Is INVEST Stuttgart still relevant for online trading brands in Germany?
This week one of Germany’s most established retail investing expos takes place: the INVEST Stuttgart. For many years, it has served as an important meeting point for the trading community in the DACH region.
At the same time, the market environment is changing. Communities no longer revolve around just a few large events. Instead, everything has become more fragmented and decentralised. Smaller events and influencers and affiliates are playing an increasing role in how traders connect and engage.
Looking at this year’s exhibitor lineup, a few familiar names seem to be not present, which naturally leads to the question:
What role does an expo like INVEST play today for Online Brokers looking to grow in Germany?
This article takes a closer look at this year’s exhibitor mix, highlights a few observations, and places the event within the context of how the market is changing.
What is INVEST Stuttgart?
INVEST Stuttgart is Germany’s leading retail investing expo, focused on retail investors. Held annually in Stuttgart, it has developed into a well-established meeting point for the German-speaking trading and retail investing community.
The event brings together brokers, exchanges, fintech companies, and media brands, alongside a large audience of retail investors.
The format combines a traditional exhibition setup with a conference-style program. Exhibitors present their products and services, while visitors can attend talks, panels, and educational sessions.
One of the key characteristics of INVEST is the opportunity for direct interaction. Unlike digital channels, where communication is mediated through content or advertising, the event allows for face-to-face conversations. For many companies, this has been an important aspect of brand building and trust development.
A solid mix of trading brands is present this year. From established brokers to newer players, the lineup gives a good snapshot of who is actively investing in offline visibility in Germany. Below is an overview of the trading brands participating at INVEST Stuttgart 2026.
Exhibitors at INVEST Stuttgart 2026 – Overview
| Company | Why they are on my watchlist |
|---|---|
| WH SelfInvest | Strong focus on CFDs and futures. They’re always at INVEST and also run a lot of their own events and roadshows. Very consistent presence. |
| IG | Big global brand, now with new German management. Used to be one of the most visible brokers at the expo, so interesting to see how they show up this year. |
| CMC Markets | Makes total sense for them to be here. Local office in Frankfurt, solid client base, and clearly targeting more experienced traders. |
| CapTrader GmbH | Very consistent in Germany. Good mix of online and offline marketing, nothing flashy but it works. |
| flatexDEGIRO (flatex) | Huge domestic user base and strong distribution. One of the key players in the German broker / neobroker space. |
| RoboMarkets Deutschland GmbH | Established in Germany with solid visibility, especially through their analysts and content. |
| GBE Brokers Ltd | Built a name recently through consistent marketing. Also picked up the JFD client book, which makes them even more interesting now. |
| Freedom Finance Germany GmbH | Pushing quite aggressively into Germany, especially through affiliates. |
| NAGA | A lot of changes over the last years. Currently sponsoring BVB, now back at the expo. Curious how they present themselves. It used to be all about copy trading, let’s see what the angle is now. |
| MyMarkets | New German neobroker. Still early, but interesting to see how they position themselves. |
| Traders Place | Neobroker with a broader mix of assets. Somewhere between traditional brokers and newer app-based platforms. |
| Kraken | Haven’t really noticed them at INVEST before. At the same time, they’re hiring a lot right now, so looks like a bigger push into Germany. |
Online Brokers That Used to Attend INVEST
Looking at this year’s lineup, a few well-known names are missing.
ActivTrades, XTB, eToro (appearing at FIBE in Berlin, a newer event happening at the same time), Capital.com, Trade Republic, Scalable, Smartbroker, and Forex.com are not present still year.
There are likely different reasons behind this. Some may be focusing on other events later in the year, like Finance 2026, which leans more towards trading and fintech. Others might be shifting budgets more towards digital channels or alternative formats.
Either way, it could be a signal how companies think about expos like INVEST might be changing.
Online Brokers exhibiting at Invest Stuttgart previously
Creator Lounge at INVEST Stuttgart 2026
One of the more interesting developments at INVEST Stuttgart 2026 is the Creator Lounge, reflecting the growing role of financial content creators in the retail investing space.
What started years ago as a smaller “Blogger Lounge” has steadily evolved and expanded. Today, it has turned into a broader creator-focused area, covering a wide range of topics around money, from trading and investing to personal finance and financial education.
This is where online meets offline. Visitors can meet the creators they’ve been following, turning digital relationships into real conversations. For finfluencers, it’s just as valuable: less about content, more about connections, deal-making, and expanding their network beyond the screen.
Based on the current lineup, the participating creators represent a combined social media audience of around 2.34 million followers across platforms.
What to Expect from INVEST Stuttgart 2026
Coming back to the question of whether brokers should still exhibit at INVEST, the answer is not a simple yes or no. It still makes a lot of sense, if it fits into a broader strategy.
At the same time, the landscape is changing. Competition is increasing, more events are taking place, and capturing attention has become more challenging. Standing out and generating real impact requires more effort than it did in the past.
The growing role of influencers, and their strong presence at this year’s edition, could be a strong reason for brokers to attend. It creates a rare opportunity to connect directly with creators who already have established audiences and influence over retail traders.
I’m looking forward to the event, meeting partners, gaining new perspectives, and will share my impressions here afterwards.
See you in Stuttgart!
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