Shopify Inc.

What does Shopify own?
Shopify Inc. owns and operates the Shopify commerce platform, which enables merchants to sell products online, in-person, and across multiple channels. The company's platform includes Shopify Plus for enterprise merchants, Shopify Payments for payment processing, Shopify Capital for merchant financing, Shopify Shipping for discounted shipping, Shopify Markets for cross-border commerce, and Shopify POS for physical retail. Shopify also holds a stake in Flexport, the logistics company, following the sale of its fulfillment network in 2023.

Is Shopify publicly traded?
Yes, Shopify Inc. is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange and the Toronto Stock Exchange under ticker SHOP. The company went public in May 2015 at an initial price of 17 US dollars per share. Shopify operates a multi-class share structure in which co-founder and CEO Tobias Lutke holds a Founder Share giving him approximately 40% voting control, regardless of his economic ownership percentage.

Who founded Shopify?
Shopify was founded in 2006 by Tobias Lutke, Daniel Weinand, and Scott Lake in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Tobias Lutke, a German-born software developer, built the original Shopify platform after becoming frustrated with existing e-commerce software while attempting to build an online store for snowboarding equipment. Lutke continues to serve as CEO of Shopify. Daniel Weinand and Scott Lake are no longer active in the company's day-to-day operations.

Where is Shopify headquartered?
Shopify is headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The company operates as a remote-first organization, with employees distributed across multiple countries. Shopify's registered office and principal executive offices are located in Ottawa. The company does not operate physical retail locations or manufacturing facilities, as it is a technology platform business.

How many merchants use Shopify?
Shopify's platform is used by over 1 million merchants across more than 175 countries. The company serves merchants ranging from individual entrepreneurs and small businesses to major enterprise retailers through its Shopify Plus tier. Shopify processes hundreds of billions of dollars in gross merchandise volume annually across all merchants on its platform.

Who owns Shopify?
Shopify Inc. is publicly traded on the NYSE and TSX, with shares held by institutional investors and public shareholders. Co-founder and CEO Tobias Lutke holds a Founder Share that gives him approximately 40% voting control over the company, regardless of his economic ownership percentage. This multi-class share structure gives Lutke effective control over Shopify's strategic direction. No other single shareholder holds a comparable level of voting control.

Tobias Lutke, a German-born software developer who had moved to Ottawa, Canada, founded Shopify in 2006 with Daniel Weinand and Scott Lake. The company originated from Lutke's frustration with existing e-commerce software when he attempted to build an online store for snowboarding equipment. Finding the available tools inadequate, Lutke built his own e-commerce platform, which he subsequently commercialized as Shopify.

Shopify launched its platform publicly in 2006, initially targeting small businesses and entrepreneurs who needed an accessible, affordable way to sell products online. The company's early growth was driven by the rise of online retail and the increasing accessibility of e-commerce to non-technical users.

In 2009, Shopify launched its App Store, allowing third-party developers to build and sell applications that extend the functionality of the Shopify platform. The App Store became a key element of Shopify's ecosystem strategy, creating a network of developers and service providers that added value to the platform and increased merchant switching costs.

Shopify went public in May 2015, listing on both the New York Stock Exchange and the Toronto Stock Exchange at an initial price of 17 US dollars per share. The IPO raised approximately 131 million US dollars. The listing provided capital for continued investment in the platform and international expansion.

In 2016, Shopify launched Shopify Plus, an enterprise-tier offering targeting larger merchants with higher transaction volumes and more complex requirements. Shopify Plus has become a significant revenue contributor, with major brands and retailers adopting the platform for their e-commerce operations.

In 2019, Shopify launched Shopify Fulfillment Network, a logistics and fulfillment service designed to compete with Amazon's fulfillment capabilities. The service was subsequently rebranded and restructured, with Shopify partnering with Flexport to provide fulfillment services rather than operating its own fulfillment infrastructure.

The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 dramatically accelerated the adoption of e-commerce, driving a surge in new merchant sign-ups and gross merchandise volume on the Shopify platform. The company's revenue and share price grew significantly during this period, reflecting the broader shift toward online retail.

In 2023, Shopify sold its logistics business to Flexport in exchange for a stake in Flexport, exiting the capital-intensive fulfillment infrastructure business to refocus on its core commerce platform. The company also announced significant workforce reductions as part of a restructuring to improve profitability.

In Q4 2025, Shopify reported revenue of approximately 3.7 billion US dollars, with CEO Tobias Lutke describing the company as building the foundation for agentic commerce through its Universal Commerce Protocol, developed in partnership with Google and supported by major retailers including Wayfair, Etsy, Walmart, and Target.