Startups > Commercetools

Commercetools

Commercetools provides APIs enabling enterprises to build flexible, scalable headless commerce experiences.

Series C $291M total Founded 2006 Germany

Commercetools is a cloud-native, API-first headless commerce platform that enables enterprises to build custom e-commerce experiences at scale. Founded in 2006 and processing over $75B in annualized GMV across 600+ brands, it powers digital commerce for major retailers like LEGO, Sephora, BMW, and AT&T. The platform uses microservices architecture to give enterprises real-time flexibility to adapt, scale, and differentiate without legacy platform constraints. Commercetools is credited with pioneering the headless commerce movement and stands as the largest independent enterprise commerce technology company.

Problem solved

Legacy monolithic commerce platforms prevent enterprises from rapidly adapting their commerce experiences, scaling globally, and delivering differentiated customer experiences across multiple touchpoints.

Target customer

Enterprise retailers and B2B organizations with $100M+ annual revenue requiring custom, high-scale e-commerce solutions.

Website LinkedIn Crunchbase

Founders

Dirk Hoerig

Co-Founder, Board Member, Chief Innovation Officer

Coined the term 'headless commerce' and has been active in enterprise commerce technology since 2001; grew Commercetools from 0 to $200M ARR.

Denis Werner

Co-Founder

Co-founded Commercetools in 2006 to build the next-generation enterprise commerce platform.

Funding history

Series A $6M October 2011 Led by ASTUTIA Ventures · Unknown

Series B $145M October 2019 Led by Insight Partners · Unknown

Series C $140M September 2021 Led by Accel · Insight Partners, REWE Group

Total raised: $291M

Industries

Ecommerce API Platform

Pricing

Subscription-based with annual fees proportional to customer revenue, plus pay-as-you-use third-party services. Three edition tiers: Core Commerce Edition (essential features), Foundry Edition (frontend, checkout, PSP integration, blueprints), and Enterprise Edition (unlimited SKUs, advanced B2B APIs, premium support). Exact pricing not publicly available; enterprise custom pricing.

Notable customers

AT&T, LEGO, Ulta, BMW, L.L. Bean, John Lewis, Sephora, Chanel, Audi, Danone, Eurorail, NBCUniversal, Volkswagen Group, Woolworths Supermarkets, JSW Steel, BSH Hausgerate, Adelco, NXP

Integrations

Payment Service Providers (PSP), third-party connectors, frontend frameworks via APIs, Audit Log Premium integrations

Website

commercetools.com/

Competitors

Shopify Plus

Broader e-commerce platform with hosted infrastructure; less flexible for custom enterprise solutions requiring deep API-first architecture.

BigCommerce

SaaS-first platform with less emphasis on headless architecture and microservices flexibility for enterprise customization.

Spryker Cloud Commerce OS

Open-source focused alternative; less mature ecosystem and customer base compared to Commercetools' enterprise scale.

Why this matters: Commercetools pioneered the headless commerce movement and has grown into the largest independent enterprise commerce technology company, processing $75B+ in annual GMV. The company's valuation reached $1.9B in Series C, demonstrating strong investor conviction in the API-first commerce category it essentially created.

Best for: Enterprise retailers and B2B organizations needing to rapidly deploy custom commerce experiences, scale globally, and integrate across multiple sales channels without legacy platform constraints.

Use cases

Multi-Channel Commerce at Scale

Large retailers like LEGO use Commercetools to power e-commerce, marketplace, B2B, and omnichannel experiences through a single API-first platform. This eliminates the need for separate systems and enables real-time inventory and customer data synchronization across all touchpoints.

Rapid B2B Digital Transformation

B2B distributors like NXP and Adelco deployed streamlined self-service storefronts in months, enabling customers to open accounts in seconds and launch marketing campaigns twice as fast. The result: 92% reduction in customer service inquiries and 400% increase in e-commerce sales.

High-Volume Transaction Processing

Commercetools processes over $75B in annualized GMV across 600+ brands, enabling enterprises like Sephora and BMW to handle peak traffic, complex pricing rules, and global operations without platform limitations.

Alternatives

Shopify Plus Choose Shopify Plus if you prioritize an all-in-one hosted solution; choose Commercetools if you need deeper customization and API-first flexibility.

BigCommerce Choose BigCommerce for faster time-to-value with out-of-box features; choose Commercetools for enterprises requiring bespoke integrations and headless architecture.

Spryker Cloud Commerce OS Choose Spryker for open-source flexibility; choose Commercetools for established enterprise support and larger customer ecosystem.

FAQ

What does Commercetools do? +

Commercetools is a cloud-native, API-first headless commerce platform that enables enterprises to build custom e-commerce and commerce solutions at scale. It provides flexible microservices architecture that powers digital commerce for 600+ brands including LEGO, Sephora, and BMW, processing over $75B in annualized GMV.

How much does Commercetools cost? +

Commercetools uses subscription-based pricing with annual fees proportional to customer revenue, plus pay-as-you-use third-party services. Three tiers are available (Core Commerce, Foundry, Enterprise), but exact pricing is not publicly disclosed. Contact Commercetools for custom enterprise pricing.

What are alternatives to Commercetools? +

Top alternatives include Shopify Plus (all-in-one hosted platform), BigCommerce (faster out-of-box features), and Spryker Cloud Commerce OS (open-source approach). Each trades off customization flexibility versus faster implementation.

Who uses Commercetools? +

Enterprise retailers and B2B organizations including AT&T, LEGO, Ulta, BMW, L.L. Bean, John Lewis, Sephora, Chanel, Audi, and Volkswagen Group use Commercetools. The platform serves 600+ brands across retail, B2B distribution, and luxury sectors.

How does Commercetools compare to Shopify Plus? +

Commercetools is API-first and headless, enabling deep customization and multi-channel flexibility; Shopify Plus is a fully-hosted SaaS solution better for faster deployment. Commercetools excels for enterprises with complex requirements; Shopify Plus for companies prioritizing rapid time-to-market.