STORY

The perfect symbiosis of technology and design

At the same time as the dotcom bubble burst and scores of IT companies went bankrupt, the enthusiastic developer Stefan Hamann, at the tender age of 16, set up an IT company in Münsterland: Hamann-Media GmbH. Shortly afterwards he brought his brother Sebastian on board, who as a consummate designer gave the company style, creativity and a striking design. This perfect symbiosis of technology and design formed the nucleus for the rapid development of Shopware. It soon became clear that a professional sales person was needed to ensure further success. That was why they brought in a third managing director, Stefan Heyne. Though Shopware has also continued to develop through the years, the crucial aspects have remained the same. Today, the founders Stefan Hamann and Sebastian Hamann determine the course of the company and so continue to embody Shopware's core values: openness, authenticity and vision.

2000 2003 2007 2008 2010 2017 2018 2019+

2000

At the tender age of 16, Stefan Hamann founds Hamann-Media GmbH as a classic internet agency. The schoolboy and technology buff is soon such a familiar figure in Schöppingen that he becomes a point of contact for every possible computer problem for most people in the village.

After the firm was founded, Stefan brings in his brother Sebastian, and his creativity has a crucial influence on the company. The brothers' different skills form the perfect symbiosis of technology and design.

Technology & Design

2003

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.

Sales

2007

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.

2008

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.

Open Source

2010

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.

2017

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.

United Kingdom

2018

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.

2019+

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 "Tower", was inaugurated due to continuous growth. The 24-metre-high building offers space for 150 additional employees.