Carlsquare advised XPLN GmbH (“XPLN”), a provider of AI-driven digital shelf analytics and pricing intelligence solutions for consumer brands, and its shareholders EKK & Co. and Parsionate Group (acquired by Accenture) on the sale to Similarweb, a US-based, publicly listed data provider. The transaction connects XPLN’s proven digital shelf analytics platform with Similarweb’s global data infrastructure, enabling consumer brands to combine e-commerce execution with real consumer behavior intelligence.
For more than ten years, XPLN has provided AI-driven digital shelf analytics and pricing intelligence that help consumer brands optimize product content, pricing, and performance across e-commerce channels. With the mission to give brands and retailers complete visibility into their digital shelf, XPLN has built a growing customer base of more than 100 brands and established itself as a trusted partner for data-driven e-commerce decision-making.
Similarweb is a US-based, publicly listed data provider offering digital intelligence solutions to businesses worldwide. The company enables organisations to understand online consumer behaviour, benchmark competitive performance and identify growth opportunities across digital channels. With the acquisition of XPLN, Similarweb strengthens its capabilities in digital shelf analytics and e-commerce execution, enabling brands to connect shelf performance data with real consumer behaviour signals across 750+ global retailers.
The transaction brings together two complementary businesses with a shared focus on turning complex digital data into actionable intelligence. By combining XPLN’s digital shelf analytics capabilities with Similarweb’s scale and breadth of consumer behaviour data, the partnership equips consumer brands with a powerful end-to-end solution for digital shelf optimisation. XPLN’s team, platform, and service commitment remain unchanged with customers benefiting from an expanded layer of market intelligence.
“Today I’m proud to share that XPLN has joined Similarweb. Ten years ago, we set out to give brands and retailers complete visibility into their digital shelf — pricing, availability, content, and rankings. We wanted to provide the kind of clarity that turns messy e-commerce data into confident decisions. That mission hasn’t changed. What has changed is the scale of what we can deliver. By joining Similarweb, we’re connecting digital shelf execution with the one thing our customers have always asked for: real consumer behavior. We can now show not just how your products look on the shelf, but what consumers are actually searching for and buying across 750+ global retailers. It’s the ‘why’ behind the ‘what.’ To our customers: your service remains our priority. Same team, same platform, same commitment. You simply gain a much broader layer of market intelligence.” – Sebastian Klumpp, CEO, XPLN
“We are excited that XPLN has found a strong strategic home with Similarweb, enabling to scale further and deliver best-in-class Digital Shelf Analytics solutions globally. Nils Zettelmeyer and his team at Carlsquare were exceptional advisors and sparring partners throughout this journey. Their expertise and commitment were key to navigating the process and achieving a successful transaction.” – Roman Loch, Managing Partner, EKK & Co.
Carlsquare acted as the exclusive financial advisor to XPLN’s shareholders Parsionate Group and EKK & Co.
