St. Gallen Launches Digital Portal for Company Formation
2026-01-26 - 09:54
The Canton of St. Gallen has launched a new online portal, Startup-Guide, to simplify and digitalise company formation and related processes. Business founders can now complete company registrations and commercial register updates entirely online. Free tools and advisory services are also available to support planning. The portal provides resources for developing and reviewing business models and preparing business plans. It includes templates, examples, and practical guidance. Users can also access information on the cantonal startup ecosystem and relevant events. At the centre of Startup-Guide is a digital formation service. Founders can complete all key steps of company registration online. The service prepares all required documents in line with legal requirements. Users sign them digitally, and the system submits them directly to the commercial register. This removes the need to visit a notary or municipal office. Existing companies can also manage commercial register updates online. “The Startup-Guide marks an important step in implementing St. Gallen’s startup support strategy,” said the cantonal government. The portal was developed and is maintained by the IFJ Institut für Jungunternehmen. It complements the cantonal startup advisory offices in Buchs, Rapperswil-Jona, and St. Gallen. The government sees the digital service as part of broader efforts to improve the canton’s innovation and business environment. In parallel, the Office for Commercial Registers and Notaries, together with SECO and the cantons of Lucerne and Zurich, is developing a portal for all commercial register services. St. Gallen aims to position itself as an innovation hub linking education, research, and industry. Other initiatives include advancing SME innovation support, establishing a new vocational and continuing education centre in Rapperswil-Jona, constructing Campus Platztor for University of St. Gallen students, and creating a joint professorship with ETH Zurich and Empa. Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by thanyakij-12 via Freepik