The planned sale of Mercedes' Ludwigsfelde van plant to KNDS is stalling, Handelsblatt reports from industry sources. Both sides largely agree, but KNDS ties the deal to the Bundeswehr's Arminius Boxer order, with budget approval reportedly not before December 9. Germany's defence reindustrialisation is gated by procurement timing, not factory availability. About 1,800 jobs wait on a parliamentary calendar. [Handelsblatt, September 28, 2026]

Claret Capital Partners has closed its fourth European growth fund at 575 million euros, against a 500 million euro target. The figure needs care. 440 million is Fund IV commitments; 135 million sits in an affiliated discretionary mandate. Some coverage has quoted the smaller number as the fund size. Claret says 32 percent is already deployed across 27 companies in technology, life sciences and impact. This is growth debt, not equity. Its relevance to DACH founders is narrow and useful: a 2021-vintage cap table can now be extended without a down round being the only instrument on the table. Debt does not repair a broken business. It does buy time for a working one. [Alternative Credit Investor, September 7, 2026]