osnovati

1. (an organization, city) to found; to establish
   Sa dva prijatelja je osnovao IT firmu. — He founded an IT company with two friends.
   Klub je osnovan 1945. godine. — The club was founded in 1945.

Very often used in the passive: osnovan je, osnovana je. For 'to start a family' the usual verb is zasnovati, not osnovati: zasnovati porodicu.