Virtual Annual General Meeting
Virtual general meeting - trouble-free and with legally compliant results
A virtual Annual General Meeting enables all shareholders to participate conveniently, regardless of their geographical location. The result is often a significantly higher participation rate. The company itself can also benefit: It presents itself as future-oriented and can simultaneously save on the costs of event rooms, catering and logistics.
With Devigus, you can conduct your virtual general meeting without any worries. We ensure that it meets all regulatory requirements at all times and that the highest security standards are taken into account for data transmission and voting processes.
What is a virtual general meeting?
A virtual Annual General Meeting is held exclusively via digital channels, without any physical venue. The fully digital holding of an AGM has been explicitly enshrined in law since the comprehensive revision of company law in 2023. This has significant advantages, such as allowing international shareholders to participate and exercise their voting rights without additional travel expenses or time restrictions - which demonstrably leads to a higher participation rate and thus to more democratic decision-making processes.
Virtual general meetings are also more flexible in terms of organization and implementation and are often more cost-effective than traditional physical general meetings, as there are no expenses for event rooms, catering, logistics and materials.
However, unlike physical or hybrid general meetings, virtual general meetings must be expressly authorized in the company's articles of association. Only then can it be held with legal validity.
The law also stipulates that the identity of all participants must be reliably verified and that all votes and voting results must be securely transmitted in real time in order to ensure the legality of the resolutions. Shareholders must also have the opportunity to submit motions and express their opinions.
Your advantages with an online general meeting with Devigus
Better supported resolutions: Shareholders around the world can easily attend the Annual General Meeting and participate in decision-making.
Secure verification of personal data: Shareholders can easily authenticate their identity digitally via our online voting counter before attending the virtual Annual General Meeting.
Legal certainty: Our entire software suite complies with all legal and regulatory requirements. With certified processes and signed protocols, you don’t have to worry about reputational damage caused by contestable decisions or even FINMA sanctions.
Information security and data protection: We attach great importance to information security and are certified in accordance with the relevant ISO standards ISO 27001, ISO 27017 and ISO 27018.
Great flexibility: Our solution can be tailored to your needs and corporate design and scaled for general meetings of any size. All speeches are also simultaneously translated into German, English and French if required.
Core features of a digital GM with Devigus
Comprehensive participant management
Shareholders can easily register online for participation, with reliable identity verification via two-factor authentication. Participants can also dynamically manage their voting rights and proxies with real-time updates and a transparent overview.
High-quality live transmission
A multi-camera setup delivers professional-quality video with multiple camera angles, while real-time captions and simultaneous translations ensure that international shareholders can follow the event seamlessly. Adaptive streaming technology ensures optimal display and video quality on all devices—even with a less-than-ideal internet connection.
Extensive interaction options
Participants can ask questions in real time via chat or audio. A moderated Q&A management system with a prioritization function and predefined answer templates for frequently asked questions allows you to process questions efficiently. There is also an option to record live video contributions from selected shareholders with professional pre-moderation and time management.
Legally compliant online voting
Our software enables participants to cast encrypted, tamper-proof votes and to immediately evaluate and present the voting results. All processes are recorded in detail and in an audit-proof manner.
Extended moderation functions
Integrated tools for the meeting chair and the Executive Board allow for professional speaker management and flexible control of speeches and votes.
Comprehensive documentation and analysis
The software automatically creates virtual meeting minutes for seamless archiving of all contributions, questions and votes. This means that the entire Annual General Meeting is documented in a traceable manner and you can then create detailed analyses of participation behavior and voting patterns.
How does the implementation of a virtual GM with Devigus work step by step?
- Preparation: Setting up the virtual meeting environment and participant management.
- Secure access: Multi-level authentication for all participants ensures secure identity verification.
- Live transmission: Professional streaming solution with multiple cameras and sophisticated audio setup.
- Interactive participation: Fully integrated real-time question and answer session for all participants.
- Online voting: Secure and transparent virtual voting in real time.
- Follow-up: Comprehensive virtual documentation and evaluation of the voting results and voting behavior.
Ensuring compliance and data protection at a virtual AGM
Conformity with all legal requirements
Our software solutions are fully compliant with Swiss company law and international standards and create the conditions for virtual general meetings to be notarized. Through regular updates, we also adapt them to the latest legal developments at all times.
Protection of data and IT infrastructure
All data transmissions are secured with end-to-end encryption, and the data of the virtual general meeting is hosted exclusively in redundant, highly secure and FINMA-compliant data centers in Switzerland. Regular penetration tests and comprehensive security audits by independent third-party providers enable potential vulnerabilities to be identified and rectified at an early stage.
Integrity of the General Meeting and the voting results
We ensure complete traceability of all actions and votes and verify the identity of all participants using a multi-stage process. This ensures that the voting results are correct and stand up to independent scrutiny.
Physical General Meeting
Are you planning your next AGM entirely on site? GVMANAGER simplifies the organization of a legally compliant general meeting that meets all regulatory requirements. Benefit from our expertise and experience. Find out more.
Hybrid General Meeting
We support you with our innovative software solutions so that participation in the hybrid AGM is possible for all shareholders and you can immediately evaluate the results of the legally compliant votes. Find out more.
Frequently asked questions about holding virtual general meetings with Devigus
Why should I choose Devigus?
As a leading Swiss provider of virtual general meeting solutions, we offer comprehensive expertise in technology, law and corporate governance from a single source and attach great importance to continuous innovation and the further development of our solutions. Our interdisciplinary team of software developers, financial experts and lawyers provides you with comprehensive support before, during and after the AGM.
How much lead time does Devigus need to organize a virtual general meeting?
A preparation time of around twelve weeks is required for a smooth General Meeting. If you already use our AREGIS shareholder management software, the lead time can be reduced to 6 - 8 weeks.
Can I integrate my company's corporate design into the software solutions?
Of course, we can adapt the virtual meeting room to your branding. The user interface for online participants can also be flexibly designed.
How does the technical support work on the day of the Annual General Meeting?
A Devigus team is available to support you before and during the entire general assembly. We take care of the installation and setup of our solution, ensuring that everything runs smoothly. With redundant data centers in Switzerland and fallback streaming, we ensure that secure data transmission is guaranteed at all times. If you have urgent questions, you can also reach us around the clock on our support hotline.