25 years anniversary of DF Deutsche Forfait AG - From Cologne to the world!

Cologne, 17 February 2025 – Congratulations! Exactly 25 years ago, a multi-faceted, moving success story began with the entry of DF Deutsche Forfait AG in the Cologne Commercial Register. DF Group is 25 years young today!

DF Deutsche Forfait AG was entered in the commercial register of the City of Cologne on 17 February 2000. This marked the beginning of an eventful success story of a foreign trade financier with many ups and downs. Could anyone have guessed at that time what a colourful path lay ahead of the company?

The company started with 20 employees in the banking district of Cologne city centre. At its peak, 58 colleagues from 12 nations worked for DF Group and the company was active on all continents. As early as December 2000, DF AG received an award from Tulip Funding Corporation for the securitisation of EUR 50 million in forfaiting contracts. In 2002, the company passed the EUR 1 billion forfaiting volume mark since its foundation.

The IPO on the Prime Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange was then completed in May 2007. The company has been listed in the General Standard since 2017.

In 2014, the company's upward trajectory was abruptly halted by unjustified allegations of illegal transactions with sanctioned countries. Although the allegations proved to be false and untenable, DF Group, its employees, shareholders and bondholders were extremely affected. Whether the company could continue as a going concern was on a knife's edge at the time.

In November 2017, CEO Dr Behrooz Abdolvand took the helm at DF AG and in December 2019, the second member of the Board of Management, Hans-Joachim von Wartenberg, joined the company. Together with a new major shareholder, the two new Board members achieved the almost impossible - putting DF Group back on a sound footing and returning the business to profitability, which they did in the same year. 2022 turned out to be the best financial year since 2014. DF Group was successfully rescued.

Since then, the face of DF Group has continued to change for the better.

‘DF Group has proven that it can master the highs and lows of the tides with self-confidence. Hardly any other company has survived so much turbulence and is still standing tall and strong,’ emphasises CEO Dr Behrooz Abdolvand.

In 2023, the first own trading transaction in the grain sector was successfully completed. In 2024, the Board of Management decided to diversify both in terms of geographical focus and away from being a pure foreign trade financier towards M&A activities in the food and pharmaceutical sectors.

‘DF AG remains a reliable partner in foreign trade finance - an integral part of our DNA. At the same time, we have evolved into an export and import service provider, investor and even producer,” says Board of Management member Hans-Joachim von Wartenberg.

As part of this diversification, the insolvent craft beer brewery ‘Vagabund’ in Berlin-Wedding was acquired in July 2024. The cider brand ‘OBC’, which is well known in Berlin, was also recently acquired.

‘This year, we will open another chapter of change and growth. Our excellent colleagues at DF Group, who you can rely on, are working on this,’ adds Dr Abdolvand.

25 years ago, a moving journey began from Cologne out into the world. Congratulations! Here's to the next 25 successful years!

About DF-Group

DF Group is a finance company with the business areas of foreign trade financing, proprietary trading and M&A. It focuses on the food, beverages, pharmaceuticals and healthcare sectors. DF Group specialises in the food, beverages, pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors. As a specialist in foreign trade finance with a focus on the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, we offer our customers the right product solution thanks to our extensive experience, our strong network and our comprehensive compliance expertise. M&A activities have been part of DF Group's business areas since 2024.

Press contact DF Deutsche Forfait AG

Guido Janzen
Director Investor Relations / Media
Gustav-Heinemann-Ufer 56, D - 50968 Cologne
P +49 221 97376-61

E investor.relations@dfag.de
www.dfag.de