What do the long-established German companies Birkenstock, Viessmann, Linde and ebm-papst have in common? All have fallen into American hands. Traditional German family-owned businesses and small-to-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have become increasingly attractive to US companies and investors. Last year, US investors were involved in 76 acquisitions and investments in German industrial and manufacturing companies, according to an analysis by financial data provider PitchBook. The transactions were valued at about $29.5 billion (€26.3 billion) in 2025, nearly double the 2022 total. As of August 19, 2026, the figure stood at $23.9 billion.
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