Maximilian Bruder

Maximilian Bruder is a Research Fellow at SEI Headquarters in the Finance for Sustainable Development Programme. FSD researches how private finance can be mobilised to flow into sustainable economic activities in low- and lower-middle-income countries.

In his research, Max focuses on the demand side of finance, analysing firm-level investment decisions and innovation processes to identify the conditions under which sustainable business models become commercially viable, with a particular focus on micro, small and medium-sized enterprises operating at the base of the economic pyramid. Sectorally, his work has concentrated on off-grid renewable energy, financial inclusion in humanitarian contexts, and climate adaptation. 

Before joining SEI, Max worked as a consultant in the financial services sector in Germany, with a focus on innovation for banking and capital markets.

Max holds a PhD in Economics from UNU-MERIT, where his dissertation examined synergies and trade-offs between the sustainability and financial performance of private sector actors in developing countries and humanitarian contexts. He also obtained a BSc in international business studies and MSc in economics.