Company formation boom continues in 2018
2017 is considered a record year in terms of company formations in Switzerland. And the company formation boom seems to be continuing. In the first quarter of 2018, Switzerland starts with a plus of 0.4%, according to the Institute for Young Enterprises.
The company formation boom appears to be continuing in the first quarter of 2018 after the record year of 2017. This was announced by the Institute for Young Enterprises in St.Gallen at the beginning of April. According to the report, start-ups rose by 0.4% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2018, with 11,036 new entries in the commercial register. This was mainly thanks to a very strong January (6.7%) and a likewise positive February (3%). March shows a decline of -7.6% compared to the extremely strong month of the previous year. Growth is strongest in the cantons of Nidwalden (22%), Zug (18%) and Glarus (18%). So the Swiss startup scene continues to step on the gas, but the company formation boom varies by region. The canton of Zug in particular should continue to benefit from the euphoria surrounding cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology.
And a word about the legal forms: The limited liability company (GmbH) is still the most popular legal form for starting your own business, with a share of 38%. It is followed by the sole proprietorship (35%) and the stock corporation (AG) with 18%.
Here is the overview of the figures, broken down by region and canton:
