KFW

(IN BRIEF) In January 2025, Germany’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) saw a slight improvement in business sentiment, with the KfW ifo Business Climate Index rising by 0.6 points to -21.4 balance points. Despite this increase, sentiment remains well below … Read the full press release →

(IN BRIEF) Corporate loans in Germany grew by 1.6% in the third quarter of 2024, marking the first increase in two years, driven primarily by falling interest rates. However, the recovery is expected to slow down due to the challenging … Read the full press release →

(IN BRIEF) Naked, South Africa’s fully digital insurance platform, has secured a USD 4 million equity investment from DEG to further its growth by enhancing automation, expanding its product offerings, and attracting more customers through targeted advertising. This is part … Read the full press release →

(IN BRIEF) In Germany, a significant portion of business founders, including freelancers and sole traders, describe their ventures as start-ups, a term that has become increasingly broad in its usage. While traditional definitions of a start-up, such as those outlined … Read the full press release →

(IN BRIEF) Dr. Dirk Schumacher has been appointed as the new Chief Economist of KfW Group, effective 1 April 2025. With a doctorate in economics, Schumacher brings extensive experience from his previous roles at Commerzbank, Goldman Sachs, the European Central … Read the full press release →

(IN BRIEF) German businesses increased climate-related investments to €85 billion in 2023, a 12.1% rise from 2022, driven primarily by large enterprises. While large firms invested €50 billion (a 19% inflation-adjusted growth), SME investments fell to €35 billion, down 10% … Read the full press release →