PrestaShop's New Era: Decoding the Cyber_Folks Acquisition and What It Means for Your E-commerce Store
A Seismic Shift in European E-commerce: PrestaShop Under New Ownership
The e-commerce landscape is constantly evolving, and for PrestaShop merchants, a significant development has just reshaped the future of their beloved platform. As of December 2025, PrestaShop, the renowned open-source e-commerce solution, has been acquired by Polish tech group Cyber_Folks, through its subsidiary Cyber_Pixel. This strategic move, which also includes the acquisition of headless commerce platform Sylius and custom solution provider BitBag, signals the formation of a formidable new European e-commerce entity.
This news, initially surfaced on a Polish investment site and later confirmed on PrestaShop's LinkedIn, marks a pivotal moment. Previously, PrestaShop was owned by MBE Worldwide (now Fortidia), who had acquired the platform in 2021. Now, Cyber_Folks holds a commanding 79% stake in the new structure via Cyber_Pixel, with Sylius founders retaining a minority partnership. At Migrate My Shop, we're closely monitoring these developments to provide clarity on what this means for your PrestaShop store and future migration strategies.
The Strategic Vision: Forging a European E-commerce Powerhouse
The consolidation of PrestaShop, Sylius, and BitBag under the Cyber_Folks umbrella is more than just a change of ownership; it's a strategic play to create a robust, integrated e-commerce ecosystem. This move aims to offer a compelling European alternative to global giants like Shopify, Magento (Adobe Commerce), and WooCommerce.
- PrestaShop's Open-Source Foundation: With its flexible PHP and Smarty-based architecture, extensive module marketplace, and theme customization options, PrestaShop remains a powerful choice for merchants seeking control and scalability.
- Sylius's Headless Prowess: The inclusion of Sylius brings cutting-edge headless commerce capabilities, allowing businesses to decouple their front-end customer experience from their back-end e-commerce logic. This offers unparalleled flexibility for omnichannel strategies and bespoke user interfaces.
- BitBag's Custom Solutions: BitBag, known for its expertise in custom e-commerce development, complements the offering by providing tailored solutions and integrations, ensuring businesses can meet unique operational demands.
This synergy promises a comprehensive suite of tools, from traditional open-source platforms to advanced headless architectures and custom development, catering to a wide spectrum of merchant needs. For existing PrestaShop users, this could mean enhanced integration possibilities and access to more advanced functionalities down the line.
What This Means for PrestaShop Merchants: Hopes and Expectations
The forum discussion surrounding this acquisition highlighted several key points that resonate with the broader PrestaShop community:
1. Stability and Predictability: A Community's Core Desire
A prevalent sentiment, echoed by forum user RomanSnow, is the hope for a more stable and predictable platform. After previous ownership changes, merchants and developers alike crave a clear roadmap, consistent updates, improved bug fixes, and robust security enhancements. A stable PrestaShop means less uncertainty for businesses, smoother operations, and a stronger foundation for growth. This is crucial for long-term planning, especially when considering major upgrades or migrations.
2. Enhancing the Ecosystem: Modules, Themes, and Support
A stronger, more unified ecosystem under Cyber_Folks could lead to increased investment in PrestaShop's core development, fostering innovation in modules, themes, and overall platform performance. This could translate into a richer marketplace for add-ons, better documentation, and more responsive community support – all vital components for merchants leveraging PrestaShop's open-source flexibility.
3. Addressing User Experience: The Forum Ad Conundrum
Forum user Bill Dalton brought up a valid point regarding the excessive advertising on the PrestaShop forums. While seemingly minor, a clean, user-friendly forum experience is critical for community engagement and support. New ownership has an opportunity to address such concerns, demonstrating a commitment to the user base beyond just the platform itself.
4. Transparency and Communication: Building Trust
Musicmaster's observation about the limited official communication on the PrestaShop blog, contrasted with its presence on LinkedIn, underscores the importance of transparent and timely updates from the new owners. Clear communication about future plans, roadmaps, and support structures will be essential in building trust and confidence within the PrestaShop community.
Cyber_Folks: A Glimpse into the New Steward
Cyber_Folks is a significant hosting firm based in Poznan, Poland, with a strong presence in shop hosting. Their existing infrastructure and expertise in managing online stores could bring direct benefits to PrestaShop users, potentially through optimized hosting solutions or bundled services. Their ambition to establish an American branch (cyberfolks.com) also suggests a broader international vision, which could further elevate PrestaShop's global reach and support network.
Migrate My Shop's Perspective: Navigating the New Landscape
As e-commerce migration experts, we at Migrate My Shop view this acquisition with cautious optimism. The potential for a consolidated, powerful European alternative is exciting. For merchants, this could mean:
- Renewed Confidence: A strong, well-funded owner could inject new life into PrestaShop, making it an even more attractive platform for new stores or those considering migration from other systems.
- Migration Considerations: If you're currently on an older PrestaShop version or another platform, this news might prompt you to re-evaluate your options. A more stable and feature-rich PrestaShop could make an upgrade or migration a wise strategic move. Our team specializes in seamless PrestaShop migrations, ensuring your transition is smooth and efficient, regardless of the underlying changes.
- Future-Proofing: The integration of headless capabilities via Sylius suggests a path towards more modern, flexible e-commerce architectures. Merchants planning for long-term growth and omnichannel strategies should pay close attention to how these technologies will integrate.
The success of this new venture will ultimately depend on execution: how Cyber_Folks integrates these diverse platforms, their investment in core development, and their commitment to the PrestaShop community. We encourage all PrestaShop merchants to stay informed and engage with the official channels for updates.
This acquisition marks a new chapter for PrestaShop. While the full implications will unfold over time, the potential for a stronger, more innovative open-source e-commerce platform in Europe is undeniable. If you have questions about how these changes might impact your current store or future migration plans, don't hesitate to reach out to the experts at Migrate My Shop.