What Startups.ch does

Startups.ch AG is a Swiss company formation and SMB services platform headquartered in Winterthur, operating as a subsidiary of Nexus Group Holding AG. The company provides end-to-end support for entrepreneurs establishing businesses in Switzerland, covering all major legal forms including sole proprietorships (Einzelfirma), limited liability companies (GmbH), stock corporations (AG), and general partnerships (Kollektivgesellschaft). Its core technical offering is a digital self-service platform paired with 25 physical advisory locations delivering multilingual consultation (German, French, Italian, English), with guaranteed 24-hour document processing and a money-back guarantee on commercial register (Handelsregister) entry. Document preparation and submission are automated through the platform, while an AI-powered chatbot at ai.startups.ch and voice-bot systems handle inbound customer advisory across text and audio channels.

The product surface extends well beyond one-time formation into post-formation business management, including outsourced accounting, payroll processing, tax declaration filing, contract drafting (shareholder, partnership, and employment agreements), trademark registration and monitoring, corporate domicile rental, and downloadable document template boxes. Educational offerings include free founder courses and webinars. The platform also hosts a marketplace and promoter/referral program extending the brand into a broader founder ecosystem.

The business model is a hybrid of partner-subsidized core and monetized add-ons. Premium partners including AXA, UBS (Switzerland) AG, Valiant, Swisscom, Findea, bexio, multiple cantonal banks (Basler, Thurgauer, Freiburger, St.Galler, Schaffhauser), and payment providers (Wallee, Worldline) co-subsidize customer founding costs, enabling Startups.ch to advertise formation from CHF 0 across all legal forms. Revenue is generated through add-on services, document templates, ongoing management subscriptions, and professional services delivered by an in-house team of lawyers, legal professionals, fiduciaries, and tax specialists. The company has facilitated over 40,000 successful formations and self-positions as the Swiss market leader.

Name

Startups.ch

Legal name

Startups.ch AG

Website

https://startups.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Startups.ch AG is a Swiss company formation platform operating a digital self-service portal and 25 physical advisory locations to help entrepreneurs establish and manage businesses in Switzerland, serving over 40,000 founders through partner-subsidized formation services and post-formation management modules.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Company Formation Services

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA)

Keywords

• Company formation services
• Post-formation administration
• Commercial register filing
• Founder advisory services
• Business incorporation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Winterthur

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Company Formation Services: Fee-based services for forming various legal entities in Switzerland including sole proprietorships, LLCs, PLCs, and partnerships. Partners subsidize costs enabling free or low-cost service for customers.
2. Document Templates and Contract Services: Sale of document template boxes and contract drafting services including shareholder agreements, partnership agreements, and employment contracts
3. Post-Formation Management Services: Ongoing services including accounting outsourcing, payroll processing, tax declarations, trademark protection, and corporate domicile rental
4. Courses and Training: Free and paid educational courses for founders covering business planning, legal forms, and company management

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Startups.ch is a Swiss company formation and business services provider that helps entrepreneurs establish sole proprietorships, GmbH, and AG entities, file commercial register changes, and manage ongoing post-formation obligations such as accounting, payroll, tax, contracts, trademarks, and registered office services. The company operates a digital self-service platform paired with 25 physical advisory locations across Switzerland, with multi-language support. Core formation services are largely free or low-cost to founders because the offering is subsidized by partner banks and insurers.

