Digital Commerce & subsectors
- Agencies & Marketing Services Providers
- Digital Commerce Software
- Media, Social & Gaming
- Online Retail
- Internet Services & Portals
Hampleton’s Digital Commerce practice forms an integrated global group spearheaded by Ralph Hübner, Konstantin Kastius, Jan Eiben and Jonathan Simnett, and covers all sub-sectors relating to digital marketing and e-commerce.
Our Digital Commerce specialists have over 80 years' combined experience in marketing communications, digital transformation, online and brick-and-mortar retail, and relationships with the broadest network of acquirers, investors and sellers in the industry.
The team members have advised on a multitude of operational, strategic and transactional projects to some of the biggest names in marketing and commerce including Edeka, Ikea, Kaufland, Kering, Microsoft, Omnicom, Walmart, WPP, Zalando and many others.
Hampleton advised the shareholders of pixi*, an e-commerce order processing and warehouse management software vendor, and arranged the sale of their company to Descartes Systems Group, a leader in on-demand SaaS solutions for logistics-intensive businesses. Neither the North American NASDAQ listed buyer nor the local champion in Germany had heard of each other prior to Hampleton’s introduction. The pixi* / Descartes transaction underscores Hampleton’s understanding, creativity and capabilities in finding the best matches in digital commerce, enterprise software and SaaS.
Digital Commerce Sector Principal
Ralph Ch. Hübner
Ralph is a leading expert in digital commerce and has more than 20 years of experience in consulting, specialising in digital strategy. Ralph has extensive experience with all relevant tools and techniques to improve online success: brand positioning and protection, social media and e-commerce solutions as well as marketplace business.
Managing Partner
Dr. Jan Eiben
Jan is based in Frankfurt, Germany, from where he serves clients across Europe with a focus on German-speaking countries. His career over the past 20 years includes extensive experience in international M&A projects on the buy and sell sides in industries including enterprise software, services, digital commerce, healthcare, and industrials. In addition, he also worked as a management consultant advising entrepreneurs in strategy and organizational development projects as well as succession management in family-owned businesses.
Managing Director
Jonathan Simnett
Jonathan has been involved in the enterprise technology business for over three decades, managing and turning around existing business and helping management and their investors in fast-growth technology segments to grow, manage change, enter markets, transfer technologies, acquire, merge and sell. He’s worked with large and public infrastructure and system integration companies including: AT&T, Avaya, BroadSoft, BT, C&W, Cisco, HP, Global Switch, GMC, Huawei, Informix, Infosys, Intel, Myriad Group, Novell, IBM, IGT, Nortel, OpenReach, Pace, TCS, and Sybase.
Managing Director
Konstantin Kastius
Konstantin has over 20 years’ experience in the mid-cap segment primarily advising financial sponsors as well as SMEs and corporates on domestic and cross-border transactions. Most recently, he advised entrepreneurs and mid-cap companies on growth equity financings and M&A related activity. Konstantin also has advanced expertise in buy and build scenarios, such as the successful creation of diva-e group, a leading German digital service provider, backed by EMERAM Capital Partners.
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Digital Commerce 1H2026
The new Digital Commerce M&A report from Hampleton Partners, the international M&A and corporate finance advisory firm for software and technology companies, has revealed a dealmaking surge in the sector, with 2,683 transactions recorded in 2025 – almost 20% higher than the previous year’s tally.
Valuation multiples have also risen, reflecting buyer enthusiasm for online retailers, e-commerce platforms and marketing agencies which can demonstrate tangible efficiency gains through the integration of generative and agentic AI. However, the commoditisation of AI means businesses in the sector will be increasingly expected to distinguish themselves in other ways in order to command valuation premiums.
News
The Digital Commerce Moat That’s Become a Magnet for Investors
Anyone who’s read our brand new Digital Commerce market report will know that dealmaking in the sector is currently on bullish form, with transaction volume leaping by almost 20% last year. The concurrent rise in revenue and EBITDA valuations further underscores the strong confidence in the market right now.
AI is of course one of the biggest momentum makers, with buyers and investors showing sustained interest in e-commerce content creation and workflow automation platforms. However, the report also discusses the double-edged nature of the AI transition in Digital Commerce. On the one hand, it’s driving acquisitions of businesses whose leveraging of AI demonstrate tangible KPI advantages. On the other, it calls into question the long-term resilience of agencies, services providers and SaaS platforms which may be rapidly superseded as autonomous agents continue to take over tasks.
