How do I open a founder account? (Germany)

Is your German UG or GmbH still in the founding phase? No problem! At Holvi, we offer founder accounts for UG and GmbH businesses with headquarters registered in Germany.

Unfortunately, we can’t offer founder accounts for Austrian companies in foundation. For a smooth account opening, make sure to read this article in depth.

How do I open a founder account for UG or GmbH?

Open your Holvi account and choose your company form, either:

• GmbH i.G. - GmbH in Gründung, or
• UG i.G. - UG in Gründung

Next, it’s time to choose a Holvi plan. You won’t be charged service fees while your account is in the founding phase. Fees will only be charged once you’ve uploaded a registry extract and your account is fully verified.

Uploading signed documents

Before we can share the IBAN for your account – where you’ll deposit your share capital – we need your signed and certified founding documents from a notary. 

Please upload the following to your account:

• Gesellschaftsvertrag (incl. Gesellschafterliste), or
• Musterprotokoll with the signature and seal of the notary and/or local court

Transferring your share capital

Please follow these rules closely. Any deviation will delay your account opening.

• Transfers from shareholders only – Each share capital transfer must originate from an account under that specific shareholder’s name. We do not accept payments from one shareholder on behalf of another
• Mark transfers as share capital – Please use the message field to clearly mark this payment as share capital
• Only one transfer per shareholder – Each shareholder can make only one share capital transfer. Please refrain from making multiple transfers for/by one shareholder

Account limitations during founding phase

The following limitations apply while your account is in founding phase – after IBAN creation but before your business and registry extract are verified:

• Founding-related payments only – Only payments directly relating to founding can be made (e.g. notary, district court, public order office)
• No incoming payments – Only inbound payments related to depositing share capital are accepted. Other inbound payments are prohibited
• No Holvi debit or credit cards – You’ll need to wait until your business is verified to order your cards
• No additional users – You’ll need to wait until your business is verified to add users to your account

Please note, your account will be closed immediately if the IBAN is used for any other activities – for example, incoming payments, direct debit, etc.

How to gain full access to your Holvi account

To start using your account without restrictions, simply upload your registry extract. Our team will then verify your business and grant you full access.

Log in to your account after receiving your registry extract to finish opening your account.

• Enter your registry number and select your local court
• If your business hasn’t received a tax number yet, check this option. You can add a tax number later later
• If you don’t have a VAT ID yet, check this option. You can add a VAT ID later
• Upload your full trade registry extract. Documents older than 6 months are not accepted