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🇪🇺 Europe · EuropeGmbH shares (Germany)
Also called: Geschäftsanteile, German company shares
In one line
Shares in a German GmbH, whose transfer requires notarisation, making direct employee shareholding expensive and rare.
In plain English
A GmbH is the typical German private company form. Its shares aren't freely transferable — each change needs a notary — which is why startups favour VSOPs over real shares for staff.
If you were explaining it to a 5-year-old
German club toys that can only be handed over with an official notary's stamp each time, so they're a hassle to give out.
Why it matters when you sell
The cost and formality of transferring GmbH shares shapes how German equity and any secondary must be handled.
Related terms
Put it to use
When you're ready to go deeper, there's an optional Equity Toolkit and Report.
Sources
Primary references for this term: Gesetze im Internet (Germany). Our definitions are written in plain English and kept evergreen — see the glossary methodology. General information, not advice.
Educational information only — not financial, tax or legal advice, and not an offer to buy or sell any security. Definitions are general; your own documents and local law govern your situation. PrivateTechShares is independent and not a broker or marketplace.