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Get to know the showpare AG

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.

Potrait of Stefan and Sebastian Hamann.

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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Two Polaroids with old portraits of Stefan and Sebastian Hamann. The year 2000 is displayed at the top and a rocket icon can be seen below the Polaroids.

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.

Two Polaroids can be seen: One with the arktis.de logo and the other with the shopware logo. The year “2003” can be seen above it.

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.

Two polaroids with pictures of Stefan Heyne. The year 2007 is written above them.

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.

Two Polaroids show the founding of shopware AG. Below is a handshake icon and above the Polaroids is the year 2008.

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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Two polaroids, one displaying the shopware Open Source logo and the other one showing some code. Above is the year 2010.

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.

Two polaroids, one showing a shopware employee programming and the other showing the Google Trends logo and an arrow with an upwards trend. Above is the year 2017.

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.

UK market

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.

Tower, Shopware 6

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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Two polaroids, one showing shopware employees on a Zoom call and the other employees gathered around a laptop and talking. Below is a facemask icon and above is the year 2020 displayed.

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.

One polaroid showing Cody, the elephant in New York and two cards with the PayPal and Carlyle logo. Above is the year 2022 displayed.

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.

Two polaroids, one showing the Gartner Magic Quadrant logo and the other one a star icon. Above is the year 2023.

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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