DN Group AG's International Impact Forum in Frankfurt Sets Attendance Record with Speakers Including Grupp, Dr. Mohn, and Cramer

FRANKFURT AM MAIN, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)--With more than 1,000 attendees, prominent speakers, and a wealth of insights on impact investing, this year's International Impact Forum (IIF) in Frankfurt set a new attendance record. DN Group AG (ISIN: DE000A3DW408) was the event's main sponsor. Under the motto "Bridging Purpose and Performance," top experts and prominent figures of the impact scene gathered once again. Particularly in the context of multiple global crises — the consensus of the day — impact investing is more important than ever. With the International Impact Forum series, DN Group AG is driving an ongoing dialogue in major financial centers; in 2026, the series had already made a stop in Monaco.

The event opened with a high-profile panel discussion. Former Trigema head Wolfgang Grupp, entrepreneur and Bertelsmann Stiftung Chairwoman Dr. Brigitte Mohn, and successful founder Lea-Sophie Cramer discussed sustainability and responsibility in entrepreneurship. Especially in times of multiple geopolitical crises and challenges, the topic of social responsibility is more important than ever, Dr. Mohn emphasized.

"We have lived social responsibility and entrepreneurial action for seven generations, both in our family and at Bertelsmann. Social responsibility extends well beyond responsibility for the company," said Dr. Mohn. For Wolfgang Grupp, too, this is a key aspect of long-term entrepreneurial success: "It is important for an entrepreneur to serve as a role model for their employees. That also means creating a work environment in which employees feel comfortable and can develop."

At Trigema, sustainability and entrepreneurship go hand in hand: "The more sustainably I handle resources, the better off people, society, and thus our company will be," Grupp explained. For Mohn, sustainability and profit-oriented entrepreneurship are likewise no contradiction but the foundation of long-term success. In times of global uncertainty, it is all the more important for entrepreneurs to take a stand, the panelists agreed. "Companies that take a stand and put sustainability squarely in focus are rewarded. Sustainability is therefore a key success factor," said successful start-up investor Lea-Sophie Cramer.

The subsequent panels centered on the crucial role of impact investing. DN Group AG board member Dr. Andreas Rickert, impact investor Kelley Luyken, Bundesinitiative Impact Investing Managing Director Susanne Bregy, and EBRD Managing Director Maya Hennerkes discussed current trends and developments in impact investing in Germany and worldwide. The speakers agreed that impact investments are no longer a niche but a necessity, and that significantly more private capital should be mobilized to finance sustainability.

In the course of the afternoon, numerous impact companies — including Soapeya, Algene, and Epix Sports — presented their business models, underscoring the high importance of sustainability and entrepreneurship.

Ole Nixdorff, CEO of DN Group AG: "We heard it in nearly every panel today: the transformation to a sustainable economy can no longer be stopped. The more complex and challenging the global crises become, the more important impact companies with a clearly positive influence on the environment and society will be. Measurable social and ecological impact and economic returns go hand in hand."

The next IIF takes place on September 24, when the successful event series continues in Zurich.

About DN Group AG

DN Group AG invests in impact companies with strong growth prospects in future-oriented industries such as AI, mobility, the circular economy, nutrition, health, and energy, and supports them through successful IPOs. DN Group AG is one of the leading providers of advisory services for IPOs and capital market transactions, connecting fast-growing ESG companies with international institutional investors. DN Group AG thus pursues a sustainability-driven, capital-markets-focused approach and advises its portfolio partners on all capital market instruments, independently of banks.