shipcloud

In 2013, in Hamburg, Germany, two e-commerce experts, Claus Fahlbusch and Stefan Hollmann, experienced firsthand the challenges small merchants faced when dealing with major shipping carriers. This frustration sparked an idea. They envisioned a single, simplified solution to connect online retailers with a multitude of shipping providers. That May, they founded Shipcloud to turn this vision into reality. The company launched a cloud-based service providing a RESTful API that allowed online stores to integrate all major carriers through one interface. This innovation enabled businesses to automate the printing of shipping labels and track packages from various carriers, all from a single platform, saving them time and money. A significant turning point for Shipcloud came in July 2022 when the company was acquired by Waterland, a private equity firm. This acquisition provided substantial financial support and industry expertise, aiming to accelerate Shipcloud's growth. For founder Claus Fahlbusch, joining Waterland was an opportunity to expand the company's technology and expertise in e-commerce and logistics. Following the acquisition, Shipcloud continued to expand its services. In December 2022, it acquired 12return, a Dutch technology company specializing in returns management, further enhancing its all-in-one shipping platform by offering a comprehensive returns solution.