaching, Consulting, and Organizational Development services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NEMA: Negotiation Manager - an innovative software solution (webapp) that supports negotiators in optimally preparing for upcoming negotiations using algorithm-based tools.
• NAP NegoBots
• NAP Dashboard
• NAP Booklets
• NAP Learning Journey

Products and services

• NEMA (Negotiation Manager) Web-based negotiation management application that guides users through all stages of structured digital negotiation preparation using algorithm-based tools, with optional open interfaces for integration with sales and purchasing management software.
• NAP NegoBots Autonomous digital negotiation agents that independently conduct routine, standardized B2B negotiations, allowing efficiency gains by transferring large portions of structured negotiation work to automated systems.
• NAP Dashboard AI-powered analytics dashboard that aggregates negotiation data from multiple sources, structures it graphically, and uses AI-driven process evaluations to generate KPIs, identify negotiation trends, and derive strategic-organizational implications.
• NAP Booklets (How-To Guide) Digital step-by-step guides enabling independent application of the NAP methodology, including customizable templates, application examples, and success stories to support negotiators in their own situations.
• Open Training Seminar — Wissen & Kompetenzen (Knowledge & Competences) Foundational 2-day open training seminar introducing the NAP methodology covering analysis, preparation, organization, conduct, and controlling of negotiations. Priced at €1,400 per participant (exclusive of VAT), limited to 12 participants, including catering and social program.
• Open Training Seminar — Anwendung & Praxis (Application & Practice) Advanced 2-day negotiation simulation seminar using the 'Big Mountain' business game, applying the NAP methodology in multi-round, multi-party role-play negotiations. Priced at €1,400 per participant, limited to 12 participants.
• NEMA Web Application Training (2-day seminar) 2-day training seminar teaching participants to use the NEMA web application through an industry case study, including one year of NEMA access for ongoing negotiation preparation after the seminar. Priced at €1,450 per participant (net), limited to 12 participants.
• Planspiel zu sozialpartnerschaftlichen Verhandlungen (Social Partnership Negotiations Simulation) 3-day intensive seminar combining foundational NAP methodology with a realistic multi-party simulation of collective bargaining negotiations; participants role-play four labor and four employer positions. Priced at €2,600 per participant (exclusive of VAT), limited to 8 participants.
• University Certificate 'Professional Negotiator' University certificate awarded after completion of the Knowledge & Competences and Application & Practice seminars and a 30-minute oral examination; creditable toward the MBA Negotiation Management at the University of Potsdam. Exam fee €500 per person (excluding VAT).
• NAP Inhouse-Trainings (Inhouse Training) Customized in-house negotiation training programs tailored to client needs, available in German and English, delivered in-person or digitally across industries and experience levels, often combined with NAP Booklets and NEMA digital preparation tools.
• NAP Coaching Individual and team-based negotiation coaching providing structured support for complex negotiations, including analysis of negotiation scenarios, strategy development, workshop facilitation, and post-negotiation review.
• NAP Consulting Advisory services embedding scientifically validated negotiation methods into client organizations, including organizational development (Competence Centers, Learning Journeys), negotiation controlling (NAP Balanced Scorecard), and process redesign in sales and purchasing.
• NAP Organizational Development Services supporting the development and implementation of professional negotiation structures within organizations, including training lead experts and establishing Competence Centers, implemented through multi-stage processes with internal multipliers (NAP Learning Journey).
• MBA Negotiation Management Germany's first interdisciplinary MBA in Negotiation Management, founded in 2016 by Prof. Dr. Uta Herbst at the University of Potsdam in cooperation with NAP, offering managers theoretical reflection, practical exercises, and qualified feedback from negotiation experts.

Quantifiable outcome

• 70% of managers in German companies did not learn negotiation in training or studies, while 80% desire more training; even 1% improvement in negotiation performance impacts corporate profitability
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability6 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of PotsdamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClose scientific connection to Prof. Dr. Uta Herbst's chair at the University of Potsdam. NAP serves as Germany's first university-based negotiation academy. Academic Director Prof. Dr. Uta Herbst leads the MBA Negotiation Management program established in 2016.
• University of HohenheimcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClose academic connection to Prof. Dr. Markus Voeth's chair at the University of Hohenheim. Prof. Voeth serves as co-founder and Director of NAP.
• BGPartnerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation partner for events on negotiation topics. NAP presents insights on successful strategies in difficult negotiations at BGPartner events.
• UP Transfer GmbHminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAssociated company handling seminar bookings. Contact details and booking processes reference UP Transfer for training registration.
• International Research NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative network including University of St. Thomas Houston, Stockholm School of Economics, Stanford University, University of Vienna, San Jose State University, and Tilburg University for academic exchange and research cooperation.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Richardson Sales Performance: Large sales training and consulting firm offering negotiation, sales, and leadership development for enterprises. Comparable to NAP in the negotiation training segment but operates at much larger scale across broader sales content.
• Korn Ferry: Global organizational consulting firm offering talent development, leadership coaching, and sales effectiveness services. Comparable to NAP in the leadership development and executive coaching segments at enterprise scale.
• Mercuri Urval: European management consulting and executive search firm with leadership and sales development services. Adjacent to NAP as a European-headquartered organizational consulting peer with overlapping executive client base.
• Gap International: Global consulting firm focused on leadership and sales performance transformation for large enterprises. Comparable to NAP as a broader business consultancy that overlaps in executive negotiation and performance coaching.
• Dale Carnegie & Associates: Established global corporate training organization offering courses in leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills including negotiation. Comparable to NAP as a broad enterprise training incumbent with negotiation content in its portfolio.

Direct peers

• Huthwaite International: Sales performance and negotiation training firm, originator of the SPIN selling methodology. Comparable to NAP for its behavioral research foundation and enterprise negotiation/sales training programs.
• BTS: Swedish-headquartered business simulation and strategy execution firm offering business games and experiential learning — methodology closely analogous to NAP's 'Big Mountain' multi-party negotiation simulation approach.
• Black Swan Group: Negotiation consulting and training firm founded by former FBI hostage negotiator Chris Voss. Directly comparable to NAP as a specialized negotiation consultancy serving enterprise clients with proprietary methodology and training programs.
• Shapiro Negotiations Institute: Negotiation training and consulting firm specializing in negotiation, influence, and conflict resolution for global enterprises. Directly comparable to NAP in methodology-driven corporate negotiation training delivery.
• Karrass: Long-established negotiation training and consulting firm offering corporate seminars and in-house programs. Comparable to NAP as a direct competitor in negotiation skills training for sales, purchasing, and management teams.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/negotiation-academy-potsdam

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 Negotiation Academy Potsdam