DEG: EUR 2.9 billion committed for entrepreneurial investments in developing and emerging countries in 2025

• EUR 2.4 billion financed from own funds
• Record commitments of EUR 822 million for German business
• Latin America tops the regional list, followed by Africa
• More growth for greater impact: significant expansion planned across the whole business

DEG - Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH, continued to forge ahead in 2025 despite ongoing challenging conditions. It facilitated private investments in developing and emerging countries by making available a total business volume of EUR 2.9 billion, the majority of which – EUR 2.4 billion – was provided from own funds (2024: EUR 2.5 billion). Further funds were mobilised from private, institutional and public investors. The DEG portfolio grew to EUR 11.7 billion (2024: EUR 11.6 billion).

2025 saw DEG commit a new record volume of EUR 822 million – up more than 30% on the previous year – to financing German small and medium-sized companies, a key customer group for DEG. This amount includes financing for local companies acquiring German equipment, for example. The commitments also contain EUR 86 million in public funds from programmes such as ImpactConnect, for example for investments in Brazil by German medium-sized company Schmersal.

“2025 was another very successful financial year for DEG. For the second time in a row, we significantly exceeded the EUR 2 billion mark in new commitments from own funds. With its record volume committed for German business, DEG remains a key partner for German small and medium-sized enterprises. Furthermore, our customers open up opportunities in partner countries, by creating jobs and local value,” says Roland Siller CEO of DEG.

In 2025, DEG provided a total of EUR 1.2 million for investments that promote climate action and environmental protection. This included a USD 10 million investment in a Brazilian company that develops sustainably operated steam systems for the industrial sector.

In terms of regional distribution, the largest share of financing commitments from own funds in 2025, a total of EUR 808 million, again went to companies in Latin America. EUR 592 million was committed to companies in Africa/MENA, followed by Asia with EUR 451 million.

The development impact of the investments co-financed by DEG is considerable – its existing customers in developing countries employed around 3 million people and generated EUR 185 billion in local income last year alone.

In addition to financing, DEG offers a variety of targeted advisory services and promotional measures aimed at actively supporting customers in their transformation processes. Last year saw EUR 43 million committed through its subsidiary DEG Impulse to provide targeted support for companies, for example in climate transformation, improving working conditions and building sustainable supply chains.

In the coming years, DEG plans to expand new commitments significantly, both from own funds and from funds mobilised from other capital providers. DEG’s CEO Roland Siller emphasises that “At a time when private investors are holding back and government funding for development is decreasing, development financiers like DEG are in even greater demand. Our goal is to work together with private companies and partners to ensure that successful investments are budget-friendly, helping to achieve an even greater impact in our partner countries and create opportunities for the people there. To sum it up: more growth for greater impact.”