[skeletal88]

No, it doesn't have to be cash in your bank account, as martkaru explained in the other comment.

I can start a company and declare a really expensive couch as it's assets in the balance and it would be ok.

[kriro]

This is not necessarily the case everywhere and for all legal forms. In Germany there's a "Unternehmergesellschaft" which only requires assets of 1 Euro. It is supposed to turn into a GmbH eventually by accumulating 25k in assets. However it is illegal to simply add an expensive couch as this would be a "verdeckte Sacheinlage" which I believe also exists elsewhere as "concealed/hidden contribution in kind" (IANAL)