SV Darmstadt 98 and the fusion energy company Focused Energy are entering into an official partnership. The aim of the collaboration is to more closely link top-level football and high technology from the Darmstadt region and to jointly generate momentum for innovation and future societal issues.
As part of the comprehensive premium partnership, Focused Energy will also serve as the main partner of SV Darmstadt 98’s upcoming US tour in September. In addition to the use of title and logo rights, the sponsorship includes advertising time on the TV-visible LED boards and prominent logo placement on a mega banner in the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. The package also includes targeted incentive programs and is rounded off with an exclusive hospitality arrangement.
This collaboration brings together two partners who, despite their different fields of activity, share core values: commitment, team spirit, precision, and the ambition to continuously improve. While SV Darmstadt 98 stands for passionate dedication and top athletic performance in professional football, Focused Energy is working on one of the greatest technological challenges of our time – the development of energy generation through laser fusion.
The partnership also underscores the importance of Darmstadt as a centre for science, technology, and elite sports. Both partners see themselves as part of a regional ecosystem that promotes innovation and has international appeal.
Volker Harr, Vice President of SV Darmstadt 98: “Despite our completely different areas of operation, Focused Energy and we share clear values: a commitment to performance, perfect teamwork, and meticulous attention to detail. This is complemented by the ambition to continuously improve. We are very much looking forward to working closely with a company that stands for progress and ambition, making it an excellent fit for us.”
Martin Kowalewski, Managing Director of SV Darmstadt 98: “With Focused Energy, we are gaining a partner who shares our commitment to development and innovation. Football thrives on emotions, dynamism, and team spirit – just as major scientific projects thrive on precision, perseverance, and a shared vision.”
“We are delighted to be able to support SV Darmstadt 98. As a company with roots in Darmstadt, it is important to us to give something back to the region. SV 98 stands for unity, a sense of belonging, and identification – precisely the values that drive us,” says Günter Kraft, Chief Communications & Government Relations Officer of Focused Energy. “SV Darmstadt 98 reaches people who may never have heard of laser fusion, and that is exactly what is valuable to us. We want to engage in conversation with fans, schools, companies, and everyone who wants to know what this technology means for their region,” Günter Kraft continued.
Prof. Dr. Markus Roth, CSO and co-founder of the merged company, adds: “Biblis is located in the heart of Hesse and has a long history in the energy sector – now we want to make this place a symbol for the energy future. For this, we need the people of the region, industry, and politics to be involved in shaping the future. A club like SV Darmstadt 98, which is deeply rooted in this region and stands for unity, is an ideal partner. What we build together should originate here and have an impact far beyond Hesse.”
In addition to its headquarters in Darmstadt, Focused Energy has another company location in Austin, Texas. Through its cooperation with San Antonio FC, SV 98 also maintains a very close connection to the US state and will travel to the United States for a pre-season tour this coming September. Focused Energy will be the main partner of this tour as part of the newly established partnership.
Focused Energy is a German-American fusion company headquartered in Darmstadt, Germany, with offices in Berlin, Austin, and San Francisco. Founded in 2021 by a team from the Technical University of Darmstadt, the company employs approximately 200 leading scientists and engineers from more than 33 nations.
Its goal is to transfer fusion technology from research to industrial application and, together with partners from industry and academia, to build the world’s first laser fusion power plant in Biblis, Germany, by the mid-2030s.
As a leading laser fusion company, Focused Energy pursues a consistently industry-oriented approach: Building on decades of international fusion research and the technological expertise of its founders, the company combines scientific excellence with the speed and scalability of a privately funded high-tech enterprise.
Fusion is a future technology with great potential for new value creation structures and will create a climate-neutral, secure, reliable, and affordable energy supply. In fusion, hydrogen nuclei fuse to form helium at high temperatures. This process releases an enormous amount of energy: One gram of fusion fuel provides energy comparable to around eleven tons of coal.
The Bundesliga finalised the match schedules for matchdays three through six on Wednesday (July 15th): Darmstadt's home game against Hannover 96 on matchday three will take place on Sunday. This will be followed by their away game against 1. FC Kaiserslautern on Saturday at 1pm. The home game against Arminia Bielefeld on Friday evening and the away game in Wolfsburg, also on Friday evening, have also been confirmed.
The Lilies can welcome another new arrival at the Böllenfalltor: Florian Kleinhansl will now wear the SV 98 jersey. The 25-year-old joins on a free transfer following the expiration of his contract with 1. FC Kaiserslautern on June 30th.
Third test, third clear victory. SV 98 won the match against FC 08 Homburg 5-1 (3-0).
Killian Corredor will be playing in his home country again in the future. SV 98 has reached an agreement with FC Nantes on the transfer of the Frenchman.
On Tuesday (July 14, 6pm), SV Darmstadt 98 hosts Regionalliga side FC Homburg and asks fans to take note of the following information.
A home game against KSV! SV Darmstadt 98 hosts Holstein Kiel for the opening matchday of the 2. Bundesliga season this Saturday (August 8 at 1pm). Here’s how you can be there: the member pre-sale for the new season's first home game begins this coming Wednesday (July 15) at 12pm —available online and at the ticket shop at the Merck-Stadion, as usual. You can find all further details in this announcement.
For every home goal scored by the "Lilies," SV Darmstadt 98 fans were doubly rewarded during the recent 2025/26 second-division season. Beyond the joy and excitement, supporters received 98 litres of Krombacher Pils for every goal Darmstadt scored at the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor.
In recent days, various media outlets have published reports and graphics regarding the distribution of TV revenue for the 2026/27 season. Some of these reports included not only specific figures but also a comparison to the previous season. This comparison indicates a supposed revenue increase of €1.4 million for SV 98 compared to the 2025/26 season.
SV Darmstadt 98 successfully completed their second pre-season friendly, defeating Verbandsliga side VfR Fehlheim 8-0 (4-0).
SV 98 extends its warmest congratulations to its long-standing president, Rüdiger Fritsch, on his 65th birthday. Fritsch served on the "Lilien" executive board for a total of 17 years—including 13 years as club president—up until October 2025.
Leon Klassen will continue to wear the Grazer AK jersey. SV 98 and the Austrian first division club have agreed on a permanent transfer for the 26-year-old. Klassen had already been on loan to Graz for the past six months.
As part of the social campaign "Under the Sign of the Lily," SV Darmstadt 98 and its premium partner Merck are focusing on the mental health of young people. The goal of both partners is to raise awareness among young people about this issue, to better understand stress factors, and to develop individual strategies for everyday life.