Start a US company from wherever you are.
A Delaware C Corp or LLC with its tax ID, founder shares and 83(b) filed. No visa, no SSN, no US card. Pay in your own currency by mobile money, card or PayPal.
USD 1,000 once, first year included. Then USD 300 a year.
Your company
Kilima Labs, Inc.
- Entity
- Delaware C Corporation
- Tax ID (EIN)
- Issued
- Founder shares
- 9,000,000 issued, 4-year vesting
- 83(b) elections
- Filed for both founders
- Registered agent
- Active, renews next year
- Getting paid
- Mobile money and cards, settled in USD
An example company, for illustration.
C Corp
Delaware C Corporation
The standard for startups that plan to raise money from investors, issue stock options or grow a team with equity.
LLC
Delaware LLC
Simpler and cheaper to keep, and a good fit for a business that sells globally and does not plan to raise venture money.
Not sure? Read C Corp or LLC.
One price for the whole company, not a menu of add-ons.
Delaware formation
Your company filed with the State of Delaware, with the state filing fees paid.
Registered agent, year one
Delaware requires a registered agent with a Delaware address. The first year is included.
Company tax ID (EIN)
We apply to the IRS for your EIN. Founders without an SSN or ITIN get one too.
Founder shares and 83(b)
For a C Corp: founder stock issued, vesting set up, and the 83(b) election filed for each founder.
Formation documents
Certificate of incorporation, bylaws, board consent and stock purchase agreements, or the LLC equivalents.
Pay in your own currency
Pay the fee by mobile money, card or PayPal. No US card needed to start a US company.
An Ultraner account that settles to the US
Take payments from African customers and settle to your new US bank account in dollars.
A person, not a ticket queue
One team follows your application from the form to the EIN and tells you what happens next at every step.
- 01
Apply
Tell us about the company, the founders and who owns what. It takes about fifteen minutes and saves as you go.
- 02
Pay
Pay USD 1,000 by mobile money, card or PayPal. Your application goes straight to our formation team.
- 03
Sign
We check everything and file. Each founder receives the signing packet by email and signs online.
- 04
Incorporated
Delaware forms the company, usually within one to two business days of the last signature.
- 05
Tax ID
We apply for the EIN. Without an SSN it usually takes one to four weeks, and we tell you the day it lands.
- 06
Bank and get paid
Open a US business account and start taking payments through Ultraner, settled to it in dollars.
Most companies are formed within two business days of the last founder signature.
What you will never be asked for.
Most formation services were built for Americans and bolt on foreign founders. Titan starts from the founder in Lagos, Nairobi, Kampala or Dar es Salaam.
- An SSN or ITIN. Founders without one still get an EIN.
- A US visa, US residency or a trip to the US.
- A US phone number. Yours works.
- A US card. Pay by mobile money, card or PayPal.
Formation
USD 1,000
Once. State fees, registered agent for year one, EIN, founder shares and 83(b) included.
From year two
USD 300/yr
Registered agent, filing reminders and support from the team that formed you.
Paid separately
Taxes
Delaware franchise tax and federal filings are the company's own. See every annual date.
Forming
C Corp or LLC: which US company should you form?
The choice comes down to one question: will you sell investors a piece of the company, or not?
Forming
Forming a Delaware company from anywhere in Africa
What actually happens between filling in a form in Dar es Salaam and owning a US company, step by step.
Tax and compliance
Getting an EIN without an SSN or ITIN
The online form will not take you. The IRS will. Here is the route, and why it takes weeks rather than minutes.
Do I need to be a US citizen or live in the US?
No. Titan is built for founders outside the US. You never need a visa, a US address or a trip to the US to form the company.
Do I need an SSN or ITIN?
No. Founders without an SSN or ITIN get an EIN too. It takes longer, usually one to four weeks, because the IRS processes those applications by hand.
Who actually files the company?
Our US formation partner, a registered formation service. Ultraner prepares and checks your application, submits it, and follows it to the end. You will receive the partner's signing packet and some emails directly from them, because each founder has to sign the formation documents personally.
How long does it take?
Usually one to two business days from the last founder signature to a formed company. The EIN follows, typically within one to four weeks for founders without an SSN.
What does it cost after the first year?
USD 300 a year from year two, which covers the registered agent, filing reminders and our support. Taxes are separate: Delaware franchise tax and annual report (usually about USD 450 a year for a startup C Corp, USD 300 for an LLC) and any federal tax filings.
Can I get a refund?
Yes, in full, at any point before we file with our formation partner. Once filed, the state and partner fees are spent, so the fee is no longer refundable. If we cannot form your company at all, you get everything back.
C Corp or LLC?
A C Corp if you plan to raise from investors or give employees stock options. An LLC if you want the simplest, cheapest US company to sell and get paid through. Our guide goes through it properly.
Can I pay with mobile money?
Yes. The formation fee is paid through Ultraner checkout, which takes mobile money in local currency, cards and PayPal. Local currency is converted at our live rate.
Your US company is fifteen minutes of form away.
Formation is carried out by our US formation partner. Ultraner is not a law firm and Titan is not legal, tax or accounting advice. See the Titan terms.