Sustainability is a hot topic—and just as often the subject of critical scrutiny. Labels, certificates, greenwashing debates: for many companies, the key question is no longer whether sustainability is important, but how it can be implemented credibly.

neosfer addressed this question and obtained B Corp certification in 2023 – and recently successfully completed recertification. One thing is clear: this is not a seal that can be obtained “just like that.” The process is intensive and affects culture, governance, and everyday decisions.

Sustainable finance has long been considered one of the major topics of the future in the industry. Today, it is discussed much less frequently—in public, in politics, and often in companies as well. Energy crises, inflation, and geopolitical tensions have brought other issues to the forefront. But does that really mean that sustainability is losing importance?

Quite the contrary, says our guest Matthias Hübner from the Sustainable Finance Cluster. While the public hype is subsiding, the topic is continuing to develop in the background – in a more structured, data-driven way and with a clearer focus than just a few years ago.

Together with Dirk and Sarah, he talks about where sustainable finance really stands today, which trends are currently having an impact (both positive and negative), and why the impression that the topic is “over” is misleading.

Germany is considered a hub for innovation—but is that still true? Professional futurologists paint a different picture. While international companies are forging ahead with AI, deep tech, and new business models, German companies are often lagging behind.

Sven Janszky from the 2b AHEAD ThinkTank has been conducting systematic futurology research for several decades. His method: strategic foresight. Based on this, he and his team invest in the startups that will shape the market of tomorrow.

Dirk and Fabian talk to Sven about the mechanisms of genuine trend research, why Germany is falling behind in innovation, and which trends will really be relevant in the coming years. From neobanks to embedded finance to AI – which developments are overrated and which are underrated?

How healthy is Germany financially? The Financial Health Initiative has measured this for the first time. The result: 52.83 out of 100 points. In concrete terms, this means that only one in three people can cope with an unexpected large expense. For many, a broken washing machine quickly becomes a problem.

The study also shows that personal financial health has nothing to do with region or gender—but a lot to do with education, age, and life situation.

Sarah talks to Emanuel Renkl from the Financial Health Initiative and Markus Lehleiter from the House of Finance & Tech about what the first Financial Health Score for Germany means, which groups are particularly at risk, and what role AI can play in this.

Margins in the banking industry are under pressure. Banks worldwide invest over $650 billion in IT every year – much of which goes toward modernizing old systems. At the same time, banking-as-a-service is booming: instead of developing everything themselves, banks are increasingly renting ready-made financial services.

But does the combination of white-label solutions and AI really lead to an efficiency revolution? Or are these just exaggerated promises?

Fabian and Dirk discuss this in episode #141 with Konstantin Kavvadias, CFO of Solaris – one of the first BaaS providers. We discuss which efficiency gains are measurable, where the limits lie, and what banks need to do now to remain competitive.

In episode #138, we spoke with Simon Seiter from AllUnity about the basics of stablecoins. His statement: “I see stablecoins as a huge opportunity.” But what is the reality? While US companies are already actively working with stablecoins, German SMEs are still hesitant.

Why is that? What specific advantages do stablecoins offer banks and corporations? And what do companies need to do now to avoid being left behind?