What is a public company?
One of the two company forms for limited companies (alongside private companies) in Sweden is called a public company (publ). These companies are structured for businesses where management and owners are often separated, and where the shares are to have a very broad ownership distribution, usually via a marketplace or completely open marketing.
Requirements and rules
- Share capital: Minimum requirement of 500,000 SEK in share capital.
- Investments: Can (and may) offer shares to the general public, for example through crowdfunding or via a stock exchange listing. Only public limited companies may be listed on a regulated market.
- Board & Management: Must have at least three board members, of which one or more are specifically appointed, as well as a formal managing director (CEO).
Does a public company have to be listed on a stock exchange?
No, a limited company is not automatically listed on a stock exchange just because it is public. There are many unlisted public companies. However, a company must have gone through the conversion and registered as "publ" with the Swedish Companies Registration Office *before* it can ever be listed on a stock exchange.