Most sectors are now undergoing disruptive change, with digital natives managing their lives almost exclusively from their smartphones. Digital-first is the new standard, setting new benchmarks and requirements. Banking (N26), mobility (Tier), travel (GetyourGuide), taxes (Taxfix) – simplicity has become the norm, saving money and, above all, time. Time is money. And one thing is certain: our society is becoming instant and digital.
2022 will be the year of the digital notary
However, one of the most outdated sectors has come into the spotlight for us as founders in recent years: the notary's office. It is hard to beat in terms of complexity and frustration. For a simple certification, we first had to find a local notary—in large cities like Berlin, after the tenth call to a notary 45 minutes outside the city center. If you are lucky, an appointment will be available in the next two weeks, but usually it will be in the next month – the notary determines the appointment. Documents are exchanged via email or even by post, and additional documents are requested by telephone. Once an appointment has been found that suits all parties, everyone must be physically present. Taking into account the travel time and the time that needs to be scheduled, this could be costly and time-consuming, especially for business people.
During the appointment, the ID document is scanned and filed, and the document to be certified is printed out again due to errors found during the process. The document is then physically signed and stamped as proof—there is no digital approach whatsoever. With the final postal delivery, it can take 4-6 weeks from initial contact to presentation of the certified document—a problem that can and must be solved disruptively with technology and product!
The vision – the digital notary for Europe
That is precisely why we are setting out to build the first digital notary for Europe. Welcome to beglaubigt.de. A platform for Europe that makes all notarial deeds accessible and 100% digital. Beglaubigt.de completely digitizes the notary's office: from the data room, client communication and collaboration, the verification process, signature, to the notarial deed via video conference.
Every citizen should have access to remote and digital-first notary services: German expats in San Francisco who want to transfer ownership of their property, or parents who need to have a signature certified. This vision requires a great deal of imagination, but it could have a positive impact on economic development, from real estate transactions to start-ups to mass transactions in the banking sector.
Initial fields of study
The notary's areas of responsibility are wide-ranging. The processes involved range from simple to complex cases. For beglaubigt.de, the main focus is initially on the following key areas:
- Real estate and property law
- inheritance law
- Marriage and family law
- Commercial and corporate law
A new wave of start-ups
If we succeed in digitizing the process of establishing a company under corporate law with beglaubigt.de and establishing the product in an accessible and scalable way, we see an opportunity to significantly increase the percentage of new companies being established in the country. More start-ups mean more innovative strength for the state. More innovative strength means an increase in gross domestic product. Beglaubigt.de can break down the legacy of bureaucracy and give start-ups a new outlook.
What if it were possible to set up a UG (limited liability company) in just a few clicks within a very short time, as well as register it in the commercial register, or even delete it from the commercial register, all within a few clicks via remote video conferencing? Beglaubigt.de is intended to become the basis for promoting innovative strength – consciously or unconsciously. A feeling that gives us the strength to want to achieve great things.
Austria as a pioneering market
The first core market will be Austria. With the wave of the pandemic, Austria has paved the way for online notary services. With §69b NO (Notary Regulations), manual and physical processes can now be handled digitally, from digital signatures and online verification to video conferencing. This is a shift in jurisprudence and a door opener for innovation. A zero to one opportunity, similar to IDnow in 2012 or Flixbus in 2015. The goal is to quickly gain the trust of citizens, define a new standard, and prepare for scaling into other markets. The initial focus is on the end customer, digitizing simple processes, and minimizing costs and time by a factor of 10.
The team
The team combines deep and long-standing expertise in building and scaling products and companies, from B2C to B2B, BigTech to LegalTech. The team is supported by renowned notaries, lawyers, and super angels made up of successful entrepreneurs and industry experts who believe in the product and, above all, in the team behind it. We value building a first-class team based on our values, where output and motivation are fundamental building blocks. Be part of our journey, applications at: info@beglaubigt.de
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