Stock corporation (Aktiengesellschaft, AG)
Also: AG, Aktiengesellschaft, public limited company
In short
The stock corporation (AG) is a corporation with its own legal personality whose share capital is divided into shares and amounts to at least €50,000. Only the company's assets are liable to creditors for its debts.
Stock corporation (Aktiengesellschaft, AG) explained
The AG has three bodies with fixed roles. The management board runs the company on its own responsibility (Sec. 76 (1) AktG), the supervisory board monitors the management (Sec. 111 (1) AktG), and the shareholders exercise their rights in the general meeting (Sec. 118 (1) AktG). This division of tasks makes the AG more complex than a GmbH. It is of interest above all when many investors are to be involved. For most founders, the GmbH or UG is the simpler route to limited liability. The overview on starting a business shows which legal form suits your project.
