Shopware raises €87 million

Ecommerce software provider Shopware has announced that it has raised 87.54 million euros in growth capital. The capital injection will be used to accelerate Shopware’s product innovation and to expand into new markets. The investment comes from global investment firm Carlyle and PayPal.

The ecommerce software provider offers an omnichannel platform with features supporting B2C, D2C, B2B and services-driven business models. In September last year, the company announced new features that would help automate business processes.

GMV of €17.5 billion in 2021

Last year, Shopware reached a gross merchandise value of almost 17.5 billion euros. Now it has raised 87.54 million euros (100 million dollars) from Carlyle and PayPal. The original founders of Shopware, Sebastian and Stefan Hamann, will remain CEOs and keep a majority stake in the business.

‘Funding will supercharge our growth’

The funding will be used to help Shopware grow internationally and expand its product. Equity for the transaction will come from Carlyle Europe Technology Partners (CETP) IV, which is a 1.35 billion euros fund specialized in investing in small and mid-market technology-focused companies. Carlyle has previously scaled software companies such as P&I AG, Eggplant and NetMotion.

‘The funding enables Shopware to capture significant opportunities ahead.’

“This funding will help us supercharge our international growth, enabling Shopware to capture the significant opportunities ahead of us. As a business, we are proud to have been profitable from day one, and are excited to work closely alongside Carlyle and PayPal to build on Shopware’s positioning in the long term”, said Stefan Hamann.

‘Shopware has strong momentum’

Michael Wand, Managing Director and Co-Head of CETP, said: “Shopware, a company 100 percent bootstrapped prior to this investment, is ideally suited to CETP’s strategy of partnering with ambitious, founder-led technology companies. We were attracted to the company’s highly flexible omnichannel platform, its strong momentum in the underserved mid-market merchant segment, and the entrepreneurial drive of the two co-founders.”

‘Carlyle was attracted to Shopware’s strong momentum in the mid-market merchant segment.’

“We look forward to working with Sebastian and Stefan and the rest of the Shopware team in supporting the business become an international leader in ecommerce technology.” Michael Wand and CETP’s Director, Constantin Boye, will join Shopware’s board of directors.

Need for open-source approach

“The past few years have accelerated the need for an open-source approach that provides outstanding shopping experiences for customers, and we are poised to further benefit from this growth opportunity. We’re looking forward to working with Carlyle and PayPal – two companies with strong expertise in digital commerce – on the next stage of our journey”, said Sebastian Hamann.