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Stephan Schambach

Founder of NewStore, Demandware, Intershop & other ventures

Boston, Massachusetts

Invests in

  • Min Investment:

    $5,000.00
  • Max Investment:

    $50,000.00
  • Target Investment:

    $25,000.00

Work Experience

2022

  • Chairman and Investor

    2022

    Orca is navigation for the modern boater. Meticulously designed to help you plan and find your way at sea, without getting in your way.

  • Founder, Chairman

    2015

    NewStore provides Omnichannel-as-a-Service for retail brands worldwide that want to accelerate their digital transformation. Built for speed and flexibility, NewStore allows brands to easily deliver amazing shopping experiences that store associates and consumers love. Its mobile-first, modular cloud platform includes POS, order management, clienteling, inventory, and native consumer apps. NewStore customers such as Lego, Fossil, Clarks, Burton, Faherty Brand, G-Star RAW, Marine Layer, Scotch & Soda, UNTUCKit, and Vince benefit from the most complete, global omnichannel retail solution available. The company is backed by General Catalyst, Activant Capital, and Stephan Schambach. Stephan served as CEO until May 2024 and is now the Chairman of the board.

2014 - 2017

  • Chairman & Principal Investor

    2014 - 2017

    Torqeedo is the market leader in the fast growing electric marine propulsion market. The company provides an award-winning range of green boating products such as electrical outboards motors, electrical propulsion solutions for boats and diesel-hybrid propulsion solutions for yachts. As a sailing enthusiast, Stephan built one of the first fully functional hybrid electric sailing catamarans. He founded the company "Moonwave Systems" to commercialize the propulsion solution, which then was sold to Torqeedo where Stephan became the lead investor in the combined company. As Chairman of the board and lead investor, Stephan supports the management in growing Torqeedo into "Tesla for boats". Torqeedo was acquired for $100MM by Deutz, a German diesel engine manufacturer, in 2017. In 2024, Torqeedo was bought out from Deutz by Yamaha.

2004 - 2015

  • Founder, CEO, Chairman, Director

    2004 - 2015

    In 2004, Stephan founded Demandware and invented the first cloud-based eCommerce service. Demandware provides the leading on-demand eCommerce platform offering the industry's leading merchandising tools, total control for merchandisers & web developers, automated software upgrades and unlimited scalability & performance - as an on-demand service. The company services more than 1000 high-growth branded websites such as Adidas, Barneys, Columbia Sportswear, L'Oreal, Procter & Gamble, Puma, Hugo Boss, S.Oliver, Panasonic and is growing business significantly in the North America, Europe and Asia. Demandware went public on March 15 on NYSE (NYSE: DWRE), making it Schambach's 3rd public offering. Stephan served as CEO, Executive Chairman, and Chairman of the Board. The company was sold to Salesforce.com for $2.8 billion in Q2 2016 and is now known as Salesforce Commerce Cloud.

  • Founder and CEO

    2013 - 2014

    As a sailing enthusiast, Stephan built one of the first fully functional hybrid electric sailing catamarans. He founded the company "Moonwave Systems" to commercialize the propulsion solution, which then was sold to Torqeedo where Stephan became the lead investor in the combined company.

  • Founder and CEO

    1995 - 2004

    Founded and built one of the first and largest software companies soley dedicated to eCommerce and multi-channel selling on the internet. Closed first significant accounts, Siemens Nixdorf and Hewlett Packard. Negotiated a $20 Million contract with Deutsche Telekom and won them as a significant early investor Took Intershop public on the Neuer Markt, the high tech segment of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. Listed company on NASDAQ in a secondary public offering raising $100 million, ultimately reaching a $14b market value. Recruited former CEO of Compaq, Eckhard Pfeiffer, as chairman of the board. Intershop consistently ranks among the top four US eCommerce companies in market share. Revenues reached €123m with more than 1000 employees in 17 offices globally. Intershop's flagship product, Enfinity, sold and deployed in over 300 enterprise customers by 2000, including HP, Sony, Daimler Chrysler, BMW, Bosch, TRW, DeutscheTelekom, Bertelsman and the Otto Group. Stephan left the company in 2004 to start Demandware.

1992 - 1995

  • Founder and CEO

    1992 - 1995

    Founded the first successful software company in former East Germany, where software had never before been purchased, only copied. Developed Archive 2000, a document imaging software specifically targeting the needs of restructured government institutions after German reunification. Recognizing the potential of eCommerce, changed the direction of the company as competition stiffened in the document imaging software sector. Built and ran one of the first eCommerce sites for a leading computer parts distributor in Germany. 20,000 items were offered for sale via the Internet, immediately increasing sales.