We are Germany’s bank of choice

, Our focus on mid-market companies

What makes Commerzbank the best bank for the mid-market sector?

Kensy: Well, merchants helped to found Commerzbank, and over the course of our 150-year and more history, financing for the mid-market sector has always been a part of the Bank’s DNA. Obviously we didn’t just decide to call ourselves the best bank for the mid-market sector. We were ranked Best Mittelstandsbank by renowned FINANCE magazine in its Bank Survey 2025 , and industry magazine Euromoney named us 2026’s Best German Bank for SMEs.

Dr Otto: Our profound understanding of the German Mittelstand has grown over time. We know our way around all industries, whether we are talking about high-tech mechanical engineering companies or companies like tonies GmbH, the largest interactive audio platform for children, which has relied on our in-depth understanding of its business model and full range of advisory services right from the start.

Mueller: During my first weeks as Divisional Board Member, I had the opportunity to hold numerous conversations with our clients, and one thing quickly became clear: Commerzbank is firmly established as a reliable partner for Germany’s Mittelstand. For many years, we have stood out for our reliability, exceptional commitment, and comprehensive expertise. In these conversations, I repeatedly receive feedback that we have a profound understanding of our clients’ business models, challenges, opportunities, and regional particularities. On this foundation, we develop tailored solutions, always in collaborative partnership.

As a leading bank for SMEs: What do you understand by your commitment to being a reliable partner for SMEs in Germany and internationally?

Dr Otto: Being the best bank for the mid-market sector means that we stand for clear values which we share with our target group. Above all, we are guided by a desire to meet our clients’ expectations in everything we say and do. Our full range of services enables us to offer tailored solutions that cover all our clients’ needs. The Bank’s generalists and many specialists in Germany and abroad have a strong sense of responsibility and enthusiasm for the mid-market, offering corporate clients the best of both worlds: smart corporate banking with personal service.

Mueller: This commitment also includes supporting our clients in their international activities. Germany’s Mittelstand is highly export-oriented, and we actively assist them in this regard. We rank among the leading export banks, accounting for around 30 per cent of all payment transactions for Germany’s foreign trade.

Kensy: We monitor our corporate clients’ import and export business, adjusting the locations of our branch offices, branches, representative offices and correspondent banks along new trade corridors. Most recently, the Baltic has become increasingly important for our corporate clients, so we followed suit and opened a new branch in Vilnius in December 2024.

What is your strategy?

Mueller: For us, clients proximity means that the growth opportunities of our clients shape our global location strategy. To provide the best possible advice, we must identify international developments at an early stage and position ourselves accordingly.

Dr Otto: In a nutshell: we will always be where our clients recognise market potential and where they need us. At the moment, that is mainly in Switzerland, the USA and the euro area.

Kensy: Switzerland is a key European growth region. Since Credit Suisse, with its strong corporate clients business, was acquired by UBS, corporate clients in Switzerland have been searching for alternatives, more so because the Swiss manufacturing industry is highly export-oriented. We are one of the great winners of this development. We see potential for capital market products, trade financing and hedging products – and for Swiss franc-denominated bonds.

Dr Otto: The USA is also an important region with significant potential (especially if you look at macroeconomic data) and it sees a record level of direct investment. Its financing needs are immense.

Turning back to Germany: what would you say your main responsibility is as a mid-market bank?

Mueller: As the bank of Germany’s Mittelstand, we are well aware of this special responsibility. This includes supporting our clients in addressing one of the greatest and most complex challenges of our time. In addition to sustainable transformation, this also specifically involves the expansion and modernization of infrastructure as well as security- and defense-related investments, which are becoming increasingly significant. Medium-sized companies can rely on our expertise, our sector-specific knowledge, and the experience of our specialists—ranging from strategic assessment to structuring and tailored financing solutions.

Dr Otto: Clients can also rely on the expertise of our Center of Competence Green Infrastructure Finance (CoC GIF), through which we promote the expansion of renewable energy. By financing the specific infrastructure required – such as grids and storage facilities – we are laying the foundation for carbon-neutral electrification.

Kensy: Combining growth and sustainability is a key issue for the German Mittelstand and we at Commerzbank have the answers. Waste disposal and recycling specialist KNETTENBRECH + GURDULIC, for example, has been relying on Commerzbank for years – as its trusted partner and expert for sustainable financing solutions, from the hydrogen powertrains of its waste management vehicles to its modern biomass thermal power plant in Wiesbaden.

The mid-market sector is not only working on its green transformation, but also on its digital transformation. What can Commerzbank offer here?

Dr Otto: In short: innovative solutions coupled with personal advice and smart banking services, always in tune with technological developments and client demands. We are always identifying new challenges and opportunities for our clients, expanding our digital channels and optimising platforms.

Mueller: From our conversations with medium-sized clients, we know that development and adaptation cycles must be short to remain consistently state-of-the-art. This mindset applies not only to digital matters but to every change process, such as succession planning. What's always essential is a timely, holistic perspective. For instance, we provide support and advice to Paul Lange & Co. OHG, a leading European company in the bicycle industry, across generations. We are proud of an enduring partnership that has lasted for more than 60 years. Continuous implementation actions are required, particularly with regard to customer experience. Stability and change are embedded in our DNA as two sides of the same coin—a defining characteristic of Commerzbank’s Mittelstandsbank.