Where the market
is moving
now
Letter volume, postage hikes, M&A in CCM, investments in document AI. What we keep an eye on so we know where the market actually stands.
- Letter volume 9.38 billion items−7.7%
The 2025 figure is a forecast by postal operators. Volume has been shrinking ~5–7 % p. a. for years.
- Standard letter postage 0.95 EURunchanged
Approved until 2026-12-31. Next decision late 2026, new rates from 2027-01-01.
- Bulk mail access rates 2026-12-31 time-limitednew decision pending
Rates for bulk mailing and consolidation are approved only until then. For consolidators the harder number than letter postage.
- M&A in CCM 6 Deals · 12 months
Window: past 12 months. The table below also lists older deals.
- IDP market 3.22 billion USD+16 to +35% CAGR
Market size 2025: Precedence Research. Forecast range across research houses; the spread comes down to the IDP definition (software vs. software plus services).
Letter volume vs. postage.
Volume falling, postage rising. Both squeeze the business model, both come from public sources.
| Year | Letter volume | Standard letter postage |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 12.37 | 0.80 |
| 2021 | 12.20 | 0.80 |
| 2022 | 11.93 | 0.85 |
| 2023 | 10.92 | 0.85 |
| 2024 | 10.16 | 0.85 |
| 2025 * | 9.38 (forecast) | 0.95 |
Movement in the CCM and IDP sector.
Curated selection of significant deals. Sources linked per deal.
Investments in document AI.
Funding rounds and market size from public sources.
Forecast range: +16 to +35% CAGR. The spread comes down to the IDP definition, i.e. software vs. software plus services. Evidence: Precedence Research 33.7%, Grand View Research 34.5%, Infosource around 16%.
| Date | Company | Amount | Round | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 2025 | KnowledgeLake | 65 Mio. USD | Growth Investment (Edison Partners) | IDP für Enterprise |
| September 2024 | DeepOpinion (jetzt Otera) | 11 Mio. EUR | Series A | ML-powered IDP-Plattform |
| January 2024 | Automation Anywhere | 200 Mio. USD | Late Stage | AI-Document-Processing, Automation |
| 2023 | Hyperscience | 100 Mio. USD | Series D | IDP für unstrukturierte Daten |
What kicks in when.
Four deadlines that force planning in 2026 and 2027. Not forecasts, but adopted rules or ongoing proceedings.
- From 2027-01-01
Postage from 2027
Proceeding under way
The BNetzA price cap proceeding has been running since January 2026, with a decision expected by year-end. New rates take effect on 2027-01-01. Deutsche Post DHL has publicly announced a substantial increase. There was no increase in 2026, so rising costs in the letter business could not be passed on.
Source: BNetzA, Postal Activity Report 2024/2025; DP DHL statements on the proceeding
- Until 2026-12-31
Access rates for bulk mail
New decision needed by end of 2026
Rates for bulk mailing and consolidation are approved only until 2026-12-31. For consolidators and bulk senders this is the harder number than standard letter postage. On 2026-03-20 the BNetzA published its current report on rates and conditions for bulk mailing and consolidation.
Source: BNetzA, Ruling Chamber 5
- From 2026-08-02
EU AI Act, Article 50
Deployer duties apply, high-risk postponed
Deployer obligations apply from 2026-08-02: disclose AI in customer contact, label deepfakes. Anyone merely using AI, such as AI layouting in output management, is a deployer, not a provider. Providers of generative AI systems already on the market before 2026-08-02 have until 2026-12-02 to meet the machine-readable labelling duty under Article 50(2). High-risk obligations were postponed by the Digital Omnibus to 2027-12-02 (Annex III) and 2028-08-02 (Annex I); the amending regulation has been in the Official Journal since July 2026.
Source: Regulation (EU) 2024/1689, as amended by Regulation (EU) 2026/1744 (Digital Omnibus)
- Staged until 2028
E-invoicing
Transition period ends late 2026
Obligation to receive e-invoices since 2025-01-01. Obligation to issue from 2027-01-01 for companies with more than EUR 800,000 prior-year revenue, from 2028-01-01 for all domestic B2B transactions. Cross-border, ViDA applies from 2030-07-01. ZUGFeRD 2.5 arrives in two steps; part one has been published since 2026-06-10 and is to be used from 2026-07-01.
Source: German Growth Opportunities Act, Sec. 14 and Sec. 27(38) VAT Act
Dialogpost (advertising mail) became more expensive in 2026 while the standard letter stayed flat. Anyone sending advertising mail does see a price movement in 2026. Source: Deutsche Post, dialogue marketing price adjustments effective 2026-01-01, around 4% on average.
Sources and data status.
Who updates what, and how often. Full transparency.
- Letter volume Germany
- Bundesnetzagentur Briefmarktbericht 2024 / Tätigkeitsbericht Post 2024/2025
- Standard letter postage
- Bundesnetzagentur, Deutsche Post DHL Pressemitteilungen
- M&A in CCM and IDP sector
- Aspire CCS, CMSWire, Unternehmens-Pressemitteilungen
- Investments in Document AI / IDP
- Industry-Roundups Intelligent Document Processing, OpenPR, Crunchbase
- Letter rate regulation (price cap and access rates)
- BNetzA, Ruling Chamber 5
- EU AI Act
- Regulation (EU) 2024/1689, Digital Omnibus (Reg. (EU) 2026/1744)
- E-invoicing
- German Federal Ministry of Finance FAQ, Growth Opportunities Act
- Letter and parcel market report
- BNetzA (German Federal Network Agency)
- Latest letter market report: as of February 2025, with actuals for 2024. The 2025 figure on this page remains a forecast until the next edition is published.