Blog

All articles from firma.de

How to find investors in Germany: Strategies for funding your company

Summary Finding investors in Germany requires a structured approach and a clear understanding of your company’s needs. Investor types include venture capitalists, business angels, crowdfunding participants, and even friends and family. Each offers specific benefits and risks, from professional expertise to emotional involvement. Once you’ve identified suitable investors, networking, events, and personal introductions become key. …

Shareholder resolution: How to make decisions for your GmbH or UG

Summary A shareholder resolution is a formal decision by the shareholders of a GmbH required for significant or extraordinary actions under §49 (2) GmbHG. These include management changes, capital adjustments, annual account approvals or company restructuring. Resolutions can be passed at a shareholder meeting or, if permitted, in writing or electronically. The articles of association …

Silicon Allee: Building a founder-friendly interface for Berlin

The business Americans in Berlin Silicon Allee® is the brainchild of entrepreneurs Schuyler Deerman and Travis J. Todd. Heavily influenced by their US roots (including stints in San Francisco), they set out to build the kind of community that helps keep tech hubs healthy in Berlin. Internationals helping internationals Germany can be a very conservative …

How to choose the right legal form for your business in Germany

Summary The choice of the legal form Germany determines liability, tax obligations and administrative burdens from day one. For one-person ventures you might pick a sole proprietorship or freelancer model; for teams or investors you then often turn to partnerships or corporations (GbR, GmbH, AG). Key differences include minimum capital requirements, registration formalities and personal …

Pleo: Growing is hard. Growing into Germany is even harder.

The business What is Pleo How to efficiently manage business expenditure is an issue that is as widespread as it is annoying. Pleo was born when its founders, who after struggling with this very issue in different roles ranging from employee to CFO, decided to do something about it. Together they built a solution that …

Papas Shorts: First-time founders finding their feet.

The business Comfort and fashion together at last! Papas Shorts was inspired by when its founders Tom and Robert wanted to wear clothing they couldn’t seem to buy anywhere. In particular, shorts with a classic design but also comfortable. Frustrated by the fact that the fashion industry in Germany hasn’t been able to tackle the …

Xibit: Keeping founders in the driving seat.

The business Zakaria Jaiathe (Zak) and Abdeljalil Karam (Abdel), the co-founders of Xibit, met as Moroccan kindred spirits in Berlin. After enjoying much success in their respective international tech careers they were hungry for more than gainful employment could give them. They dedicated much of their spare time channelling their creative energies into various projects. …

Storykids: Finding a third-way to deal with bureaucracy.

The business Storykids was started to help people stay connected the old-fashioned way The idea behind Storykids came from its founder, Jonathan Lavigne and his struggle to keep his children connected with his family back in France. In particular, his mother could only be reached in old-fashioned ways. To ensure she could still share in …

Input VAT deduction in Germany simply explained

Summary The input VAT deduction allows businesses in Germany to offset the VAT they pay on purchases against the VAT they collect from customers. Only invoices that meet the legal requirements under §14 UStG and §33 UStDV qualify. The deduction can be claimed when the goods or services are performed, not when paid. However, private expenses …

Bote: A human connection makes all the difference.

The business What is BOTE BOTE is solving an age-old problem of keeping track of small children in crowded areas. Once a lost child in a busy marketplace himself, the founder of BOTE, Raafat Hantoush, wanted to do something about the limited solutions parents have to keep track of their children beyond a physical leash. …

Expatrio: Slaying Germany’s bureaucracy dragon.

The business Expatrio was started to upgrade an archaic immigration system Expatrio’s genesis was a business model that only served students. Its founder, Alexander Ruthemeier, saw a business opportunity to digitise the application for German insurance abroad and make it 10-fold more efficient. Before Expatrio came into existence, the process was a complicated mess of …

Tax optimisation in Germany with holding structures: How to lower your LLC’s tax burden

Summary Effective tax optimisation as an entrepreneur in Germany often involves setting up a holding structure to reduce taxes on dividends and capital gains. Under German law, distributions from an operating company to its holding entity are typically 95% tax-exempt, which can push the effective tax rate down to around 1.6%. Establishing such structures demands …