Steinbeis Augsburg Business School

What Steinbeis Augsburg Business School does

Steinbeis Augsburg Business School (legal entity: Steinbeis Institute for effective Management; also operating as ABS, Steinbeis Ifem, and The Augsburg Business School) is a private continuing-education institution headquartered in Augsburg, Germany, founded in 1994 as part of the Steinbeis Foundation network — a non-profit organization of approximately 6,000 experts worldwide with over 30 years of experience in knowledge and technology transfer. The school operates roughly 25 certificate programs organized across thematic institutes covering supervisory and advisory boards, change management, ESG, sales and marketing, AI/innovation/digitalization, process and project management, coaching, and agile transformation, alongside an adjacent portfolio of consulting services (GenAI as a Service, ESG as a Service, Board as a Service, Management as a Service) and proprietary events such as Starnberger See Gespräche, the Interim Management Forum, and the DAS MANDAT conference.

The business is built on a multi-track go-to-market: open-enrollment certificate and seminar courses for individual professionals, customized inhouse training for corporate clients, and an emerging Seminar Flatrate subscription that gives employees unlimited access to the catalogue. Technology is operational rather than differentiating — a careertraining-online e-learning platform, ScoreApp and BPS personality assessments, and standard webinar infrastructure (GoToTraining, GoToMeeting) — supplemented by a proprietary Fast-Learning-Organisation (FLO) learning methodology and an ecosystem of sub-brands (Das Mandat, Evologix, Perfect Match, Executive Board Club) and advisory boards (KI Beirat, ESG Beirat).

Monetization is split between fee-for-course and fee-for-service revenue (certificates, seminars, consulting) and event-based revenue, with corporate clients including Nestlé, E.ON, ProSiebenSat1, KfW Bankengruppe, Schaeffler, and PAYBACK across consumer goods, energy, media, financial services, automotive, and retail. The school employs approximately 25 people, operates exclusively in Germany as its primary market, and positions itself as a credentialing body for AI, ESG, supervisory board, and transformation roles, leveraging the Steinbeis brand for trust and expert access.

Name

Steinbeis Augsburg Business School

Legal name

Steinbeis Institute for effective Management

Website

https://steinbeis-ifem.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Steinbeis Augsburg Business School is a private German continuing-education institution, founded 1994 within the Steinbeis Foundation network, offering ~25 certificate programs and consulting services in AI, ESG, change management, supervisory boards, and sales to individual professionals and corporate clients across multiple industries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Executive Education and Professional Certification

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Project, Program & Portfolio Management Certifications (EDAAANAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Human Resources, Organizational Behavior & Leadership Institutes (EDAHAHAG), Project, Process & Quality Certification Prep (PMP, PRINCE2, Lean Six Sigma, ITIL) (EDANAIAE), Teacher Training, Professional Development & Education Leadership (BPADAKAC)

Keywords

• Executive education
• Professional certification
• Corporate training
• Management consulting
• Continuing education

Headquarters

HQ city

Augsburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Education and Certification Programs: Revenue from certificate courses, seminars, and professional development programs for individuals and corporate clients. Programs include certification tracks for AI, ESG, change management, supervisory boards, and sales leadership.
2. Corporate Training and Inhouse Programs: Customized inhouse training solutions for companies including seminar flatrates and organizational consulting services.
3. Event-based Revenue: Revenue from exclusive events including Starnberger See Gespräche, Interim Management Forum, ESG Forum, and DAS MANDAT conference.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Steinbeis Augsburg Business School delivers practitioner-oriented certificate courses, professional seminars, and customized corporate training programs for executives, managers, and organizations. The school offers more than 25 certificate programs across AI/innovation/digitalization, ESG, change management, supervisory boards, sales/marketing, and process/project management, alongside consulting services (GenAI, ESG, Board, Management as a Service), a Seminar Flatrate subscription, executive coaching, and exclusive networking events. The institution operates as the continuing education arm of the Steinbeis Foundation network, leveraging an ecosystem of approximately 6,000 experts worldwide.