Product overview

Startups.ch is a Swiss digital platform for company formation and business management, operating as a one-stop-shop solution. The core offering centers on firmengründung (company formation) services supporting multiple Swiss legal forms including Einzelfirma (sole proprietorship), GmbH (limited liability company), AG (stock corporation), and Kollektivgesellschaft (general partnership). The platform extends through add-on modules for ongoing business management including accounting services, payroll processing, contract drafting, trademark protection, tax declaration filing, and corporate domicile rental. Educational offerings include free founder courses and an AI-powered advisory assistant. The service is complemented by personal consultation with legal, fiduciary, and tax experts available across 25 Swiss locations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sole Proprietorship Formation (Einzelunternehmen) Formation service for sole proprietorships (Einzelunternehmen) targeting individual entrepreneurs and freelancers in Switzerland who want to register a single-owner business.
• GmbH Formation Formation service for Swiss limited liability companies (GmbH / Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung), including capital structuring, articles of association, and commercial register filing for small business founders.
• AG Formation Formation service for Swiss stock corporations (AG / Aktiengesellschaft), covering share capital structuring, board composition, and commercial register entry for founders establishing a corporation.
• Commercial Register Changes (Handelsregisteränderung) Filing service for amendments to existing entries in the Swiss commercial register, such as changes to management, address, capital, or legal form, with a money-back guarantee if the entry is not accepted.
• Company Transformation (Umwandlung) Service for legally transforming one Swiss company form into another (for example, sole proprietorship into GmbH or GmbH into AG), including required restructuring and filings.
• Bookkeeping and Payroll (Buchhaltung & Lohnbuchhaltung) Ongoing bookkeeping, payroll, and accounting services for newly formed Swiss companies, delivered as an outsourced post-formation service.
• Trademark Registration Service for registering and managing trademarks at the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property on behalf of founders and SMEs.
• Founder Courses Educational courses for prospective and new founders covering the practical steps of starting and running a business in Switzerland.
• AI Advisor (ai.startups.ch) AI-powered advisory chatbot available at ai.startups.ch that supports founders with formation questions, document preparation, and advisor matching.
• Registered Office / Domicile Services Registered office and domicile address service for newly formed Swiss companies that need a compliant c/o address for legal correspondence.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40,000+ successful company formations completed
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AXAcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPremium partner participating in cost-sharing program for company formation services. AXA subsidizes founding costs enabling customers to establish companies at reduced or no cost.
• UBS (Switzerland) AGcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPremium banking partner contributing to founding cost subsidies. UBS refers customers and provides banking services to newly formed companies.
• ValiantminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional banking partner participating in partner cost-sharing and customer referral program.
• SwisscomminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTechnology and telecommunications partner contributing to founding cost subsidies.
• Findea.chminorGTM or Marketing PartnerService partner providing company formation related services and referrals.
• Basler KantonalbankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional cantonal bank partner for customer referrals and banking services.
• Thurgauer KantonalbankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional cantonal bank partner for customer referrals and banking services.
• Freiburger KantonalbankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional cantonal bank partner for customer referrals and banking services.
• St.Galler KantonalbankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional cantonal bank partner for customer referrals and banking services.
• Schaffhauser KantonalbankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional cantonal bank partner for customer referrals and banking services.
• Nexus Group Holding AGcoreOthersParent company of Startups.ch AG. Powers the Startups.ch platform and brand. Nexus Group Holding AG owns and operates the startups.ch platform.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Doola: US-based company formation plus ongoing bookkeeping, tax, and compliance services for international founders. Closely matches Startups.ch's one-stop-shop approach combining formation with recurring management services.
• Stripe Atlas: Stripe Atlas provides streamlined company formation (US LLC/Delaware C-Corp), banking, and tax/compliance onboarding for founders globally — directly comparable to Startups.ch's digital-first formation-plus-ongoing-services offering, though for US entities.
• bexio: Swiss SMB business software (accounting, invoicing, payroll) provider, already integrated as a partner of Startups.ch. Comparable Swiss customer base, with overlapping ongoing-service revenue streams.
• Firstbase: End-to-end US company formation, registered agent, and ongoing compliance platform for global founders. Operates the same 'formation plus ongoing services' model as Startups.ch in a different geography.

Broad incumbents

• PwC Switzerland: Big-4 advisory firm in Switzerland offering legal entity formation, tax structuring, and ongoing compliance for SMEs and large companies. Sets the ceiling for AG and high-value formation deals.
• Intertrust Group: Global corporate services provider offering entity formation, administration, accounting, and tax services. Broad incumbent serving higher-value and cross-border formations that overlap with Startups.ch's AG and foreign-founder segments.
• TMF Group: International provider of corporate secretarial, accounting, tax, and entity administration services. Competes for the same AG / cross-border formation market that Startups.ch serves for foreign founders.

Regional players

• Legalstart: Leading French online platform for company formation (SAS, SARL, etc.) and legal document services. Mirrors Startups.ch's model in France with similar one-stop-shop positioning for entrepreneurs.
• 1st Formations: UK company formation agent offering digital UK Ltd incorporation with add-on services (registered address, accounting, compliance). Comparable regional formation specialist in a mature market.

Emerging players

• Hostpoint: Swiss web hosting and domain provider with expanding SMB services including online shop and basic business tooling. Emerging Swiss SMB platform with adjacent (but not directly competing) services to Startups.ch's digital formation layer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/startupsch
• Facebookfacebook.com/startupsch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/startups.ch-ag

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Startups.ch