40 Under 40 in Düsseldorf: What Young Mittelstand Leaders Think About Climate Financing

In spring 2026, we were invited as guests to the evening event of Capital's "40 Under 40" network in Düsseldorf — no award, no ranking spot, an evening full of good conversations. The ranking has gathered Germany's emerging leaders from Management, Politics, Business, and Society annually since 2007. The evening produced three observations directly relevant for NEXA's Climate Financing thesis: climate financing has become a mainstream topic, the Mittelstand remains underserved, and networks beat pipelines.

Why this meeting counts for NEXA

Events like these are not relevant because of trophies. They are relevant because they bring together people working at the same pace, with the same ambition, and bumping into similar friction points.

The value is not the awards wall. The value is the two or three conversations that turn honest after 11pm — where it is no longer about outside view, but about what really blocks.

Why Düsseldorf

Düsseldorf is not by chance the meeting point:

• Business metropolis with a high density of corporate headquarters and Mittelstand HQs
• Family-office location of national significance — many substantial family offices are based or have offices there
• Short distances to Cologne and the Ruhr area — logistically ideal for climate tech and real estate

We used the evening to speak with founders, investors, and family-office representatives — no pitch, no deck, just honest conversations among people breathing the same climate.

Three observations that confirm our thesis

1. Climate Financing has become mainstream

Two years ago, "Climate Financing for the Mittelstand" would have been a niche topic at such an evening. In 2026, no longer. The question has shifted — from "Why Climate Financing?" to "How exactly?". Family-office representatives ask actively about allocation vehicles, Mittelstand business owners ask about models without CAPEX. That is an important shift in the sales cycle.

2. Mittelstand remains structurally underserved

Even in this high-caliber group, it was clear: the large tickets go into large projects (utility-scale solar, wind, hydrogen). The small tickets are served by banks and KfW programs. The mid-market falls through the cracks. That is exactly NEXA's playing field — and the resonance in the room was unequivocal: a platform is missing here.

3. Network beats pipeline

Three business cards from that evening are worth more than a hundred cold LinkedIn requests. Origination in the high-quality segment works through trust, referral, and shared references — not through performance marketing.

This has direct consequences for our origination strategy: we invest deliberately in events like these, instead of putting budget into outbound funnels.

How this reflects in our origination engine

NEXA Horizons strategically operates six origination channels, and the order is not coincidental:

1. Tax advisors with IAB-relevant investors as clients
2. Energy consultants in the Mittelstand context
3. Engineering offices as technical multipliers
4. Partner network (complementary providers, industry associations)
5. Direct KAM through Mudi, Rafael, and Leandro
6. NEXA ONE standalone as a pull channel for established asset owners

These six complement — not replace — curated network events like the 40 under 40 gathering.

Take-aways

• Climate Financing has arrived thematically in the Mittelstand mainstream in 2026 — the market timing is favorable.
• The structural gap in the mid-market remains — and is the biggest market opportunity for a platform like NEXA.
• Origination in the Mittelstand works through network and referral. Full stop.
• Düsseldorf, Cologne, and the Ruhr area together form one of the densest clusters for Mittelstand climate tech in Germany.

Thanks to the hosts who create these spaces. Go if you are invited. Don't get stuck at the standing table.