Open your new business account with Qonto

Our partner Firma.de supports founders of all industries with one goal in mind: to help young startups launch quickly, securely and cost-efficiently. With their expertise, it has never been so easy to start your own business.

Firma.de puts you in touch with specialists who will guide you every step of the way on your company creation journey. Pitch them your business idea and Firma.de will get back to you with a detailed plan for your company creation.

Once we’ve verified the details of your company (and its shareholders, if applicable), you will be invited by email to deposit your share capital contribution. You’ll receive a temporary IBAN for this purpose, which you can use to deposit your share capital via a SEPA transfer to your Qonto account.

Please note the following information regarding the deposit of share capital:

• The amount of the share capital that you deposit must correspond to the amount stated in the shareholders' agreement (Gesellschaftervertrag).
• If the share capital contribution is made by several shareholders, they must each pay in their share capital contribution individually, as mentioned in the notarial documents.
• The respective capital contribution must be transferred from an account held in the name of the stated shareholder.

You can track the status of your share capital deposit at any time via the Qonto app. As soon as we receive your deposit, we will verify it and provide you with an account statement within 24 hours to confirm the deposit with the notary. Upon request, we can also send this document (Einzahlungsbestätigung) directly to your notary.

As soon as the share capital has been fully deposited into your Qonto account, we will first issue you a deposit confirmation that you can submit to the notary. If your company is registered in the Handelsregister (commercial register), you can upload your Handelsregisterauszug (commercial register excerpt) to the Qonto app in just a few clicks. We will verify it quickly and will then immediately activate your account.

If you’re seeking to found a company, it’s best to be well-informed about the individual steps involved:

✅ Plan your company creation

Define what type of business you want to start. Many future entrepreneurs seek professional advice for this step. Your business idea, including market analysis, industrial property rights, goals and structural organization, should be documented in a formal business plan.

✅ Formal incorporation

When establishing a limited liability company (GmbH) or an entrepreneurial company (UG), you’ll need to establish a shareholders' agreement (Gesellschaftervertrag) specifying, amongst a few other things, the legal form of the company, the shareholders’ personal details and their respective share in the company's capital. The shareholders' agreement must be certified by a public notary.

✅ Open a business account

If you’re incorporating a GmbH or UG, you must now deposit the share capital. For a GmbH, this is at least €25,000. When founding the company, you must deposit 50 percent of this amount (i.e. €12,500) as seed capital in the business account. When founding a UG, a share capital contribution of one euro is sufficient.

✅ Registration in the commercial register

With confirmation of your share capital payment, the notary can now arrange for the registration of your GmbH or UG in the Handelsregister (German commercial register). The responsible district court (Amtsgericht) then sends a confirmation that it has been formally registered in the commercial register. This will also activate your business account.

✅ Business registration

Congratulations! Your GmbH or UG now has all the paperwork it needs to be up and running and open for business. There are still some formal steps you can take of: for instance, you must register your new company as a trade (Gewerbe anmelden). In order to register with the Gewerbeamt (trade office), you must also be a member of the respective Industrie- und Handelskammer (Chamber of Industry and Commerce, IHK).

✅ Apply for a tax number

Your business also needs to be registered with the tax office. This is an important step as you will need to obtain a tax number from the fiscal authorities to be able to issue invoices.

With Qonto, you can open your business account easily and 100% online. In just 24 hours, your account is ready for the share capital deposit, so you can complete your business creation quickly. An online business account makes financial management and accounting easier for you right from the start:

5-Star Customer Service

Our customer support team will answer all your questions in an average of less than 15 minutes.

No hidden fees

There are no fees for special operations. Our prices are highly flexible and totally transparent.

Premium business Mastercards For secure online and in-store payments anywhere in the world. You can adjust the PIN codes, spending limits and authorizations of your cards at any time.

Smart features to manage your finances efficiently

• Individual access rights to your account
• Send transfers via the app
• Set up direct debits in a few clicks
• Push notification messages after each payment
• Automatic categorization of your transactions

Paperless accounting

Forget having to dig around in pockets and bags for your paper receipts - simply scan them with your smartphone camera. Qonto digitalizes and then certifies your receipts and stores them in your account. Don’t worry, they’ll be completely compliant with German regulations, the GoBD (Grundsätze zur ordnungsmäßigen Führung und Aufbewahrung von Büchern, Aufzeichnungen und Unterlagen in elektronischer Form sowie zum Datenzugriff). We’ll even detect the VAT automatically, which will make your bookkeeping much easier. And there are plenty more benefits to using Qonto’s accounting tools.

Transparent & without obligation

All our Qonto subscriptions are non-binding and you may cancel your subscription at any time. Compare Qonto with what’s being offered by other online and traditional banks (regarding costs, cards, features and more) to help you make your choice.

Separate the finances of your different activities

Set up multiple accounts, each with their own IBAN, to separate expenses, manage activities separately, and create budgets for your teams.

With Qonto, you'll save time and energy managing your finances. From day 1 of your new business.