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Our story
During the dotcom crisis, 16-year-old Stefan Hamann founded Hamann-Media GmbH in Münsterland in 2001. His brother Sebastian soon joined him, merging technology and design - a key element in the company's success. Despite development, the core values remained the same: open, authentic, visionary.
The 2000s
In a small village, 16-year-old Stefan Hamann and his brother Sebastian combined their tech and creative skills to revolutionize ecommerce. From a local startup to the innovative force behind Shopware, their vision drove remarkable growth and set the stage for industry-leading solutions.
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The beginning
16-year-old Stefan Hamann founds Hamann Media GmbH and quickly becomes the go-to person for all kinds of computer problems in the village of Schöppingen.
After the company was founded, Stefan brought his brother Sebastian on board, who significantly shaped the company with his creativity. From then on, the different skills of the two brothers form the perfect symbiosis of technology and design.
Our first customer
The Hamann brothers receive an order from www.arktis.de to develop an individual shop system. The solutions already on the market are both technologically and visually inadequate at that time.
Stefan and Sebastian develop a shop system that sets new standards in technology and design terms. They take the decision to market the system as a standard product – and Shopware is born.
New Board member
Stefan Heyne, a mutual friend of the Hamann brothers, joins the company as the third Board member. Based on his experience as a sales professional, Heyne sets up the structures for indirect sales in Germany and abroad.
The birth of shopware AG
The product name becomes the company name: the Hamann bothers and Stefan Heyne found shopware AG. Since the founding of the public company, Shopware has recorded annual growth rates of 30-40 percent.
The 2010s
The 2010s were transformative for Shopware, starting with the launch of its open-source Community Edition. Rapid growth followed, with major international expansion and the debut of Shopware 6, redefining ecommerce with enhanced flexibility and simplicity.
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Becoming open source
In autumn, Shopware brings an open source "Community Edition" to market. The company's strict belief in openness and "community-driven development" motivate the Schöppingen company to take a crucial strategic decision.
Being known
After the release of the open source version, the download figures break all records overnight and make the system known to the wider public. The trend of high annual growth rates has continued to this day – Shopware has backed the right horse.
The UK market
Since actively entering the UK market in 2016, the Shopware team has worked closely with our vast ecosystem of major brands and partner agencies to adapt our software for local requirements. Having experienced a 500% growth rate over the 18 months prior to opening the London office, the new premises allows us to further establish the UK as a core market.
Shopware 6 and the "Tower"
At the Shopware Community Day 2019, we introduced Shopware 6. The new version of the ecommerce system stands for more flexibility and less complexity. Developed according to the API-first approach, Shopware 6 is prepared for every imaginable eCommerce scenario. In the middle of the year, an additional company building, the 24-metre-high "Tower", was inaugurated due to continuous growth.
The 2020s
In the 2020s, Shopware accelerated its growth, adapting to new challenges and expanding its global reach. From supporting retailers through the pandemic to leading the market and introducing cutting-edge AI innovations, Shopware set new standards in ecommerce.
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COVID-19 pandemic
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Shopware offered special support for retailers to boost digital commerce in challenging times, demonstrating its commitment to supporting its user base.
Remarkable milestones
First investment in over 20 years. Together with Carlyle and PayPal, Shopware receives an investment of USD 100 million.
With our e-commerce solution, we are the market leader in Germany for the first time in 2022 according to EHI Top 1000 Shops, overtaking Magento with the most shops based on Shopware.
Shopware US is founded and the US business takes off.
AI features and being "Visionary"
With the introduction of the AI Copilot, we are the first to offer this innovative implementation of artificial intelligence in the field of e-commerce platforms.
Shopware has been included in the Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for the fourth consecutive year. Now classified as a "Visionary" for the first time, having been recognized as a "Niche Player" in the previous three years.
Fun facts about shopware AG
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