Germany

Berlin – September 20, 2026 -- Sexual wellness technology company Lovense debuted at IFA Berlin 2026, marking its first appearance at the European consumer electronics show after years of exhibiting at CES in the United States.

Lovense used a four-part booth experience to show how its ecosystem fits into daily life

The booth experience, titled "A Day in the Lovense Ecosystem," was broken into four segments tied to different moments in a user's day. These covered the Lovense Remote App for partner control, long-distance sync features for couples separated by geography, gaming integration, and digital interaction tools.

Berlin -- Birkenstock opened one of its largest stores in Europe on September 16, 2026, at Münzstraße 20 in Berlin-Mitte, occupying roughly 125 square meters. The German footwear maker, tracing its shoemaking tradition back to 1774, designed the location to blend that heritage with Berlin's creative scene.

The store design borrows directly from Berlin's streetscape and history.

Under the concept "Grounded in Culture," the interior uses warm exposed concrete to echo Berlin-Mitte's architecture. Moss-covered elements reinterpret the planters that once lined streets during the DDR era. Cork and jute, materials central to Birkenstock's footbed, appear throughout alongside naturally formed wooden structures.

Berlin – September 16, 2026 -- Zendure took home two honors at the Global Product Technology Innovation Awards 2026, with its SolarFlow 4000 Mix Pro home battery system winning Gold in the Sustainable Home Energy Storage System category. The awards were handed out during the opening of IFA 2026 in Berlin, where Zendure also received the Smart Energy Solutions Brand Award for its broader approach to home energy management.

The SolarFlow 4000 Mix Pro packs whole-home power into a plug-in format

The system is a plug-in, bidirectional, AI-driven home energy storage unit rated at 4 kW AC. A single unit stores between 8 kWh and 50 kWh, and capacity can scale up to 150 kWh when paired with Zendure's PowerHub, which supports up to 13 kW of total solar input. Zendure positions the setup for large households, heat pumps, and electric vehicle charging points.

Berlin – September 16, 2026 -- MERACH has unveiled its new flagship treadmill, the UltraWalk W60 Plus, at IFA Berlin 2026, targeting people who want to walk more during work-from-home hours. The treadmill is available for pre-order in Europe until September 20, 2026, at €379.99, discounted €80 from its €459.99 retail price.

The treadmill runs on a brushless motor rated for 15,000 hours

The UltraWalk W60 Plus features a brushless motor with 3.5 horsepower peak output and a built-in Hall sensor for consistent speed control, even at slower walking paces. MERACH says the motor is designed to run for up to 15,000 hours.

Noise levels stay at 53 decibels during operation

The company built the machine for quiet use in home offices, citing a 53-decibel noise level during operation. A convection cooling system with two vents helps dissipate heat, and the treadmill is rated for three hours of continuous use.

Bonn – September 15, 2026 -- Verpoorten Eierpunsch, the warm eggnog punch long associated with German Christmas markets, will be sold in supermarkets for the first time starting October 2026. The product will arrive in the classic 0.7-liter Verpoorten bottle, expanding beyond its previous availability through the company's own online shop.

For more than a decade, the creamy winter drink has been served at over 250 Christmas markets across Germany. The retail launch responds to what the company describes as a frequently requested consumer demand.

The punch blends Verpoorten Original with fruity white wine

Verpoorten Eierpunsch combines the brand's original eggnog liqueur with fruity white wine and select ingredients to create a creamy punch with a wintry note. Served warm, it can now be prepared at home after a winter walk or during an advent gathering with friends and family.

Bonn – September 15, 2026 -- The "WDR 2 Weihnachtswunder" charity campaign is returning for its fifth year, with the aid alliance Aktion Deutschland Hilft and German radio station WDR 2 launching a donation drive to fight world hunger.

Nearly 50 projects will receive funding this year, the most since the campaign began

Donations collected through the campaign will support close to 50 projects run by Aktion Deutschland Hilft's partner organizations, providing everything from emergency food and clean water to longer-term support for agriculture and livelihoods. Local partners on the ground assess needs, identify vulnerable people, and implement the projects.

Koblenz – September 15, 2026 -- Florian Sondershausen traded ten-to-fifteen-hour shifts in a Michelin-starred kitchen for full-time trading on global financial markets, eventually co-founding Haag Sondershausen Consulting GmbH to teach others what he learned along the way.

Sondershausen started earning money outside traditional jobs early: at 13 he bought Yu-Gi-Oh! cards cheaply and resold them on eBay, later working as a professional online gamer. Those digital ventures gave him an early feel for markets outside the classroom.

Health problems forced him out of the kitchen

Long shifts in fine dining eventually triggered heart arrhythmia, pushing Sondershausen to look for an alternative career. After his restaurant earned a Michelin star -- the professional goal he had set for himself -- he quit and turned his attention fully to trading.

Berlin – September 15, 2026 -- As mornings and evenings turn cooler, heating technicians are urging households to run three quick checks before switching on their systems for the season, according to the Deutscher Verband Flüssiggas e.V. (German LPG Association).

Berlin -- September 10, 2026 -- Midea used IFA 2026 to showcase a new lineup of heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems built around the natural refrigerant R290, part of what the company calls its 'Green Vision, Blue Future' push.

Midea has sold more than 10 million R290 air conditioners since 2018

R290 carries an ultra-low global warming potential, near-zero CO2 emissions, no PFAS chemicals, and roughly 10% higher energy efficiency than standard refrigerants. Midea says the 10 million-plus units sold since 2018 have cut carbon emissions by about 5.2 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent, a reduction the company compares to the carbon absorption of 6.2 million hectares of Amazon rainforest. A transparent demo unit at the booth let visitors watch the compressor technology operate live.

Berlin – September 15, 2026 -- EcoFlow collected nine industry awards at IFA 2026 in Berlin, with its STREAM home battery system, PowerRock 4000 portable power station and RIVER Gen4 power stations all recognized by European and international tech publications.

STREAM home battery system earns six separate honors

The STREAM platform received Best in Show awards from TechRadar, T3 and The Ambient, plus recognition from ComputerBILD's Messe-Highlight 2026, the home&smart Innovation Award 2026, and CHIP.de's IFA Highlights Award specifically for the STREAM AC 5000 model.