Product overview

Steinbeis Augsburg Business School is an educational institution offering a comprehensive portfolio of certificate courses, consulting services, and events. The core offering consists of approximately 25+ certificate programs across eight thematic institutes: Supervisory Boards & Advisory Boards, Change Management, ESG, Sales & Marketing, AI/Innovation/Digitalization, and Process & Project Management. Programs include Certified AI Coach, Certified AI Leader, Certified ESG Expert, Certified Expert of Change Management, Digital Process Manager, Certified Scrum Master, and various sales/leadership programs. The school also provides consulting services including GenAI as a Service, ESG as a Service, Board as a Service, Management as a Service, and AI Strategy Development. Events include Starnberger See Gespräche, Interim Management Forum, DAS MANDAT Konferenz, and SIAT Transformation Event. The institution utilizes a Fast-Learning-Organisation (FLO) methodology and offers both open enrollment courses and customized in-house training. The school is part of the Steinbeis Foundation with over 30 years of experience in knowledge and technology transfer.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Das Mandat: Board services and advisory offerings for supervisory and advisory boards
• Evologix
• Perfect Match
• Executive Board Club

Products and services

• Certified AI Coach

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% recommendation rate from participants

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Steinbeis Foundation (Steinbeis Stiftung)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent organization providing the Steinbeis network infrastructure. Steinbeis is one of the world's most successful service providers in knowledge and technology transfer, with approximately 6,000 experts globally. ABS operates as part of this network benefiting from shared resources, brand recognition, and expertise exchange.
• HWZ ZürichminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for AI Management education. Martin Szugat serves as lecturer for CAS AI Management program at HWZ Zurich.
• ISU - International Space UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for delivering educational content. Martin Szugat serves as lecturer at ISU.
• LinkedIn LearningminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorContent distribution partnership. Martin Szugat delivers data-driven marketing course through LinkedIn Learning platform.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Manager Institut: German seminar and certification provider focused on executive and management development. Directly comparable in certificate-driven, sales-led GTM, inhouse training offerings, and German mid-market/enterprise client base.
• Bitkom Akademie: German professional education provider specializing in digital, AI, and IT certifications for professionals and enterprises. Directly comparable to ABS in the AI/digital transformation certificate niche, with similar B2B audience and topical coverage.
• Haufe Academy: Major German provider of professional and management development training, inhouse academies, and certifications. Highly comparable in target audience (corporate L&D, executives), delivery model (open seminars + inhouse), and topical coverage including leadership, sales, and transformation.
• Frankfurt School of Finance & Management: German business school offering executive education, certificates, and corporate training programs. Comparable in professional certification programs and corporate client engagement, though anchored in finance rather than ABS's broader executive portfolio.

Broad incumbents

• ESMT Berlin: Established German business school with executive education, MBAs, and corporate programs. Larger and broader portfolio, but overlaps directly with ABS's executive certificate and leadership offerings for enterprise clients.
• WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management: Top-ranked German business school offering executive education and custom corporate programs. Comparable in executive certificate and leadership offerings, but with a stronger degree/MBA orientation.
• HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management: German business school with executive education programs targeting managers and corporate clients. Comparable in executive upskilling mission and corporate custom programs, though typically more research/degree-anchored than ABS.
• IHK (Industrie- und Handelskammer)继续教育网络: Germany's chamber of commerce continuing education network, providing widely recognized certifications and corporate training. Comparable in certificate-driven professional development for the German workforce, though typically more generalist.

Regional players

• Smidt Business School (formerly GISMA): European business school offering certificates and executive programs with strong DACH presence. Comparable in professional/management certification offerings for executives, though anchored more in degree programs.
• Munich Business School: Private German business school based in Munich offering executive education and certificate programs for DACH-region professionals. Comparable in certificate-driven executive upskilling and corporate training, with regional overlap in southern Germany.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/steinbeis_ifem
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/steinbeis-ifem

Compliance1 record

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 Steinbeis Augsburg Business School