Corporify's fully electronic share register for Belgian companies

We've rolled out a fully electronic share register, built to meet the specific requirements of Belgian company law.

Corporify also offers a digital shareholder register. It works just like a paper register: every change needs the board to sign off on an updated PDF version, and only that latest version counts as proof of ownership. Our electronic register skips that step entirely, strong authentication at the moment of the change itself is enough to prove who owns what. The law has allowed this for some time, but almost no one has actually used it in practice. (We've been making the case for a better alternative to the paper register since 2018.)

We make it possible through itsme®, the only platform in Belgium offering commercial identity verification at the highest security level (eIDAS). Every consultation and transaction is logged automatically, with an audit trail that can't be disputed, so the board no longer needs to sign off on each change individually. In practice, that adds up to less time lost per share transaction, fewer disputes over ownership, and a register that investors, auditors, and regulators can trust right away.

"We see a clear correlation between how well companies perform and how mature their legal back office is. An electronic share register is a great example of that: it's more user-friendly, more secure, and gives you even stronger legal certainty. It's one more way legal management keeps pace with the company of tomorrow," says Olivier Van Borsel, CEO of Corporify.

None of this is mandatory. Both the digital and electronic register stay available, it's entirely up to each company which one fits them best.

• Read more

• •    Not sure which register fits your company? Read "Where does your share register live?"

• •    What must a share register contain, in Belgium and the Netherlands? See 10 checks to keep your shareholder register compliant. 

  •    In Dutch: Digitaliseer uw aandelenregister, our webinar with Deloitte Legal.

   

FAQ

What is an electronic share register?

An electronic share register is a share register kept entirely in electronic form, where the register itself is the legal record of who owns what. Every change is confirmed through strong authentication at the moment it is made, so no separate signed version is needed.

Why does Corporify use itsme®?

itsme® is the only platform in Belgium offering commercial identity verification at the highest eIDAS security level. That level of authentication is what allows a change in the register to prove ownership on its own.

Does the board still need to sign off on every change?

No. Because every consultation and transaction is logged automatically in an audit trail, the board no longer has to sign off on each change individually.

Is switching to the electronic register mandatory?

No. Both the digital and the electronic register remain available, and each company chooses the one that fits it best.

Is the electronic share register available outside Belgium?

The electronic register is built for the specific requirements of Belgian company law. For companies in other countries, Corporify offers its digital shareholder register.