View shareholder list
Identify shareholders, ownership percentages and beneficial owners. Ownership structures presented transparently.
Information You Will Receive
Shareholders
Names of all shareholders (natural and legal persons)
Ownership Percentages
Percentage shares of the share capital
Share Capital
Total amount of share or registered capital
Corporate Structure
Parent and subsidiary companies
Historical Changes
Former shareholders and share transfers
Interactive Network Visualization
Firmium visualizes ownership structures as an interactive network. Recognize at a glance:
- Direct and indirect shareholdings
- Nested corporate structures
- Connections through individuals
What the shareholder list is
The shareholder list is the register of all shareholders of a GmbH or UG kept with the commercial register. For each shareholder it shows name, date of birth and place of residence (for companies: name, registered office and register number), the nominal amount and number of each share and the percentage holding (section 40 GmbHG).
Only those entered in the list filed with the commercial register count as shareholders towards the company (section 16 GmbHG).
Who files it and when
A new list must be filed after every change in the shareholders or their holdings. The managing directors file it, or the notary if he was involved in the change, for example in a share transfer.
The list is therefore only as current as the last filing. Changes that were not reported do not appear in it.
Where to view the shareholder list
In the joint register portal of the German federal states (handelsregister.de), among the documents filed for the company. Since August 2022, retrieving register data and documents is free of charge.
A stock corporation (AG) has no shareholder list. Holders of registered shares are recorded in the share register, which is not public. Limited partners of a KG are entered directly in the commercial register.
In Austria the shareholders of a GmbH and their contributions are entered directly in the company register.
Shareholders in Firmium
Where available, Firmium shows the shareholders of a company with their holdings in the company profile and links them to other companies in which they hold shares.
Shareholder list: frequently asked questions
Is the shareholder list public?
Yes. It is part of the commercial register documents and can be viewed by anyone without a legitimate interest.
Does a UG also need a shareholder list?
Yes. The UG (haftungsbeschränkt) is a form of GmbH, so the same rules apply.
What is the difference to the transparency register?
The shareholder list names the direct shareholders, which can also be companies. The transparency register names the natural persons who are ultimately behind the company.
How current is the shareholder list?
As current as the last filed version. A new list is due after every change, so a list several years old can still be correct.
Identify Shareholder Structure
Find out who is behind a company. Free and instant.