Introduction
The digitalisation of Corporate Actions – general meetings, capital increases, board meetings, or notarizations – is reshaping how Swiss companies are managed. Platforms like Konsento make it possible to conduct these legal processes efficiently, transparently, and fully online.
To ensure smooth workflows, the preparatory steps must also be digitised. Two elements are crucial: secure identification and qualified electronic signatures (QES). Together, they create trust, legal certainty, and efficiency in a modern corporate environment.
With the new Swiss e-ID introduced by the federal government, Switzerland will soon have a reliable, state-verified system for digital identification. In this two-part series, we explain how e-ID and the qualified electronic signature QES together pave the way for fully digital Corporate Actions.
This first part focuses on the e-ID: what it is, how it works, and how it will make processes on the Konsento platform even simpler, safer, and more efficient.
Table of Contents
- What is the e-ID?
- Why the e-ID matters for Corporate Actions
- Use cases from the Konsento platform
- Virtual and hybrid general meetings (Art. 701e CO)
- Identification of beneficial owners (Transparency Act TJPG)
- Electronic notarizations
- Conclusion and outlook on Part 2
What is the e-ID?
The e-ID (electronic identity) is Switzerland’s new digital identification system. It enables individuals to identify themselves online securely and unequivocally – whether to public authorities, companies, or platforms.
Unlike today’s video or selfie identification methods that must be repeated with every provider, the e-ID is verified once by the federal government. After this initial identification, it can be reused across a wide range of online applications.
The Federal Act on Electronic Identification Services (BGEID) ensures strong data protection and privacy. The e-ID follows the principle of data minimisation – only the data required for a specific purpose are transmitted, keeping users in full control of their personal information.
The e-ID will be managed via an app or digital wallet and can be used for:
- administrative procedures such as address changes;
- opening bank accounts;
- verifying age in online shops.
It provides the foundation for secure digital interactions in business, government, and law.
Why the e-ID matters for Corporate Actions
Corporate Actions depend on the clear and verifiable identification of authorised participants. When shareholders and directors pass resolutions and notaries certify them, their identity and capacity must be beyond doubt. A reliable and verifiable digital identity is therefore essential.
Today, identification is often done using usernames, passwords, or QR codes. While these methods are common practice, they are not fully tamper-proof. Moreover, directors active in multiple companies often have to repeat the same verification process several times – a source of delay and inefficiency.
The e-ID solves these issues:
- one official identification is sufficient;
- it is valid and recognised across all platforms;
- it enables automated, fraud-proof verification.
For boards of directors, this means less manual effort and greater legal security for notaries and shareholders alike.
Use cases from the Konsento platform
Virtual and hybrid general meetings (Art. 701e CO)
Today, this verification usually takes place through login systems, QR codes, or personalised invitation links. These solutions work but are limited in terms of traceability and security.
With the e-ID, each shareholder will be able to confirm their participation with a single click, authenticated and verifiable. The platform automatically checks the validity of the e-ID, making the virtual general meeting both more secure and more convenient.
Identification of beneficial owners (Transparency Act TJPG)
The new Transparency Act (TJPG) requires companies to carefully identify their beneficial owners and collect supporting documentation.
At present, this process typically relies on video or self-identification procedures that are time-consuming, expensive, and redundant.
With the e-ID:
- the person concerned is already officially identified by the federal authorities;
- the same verified identity can be reused for multiple companies;
- Konsento can integrate e-ID verification directly into its onboarding process.
This drastically reduces the workload for companies and shareholders while maintaining full compliance.
Electronic notarizations
In online notarizations – for example, capital increases – notaries must confirm that participants are truly present and that their identity is properly verified.
In virtual or hybrid board meetings, this is challenging: the notary may not personally know the participants and must rely on visual ID checks via videoconference.
The e-ID makes this process fraud-proof and fully digital. Konsento can provide notaries with a standardised verification protocol that records e-ID authentication. As a result, digital notarizations become just as reliable as physical ones – with significantly greater efficiency.
Conclusion and outlook on Part 2
The e-ID is much more than a digital ID – it is the foundation of a new era of efficiency and trust in corporate governance. It simplifies identification, eliminates redundancy, and increases traceability throughout every stage of a Corporate Action.
While broad adoption will take time, the benefits are clear: less administrative effort, more legal certainty, and a genuine leap forward for digital corporate processes.
Konsento will integrate the e-ID wherever it adds value – in general meetings, KYC procedures, and electronic notarizations – actively shaping the future of digital legal security in Switzerland.
In Part 2 of this series, we will show how the e-ID facilitates the use of qualified electronic signatures (QES) and how their combination makes capital increases and share transfers even faster and more secure.
Explore efficient Corporate Action processes today:Want to see how Konsento can make your corporate processes more secure and efficient? Book a free demo and discover how to simplify your share register, general meetings, and capital increases through digitalisation.