The Nvidia boss is badmouthing Germany. Then he is suddenly the best brand ambassador the chancellor could wish for.

The Nvidia boss is ranting about Germany. Then he is suddenly the best spokesperson the Chancellor could wish for. "Just get to work," Jensen Huang demands of the Germans. Nevertheless, the CEO of the tech company believes that German industry has ideal conditions for new growth through AI. It could have been an uncomfortable evening for Friedrich Merz. At his investor summit "Invest in Germany," the Chancellor sits next to a man who had recently been ranting about Germany. And that is one of the most powerful entrepreneurs in the world: Jensen Huang. In the social networks, a video circulated in the last few days in which the Nvidia boss said about Germany: "Nothing hurts me more than to see one of the most technologically advanced countries fall so far behind in technology." The country has excellent talent, but it doesn't make enough of it. Perhaps this is due to the way Europeans, Huang complained, always want to rethink everything. Then the Nvidia boss said: "Just get to work." A demand to all Germans, especially the government leader Merz. When he sits on a stage in Berlin next to this on Monday, Huang is suddenly very nice. As always at public appearances, he wears a dark leather jacket, more like a rock star than the CEO of the world's most valuable company. Germany is still a country with great competencies in manufacturing. There are the best conditions here to raise industrial production to a new level with the help of artificial intelligence. "I believe in Germany," says Huang. The audience applauds. The Chancellor looks at the Nvidia boss and smiles. Nvidia invests in German startups Huang couples his rhetorical offensive with concrete investments in Germany. So Nvidia announced new investments in four German startups this week: - Agile Robots, a robotics company from Munich - Avelios Medical, a startup that is building AI operating systems for hospitals in Munich - Mirelo, a Tübingen developer of an AI system that develops audio tracks corresponding to video material - Reflex Aerospace, a satellite manufacturer based in Berlin Nvidia has been involved with other German hope-bringers, such as Black Forest Labs or Neura Robotics, for some time. His company has invested one billion dollars in Germany over the past year, said Huang on Monday. Sometimes he almost appears like the boss of a venture capital firm, joked the Nvidia boss and warned the startup investors in the hall: "Hurry up, or I will snatch away all the good deals from you." This is the best advertising for Germany. Because when the boss of a global AI concern talks so much about the greatest talents in a location, it attracts further investors. German large corporations are also closely connected to Nvidia. Car manufacturers like Audi and Mercedes are relying on the AI technology of the American company in the development of autonomous driving systems. And with the industrial giant Siemens, Nvidia is driving the development of an autonomous factory in Erlangen in Bavaria. This is to show how industrial production can be revolutionized with AI. The two companies expect that the effort for engineers will be reduced by 85 percent through the complete simulation of production processes using a digital twin. In addition, AI agents are to support planning and thus save a fifth of production costs. The projects of Nvidia enjoy the blessing of politics. Thus, the federal government confirmed that it has agreed on closer cooperation with the American tech company to promote the industrial use of AI in Germany. The Ministry of Economics and the Ministry of Research have signed a corresponding declaration of intent. The federal government made no statement on whether concrete investment projects are planned on the occasion of the cooperation. The "Handelsblatt" had reported last week that the federal government wants to support the cooperation with Nvidia with a three-digit million amount. The Chancellor appeals to the Mittelstand. Such partnerships are worth double to Huang. For example, his company benefits financially from the startup investments in Germany if they develop as hoped. In addition, he stimulates the demand for his own products. Because without Nvidia's high-performance chips, which are installed throughout Germany in the most powerful data centers, further automation of industry would be unthinkable. And the platforms that Nvidia also offers alongside the chip business are among the most powerful systems in the world in the industrial sector. At the same time, Huang knows that he must communicate this interest cautiously. To realize all that he hopes for through the use of artificial intelligence in industry, his German partner companies must trust him. Especially now, in 2026, when warnings about dependencies in the tech sector are often raised. Huang reassured. He said on Monday evening: "Your expertise belongs to you, no one can take it away from you." Rather, companies should take this opportunity now to make this knowledge even more effective with AI. The Chancellor supported Huang. Merz addressed the Mittelstand and said: "Please open your doors to AI so that it can use your data." The future of Germany as an industrial country will depend on this.