Abstract: The relevance of this research consists in the fact that modern historical literature describes an overall picture of evolution of business companies, although prevalence and peculiarities of organizational-legal form demonstrates the level of development of economic relations in the Russian Empire in a time of capitalist modernization. The subject of this research is the organizational-legal forms of river companies of Ob-Irtysh water basin over the period from 1860 to 1918 as an independent factor in development pf capitalist relations. The goal of this work is to determine the main forms of organization of river companies of Ob-Irtysh water basin, considering attraction of family and “borrowed” capital. In the course of this research, the author applied the method of modeling of commodity-money relations of Ob-Irtysh water basin, which allowed revealing the dynamics and specific characteristics of development of entrepreneurship in a separate region. The method of historical-comparative analysis illustrated the trends of choice of one or another form of pool of capital, considering the combination of family, geographical, economic, social and administrative aspects. The research results display the dynamics of distribution of various forms of business companies in the sphere of river transportation in Ob-Irtysh water basin, which describes a more objective picture of commodity-money relations in Western Siberia. The presented materials can be utilized in studying particular business companies of Ob-Irtysh river system as an institutional paradigm. The scientific novelty and conclusions lie in determination of the forms of organization of river companies of Ob-Irtysh water basin in accordance with the Russian legislation. This allows tracing the dynamic of emergence of steamship companies due to retention of strong influence of family ties in the business world.