Spryker Systems is a company that provides a flexible e-commerce platform that supports B2B and marketplaces (i.e., many business models) in one system. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Spryker co-founder and co-CEO Alex Graf to gain a deeper understanding of the company.
Alex Graf’s Background
Could you tell me more about your background? Graf said:
“I’ve spent the better part of my career immersed in digital commerce, both as an entrepreneur and strategist. Over the past 20 years, I’ve co-founded several companies that helped shape the European digital economy, including Spryker, Etribes, Factor A, and AboutYou.”
“In addition to building businesses, I’ve also worked extensively on the strategy side, advising global brands on how to future-proof their commerce models. I’m the author of two industry-recognized books, The E-Commerce Book and Winning in the Platform Economy, which explore how digital platforms and ecosystems are reshaping the way companies create and capture value.”
“That combination of hands-on company building and deep market analysis continues to shape how I think about commerce innovation today.”
Formation Of The Company
How did the idea for Spryker come together? Graf shared:
“Spryker was born out of a clear need in the market. Traditional commerce platforms were too rigid to support the speed, complexity, and innovation that modern businesses require. Around 2014, we saw more industries outside of retail building transactional business models, and it became clear that none of the existing solutions could support those use cases. Spryker was designed to fill that gap and provide a flexible foundation for growth.”
Core Products
What are Spryker’s core products and features? Graf explained:
“Spryker’s core offering is a composable commerce platform built for enterprises with complex needs. It supports B2B andmarketplace models on a single stack. Our App Composition Platform enables businesses to easily integrate and test third-party services with one click, helping teams move faster and reduce development effort. The platform is API-first and headless, which means businesses can deliver commerce experiences on any device or channel. All of this is delivered through a flexible cloud-native model that combines customization with enterprise-grade reliability.”
Challenges Faced
Have you faced any challenges in the commerce sector recently? Graf acknowledged:
“Like many companies in the tech sector, we’ve seen the market shift from hypergrowth to efficiency. While this creates pressure, it also reinforces Spyker’s value. Our platform gives companies the ability to innovate faster with less risk and lower overhead, which is exactly what businesses need in times of change.”
Evolution Of The Company’s Technology
How has Spryker’s technology evolved since launching? Graf noted:
“Spryker began as a composable commerce operating system, and since then we’ve expanded our capabilities significantly. We introduced our Self-service Portal, a major product update designed to help B2B organizations unlock operational efficiency. We also launched Spryker Code Upgrader, providing upgrade-safe extensibility through regular semi-automated code upgrades that prioritize security updates. Furthermore, our App Composition Platform offers customers a faster and easier way to connect with third-party solutions. We’ve evolved from supporting flexible architecture to enabling flexible business models, always keeping enterprise agility and scalability at the core.”
Significant Milestones
What have been some of Spryker’s most significant milestones? Graf cited:
“Spryker has hit several major milestones in the past few years that really validate our unique approach to composable commerce. One standout achievement was being recognized in the 2024 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Digital Commerce for the fifth consecutive year. It’s a strong endorsement of our ability to serve complex enterprise use cases, particularly B2B and marketplace,. We’ve also seen tremendous growth in the U.S., onboarded global brands like Labcorp, Banner Engineering, ZF Friedrichshafen, and SDVerse, and expanded our ecosystem with strategic technology. Another proud moment was the launch of our App Composition Platform, which is setting a new standard for how enterprises can build and scale commerce experiences faster and more cost-effectively. These milestones reinforce our belief that composability is a business advantage.”
Total Addressable Market
What total addressable market (TAM) size is Spryker pursuing? Graf assessed:
“Spryker is focused on a massive and growing total addressable market, estimated at more than 40 trillion dollars globally across B2B commerce, marketplaces, and composable commerce infrastructure. Our core differentiation lies in deep specialization for complex enterprise use cases that traditional monolithic platforms were never designed to support.”
“The B2B commerce segment alone is significantly underserved and projected to be more than double the size of B2C, with B2B e-commerce expected to exceed 36 trillion dollars by 2026. As more industrial and service-based businesses undergo digital transformation, demand for flexible and scalable commerce infrastructure is accelerating. According to Gartner, by 2026, 30 percent of B2B sales cycles will be managed through digital sales rooms that extend across the full customer lifecycle. Given this momentum, we see enormous opportunity to lead in powering the next generation of digital commerce experiences across industries and around the world.”
Differentiation From The Competition
What differentiates Spryker from its competition? Graf affirmed:
“Spryker is unique because we offer more than just technology. Unlike legacy monoliths, we are built – at a code level – to provide a modular, API-first platform that helps businesses move faster and reduce risk, while also delivering strategic support through a strong partner ecosystem and value-driven services. Our focus is always on helping customers reach their business goals with a flexible platform that grows with them.”
Future Company Goals
What are some of Spryker’s future goals? Graf emphasized:
“Our goal is to become the global standard for next-generation commerce. That means continuing to invest in product innovation and capabilities, expanding into new industries, and helping more enterprises differentiate through technology. We’re especially focused on enabling digital transformation in industries that have historically been underserved by traditional commerce platforms.”
Future Of Enterprise Commerce
How do you see the future of enterprise commerce evolving in the next 5 to 10 years? Graf predicts:
“Enterprise commerce is shifting from channel-focused thinking to capability-driven infrastructure. Businesses will stop separating online stores, marketplaces, and B2B portals, and instead expect a unified platform that supports any model or interaction point. The companies that succeed will be the ones that can adapt quickly, launch new capabilities faster than their competitors, and respond to market shifts without needing to rebuild from scratch. That requires moving away from rigid legacy systems toward modular, API-first solutions designed to evolve. The future of commerce is about composing value, continuously and efficiently.”
Emerging Technologies Used For Product Strategy
What role do emerging technologies like AI or automation play in Spryker’s product strategy? Graf emphasized:
“AI and automation are not just trends. They are becoming essential to how businesses scale and operate efficiently. At Spryker, we see these technologies as accelerators for everything from onboarding and content management to personalized customer experiences and smarter logistics. We focus on giving our customers the infrastructure to adopt AI in a way that makes sense for their business. Our platform is designed to integrate with best-in-class AI tools, allowing teams to test, plug in, and expand their use of automation wherever it adds the most value.”
Advice For Founders
What advice would you give to other founders building in today’s enterprise tech environment? Graf reflected:
“Solve for speed and flexibility. It is tempting to focus on building a perfect product or chasing large customer logos, but in today’s environment, the ability to adapt quickly is more important than ever.”
“Enterprise customers want solutions that help them move faster without increasing risk. Founders should focus on building platforms that can evolve with the customer, not lock them into a rigid roadmap. If you can deliver value quickly and consistently, growth will follow.”
Customer Requests
What are customers asking for most right now, and how is Spryker responding? Graf concluded:
“Customers are looking for faster time to value and more control over their digital roadmap. They do not want to replatform every few years. They want a solution that lets them experiment, iterate, and scale without starting from scratch. Spryker is responding by making it easier to build what you need, when you need it. Our modular architecture, app-based integrations, and API-first approach give customers the flexibility to move fast, minimize risk, and grow at their own pace. We are not just a platform. We are a way to build your business around continuous innovation.”
