section_path: Data/Companies
section_name: Companies
paragraph_text: Companies
  
  Of the world's 500 largest stock-market-listed companies measured by revenue in 2024, the Fortune Global 500, 29 are headquartered in Germany. 40 Germany-based companies are included in the DAX, the most popular German stock market index. 26 of Europe's 100 largest are German, among them Allianz, the world's largest insurance company and one of the largest financial services groups and asset managers, largest in Europe; Munich Re, also one of the largest insurance companies; Daimler, Volkswagen, and BMW, among the biggest car markers in the world; Siemens, the world's biggest industrial machinery company; Deutsche Telekom, one of the world's largest telecommunication companies; Bayer, among the biggest biomedical companies; BASF, the world's biggest chemical producer, and SAP, Europe's biggest software company. Other major companies include Lufthansa, Europe's largest airline, Deutsche Post, the largest logistics company worldwide, Deutsche Bahn, the largest railway company in the world, Bosch, the world's largest automotive supplier, Uniper, the world's largest energy company, and Aldi and Schwarz Gruppe, Europe's largest retailers.
  
  Germany is recognised for its specialised small and medium enterprises, known as the Mittelstand model. SMEs account for more than 99 percent of German companies. Around 1,000 of these companies are global market leaders in their segment and are labelled hidden champions.
  
  From 1991 to 2010, 40,301 mergers and acquisitions with an involvement of German firms with a total known value of 2,422 bil. EUR have been announced. The largest transactions since 1991 are: the acquisition of Mannesmann by Vodafone for 204.8 bil. EUR in 1999, the merger of Daimler-Benz with Chrysler to form DaimlerChrysler in 1998 valued at 36.3 bil. EUR.
  
  Berlin developed an international startup ecosystem and became a leading location for venture capital funded firms in the European Union.
  
  The sector with the highest number of companies registered in Germany is Services with 1,443,708 companies followed by Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate and Construction with 480,593 and 173,167 companies respectively.
  
  The list includes the largest German companies by revenue in 2011:
  
  Of the world's 500 largest stock-market-listed companies measured by revenue in 2024, the Fortune Global 500, 29 are headquartered in Germany. 40 Germany-based companies are included in the DAX, the most popular German stock market index. 26 of Europe's 100 largest are German, among them Allianz, the world's largest insurance company and one of the largest financial services groups and asset managers, largest in Europe; Munich Re, also one of the largest insurance companies; Daimler, Volkswagen, and BMW, among the biggest car markers in the world; Siemens, the world's biggest industrial machinery company; Deutsche Telekom, one of the world's largest telecommunication companies; Bayer, among the biggest biomedical companies; BASF, the world's biggest chemical producer, and SAP, Europe's biggest software company. Other major companies include Lufthansa, Europe's largest airline, Deutsche Post, the largest logistics company worldwide, Deutsche Bahn, the largest railway company in the world, Bosch, the world's largest automotive supplier, Uniper, the world's largest energy company, and Aldi and Schwarz Gruppe, Europe's largest retailers.
  
  Germany is recognised for its specialised small and medium enterprises, known as the Mittelstand model. SMEs account for more than 99 percent of German companies. Around 1,000 of these companies are global market leaders in their segment and are labelled hidden champions.
  
  From 1991 to 2010, 40,301 mergers and acquisitions with an involvement of German firms with a total known value of 2,422 bil. EUR have been announced. The largest transactions since 1991 are: the acquisition of Mannesmann by Vodafone for 204.8 bil. EUR in 1999, the merger of Daimler-Benz with Chrysler to form DaimlerChrysler in 1998 valued at 36.3 bil. EUR.
  
  Berlin developed an international startup ecosystem and became a leading location for venture capital funded firms in the European Union.
  
  The sector with the highest number of companies registered in Germany is Services with 1,443,708 companies followed by Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate and Construction with 480,593 and 173,167 companies respectively.
  
  The list includes the largest German companies by revenue in 2011:
  
  Of the world's 500 largest stock-market-listed companies measured by revenue in 2024, the Fortune Global 500, 29 are headquartered in Germany. 40 Germany-based companies are included in the DAX, the most popular German stock market index. 26 of Europe's 100 largest are German, among them Allianz, the world's largest insurance company and one of the largest financial services groups and asset managers, largest in Europe; Munich Re, also one of the largest insurance companies; Daimler, Volkswagen, and BMW, among the biggest car markers in the world; Siemens, the world's biggest industrial machinery company; Deutsche Telekom, one of the world's largest telecommunication companies; Bayer, among the biggest biomedical companies; BASF, the world's biggest chemical producer, and SAP, Europe's biggest software company. Other major companies include Lufthansa, Europe's largest airline, Deutsche Post, the largest logistics company worldwide, Deutsche Bahn, the largest railway company in the world, Bosch, the world's largest automotive supplier, Uniper, the world's largest energy company, and Aldi and Schwarz Gruppe, Europe's largest retailers.
  
  Germany is recognised for its specialised small and medium enterprises, known as the Mittelstand model. SMEs account for more than 99 percent of German companies. Around 1,000 of these companies are global market leaders in their segment and are labelled hidden champions.
  
  From 1991 to 2010, 40,301 mergers and acquisitions with an involvement of German firms with a total known value of 2,422 bil. EUR have been announced. The largest transactions since 1991 are: the acquisition of Mannesmann by Vodafone for 204.8 bil. EUR in 1999, the merger of Daimler-Benz with Chrysler to form DaimlerChrysler in 1998 valued at 36.3 bil. EUR.
  
  Berlin developed an international startup ecosystem and became a leading location for venture capital funded firms in the European Union.
  
  The sector with the highest number of companies registered in Germany is Services with 1,443,708 companies followed by Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate and Construction with 480,593 and 173,167 companies respectively.
  
  The list includes the largest German companies by revenue in 2011: