commercetools

What began in 2006 as an idea between co-founders Dirk Hoerig and Denis Werner in Munich, Germany, has evolved into a global leader in the realm of digital commerce. Initially, the company operated as an implementation agency for existing e-commerce solutions. However, a pivotal moment came around 2010, inspired by the shifting digital landscape and the rise of mobile. Hoerig and his team envisioned a new approach to e-commerce technology – one that was truly cloud-native and API-first, designed to offer enterprises the flexibility and speed needed to adapt to ever-changing customer demands. This vision led to three years of intensive development, culminating in the 2013 launch of the commercetools platform. It was Dirk Hoerig who famously coined the term 'headless commerce' to describe this innovative architecture, which decouples the front-end presentation layer from the back-end commerce engine.

This groundbreaking approach quickly gained traction, disrupting the traditional monolithic e-commerce platforms and setting a new standard for the industry. The company's commitment to a Microservices, API-first, Cloud-native, and Headless (MACH) architecture empowered businesses to build highly customized and scalable commerce experiences. Over the years, commercetools has seen significant growth and international expansion, establishing offices across Europe, North America, and Asia-Pacific. Key milestones include securing a major investment from Insight Partners in 2019, which also led to its spin-out from REWE Group, though REWE remains a significant shareholder. In 2021, commercetools further solidified its position by acquiring Frontastic, a Frontend-as-a-Service (FEaaS) provider, enhancing its ability to offer comprehensive composable commerce solutions. The company has consistently been recognized by top analyst firms for its innovative technology and has attracted a diverse clientele of leading global brands across various industries, helping them to future-proof their digital offerings and drive revenue growth. As of July 2024, Andrew Burton took the helm as CEO, with Dirk Hoerig transitioning to the role of Chief Innovation Officer, continuing to drive the company's pioneering spirit.