Disco Labs

What Disco Labs does

Disco Labs (legal entity: Disco Development Pty Ltd) is an Australian private company founded in 2012 and headquartered in Cremorne, Melbourne. The firm operates as a specialized Shopify Plus software development agency, building custom backend software, payment integrations, bespoke apps, and large-scale platform migrations exclusively for large Shopify Plus merchants. It explicitly does not offer front-end design, marketing, SEO, strategy, photography, or branding services, positioning itself as a technical specialist rather than a full-service digital agency. Notable enterprise engagements include architecting the migration of JB Hi-Fi to Shopify Plus, building a payment integration linking Shopify Plus, Woolworth's Digital Pay API, and Disco's proprietary Submarine product for PetCulture, and ongoing app and integration development for Youfoodz since 2016.

The company's technology stack centers on custom Ruby, JavaScript, and Python development for the Shopify Plus ecosystem. Disco Labs maintains three widely adopted open source libraries — Cart.js (JavaScript library for dynamic Shopify theme carts), Custard.js (checkout customization), and django-shopify-auth (Python package for Shopify app authentication) — that double as community marketing assets and ecosystem credibility markers. Its proprietary product, Submarine, supports payment integration and other custom merchant functionality. Infrastructure runs across AWS (migrated to carbon-neutral US West Oregon regions), Digital Ocean, and Google Cloud Platform, the last adopted in 2022.

Disco Labs operates on a quote-based, project-driven professional services revenue model, engaging enterprise clients through direct sales rather than self-serve or marketplace channels. Marketing is executed primarily through community events (Shopify Partner Meetup, Melbourne Ecommerce Meetup, RubyConf AU sponsorship), case studies, and founder-led educational content including a published book on Shopify themes and a Skillshare course. The company has been carbon-neutral since 2020 via annual Pachama offsets, and recorded a non-equity financing event with Tractor Ventures in November 2021. Leadership consists of Gavin Ballard (CEO), with a reported headcount of 1–10 employees.

Name

Disco Labs

Legal name

Disco Development Pty Ltd

Website

https://discolabs.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Disco Labs is a Melbourne-based, Shopify Plus-specialized custom software development agency that builds enterprise-grade integrations, migrations, and bespoke apps exclusively for large Shopify Plus merchants. The firm operates on a project-based professional services model and maintains widely used open source Shopify libraries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Cremorne

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Custom Software Development: Disco Labs generates revenue by building custom software solutions for large Shopify Plus merchants. Their focus is on complex, enterprise-grade projects including payment integrations, app development, and platform migrations rather than front-end design, marketing, or branding services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Disco Labs is a Melbourne-based custom software development agency that builds bespoke software solutions for large Shopify Plus merchants. Their work focuses on complex enterprise implementations including payment integrations, custom app development, and large-scale platform migrations. They explicitly do not provide front-end design, marketing, SEO, strategy, photography, or branding services, concentrating solely on backend and integration engineering for the Shopify Plus ecosystem.

Product overview

Disco Labs operates as a custom software development firm focused exclusively on Shopify Plus merchants. Rather than offering a unified platform product, they provide bespoke software development services and have released several open source libraries (Cart.js, Custard.js, django-shopify-auth) for the Shopify ecosystem. Their primary stated focus is building custom software solutions for large Shopify merchants, not front-end design, marketing, SEO, strategy, photography, or branding.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Custom Shopify Plus Software Development
• Submarine
• Cart.js
• Custard.js
• django-shopify-auth

Quantifiable outcome

• Solutions scale to service millions of customers at enterprise level

Named customers11 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary, supporting and minor.

• ShopifycoreTechnology or IntegrationPrimary platform partner. Disco Labs is a Shopify Plus specialized agency and global partner of choice for complex Shopify implementations. They contribute open source tools for the Shopify ecosystem and host Shopify Partner Meetup events.
• Amazon Web ServicescoreTechnology or IntegrationPrimary cloud infrastructure provider alongside Digital Ocean. Used for hosting applications including EC2, Lambda, and API Gateway services. By 2022, migrated all AWS infrastructure to carbon-neutral zones (US West Oregon).
• Digital OceancoreTechnology or IntegrationSecondary cloud infrastructure provider. Usage scaled up significantly in 2021 to support growth in core product Submarine. Carbon neutrality claims unconfirmed as of 2022.
• Google Cloud PlatformsecondaryTechnology or IntegrationCloud platform adopted in 2022 for migration purposes. GCP is certified carbon-neutral across the platform, supporting sustainability goals.
• PachamasupportingOthersCarbon offset provider focused on forestry projects in Africa and Americas. Disco Labs purchases carbon credits from Pachama annually to maintain carbon neutrality. Both Who Gives a Crap and Shopify also offset with Pachama.
• The CommonssupportingOthersCo-located office provider. The Commons coworking spaces have been 100% carbon neutral since 2019. Located in Collingwood (2019-2021) and Cremorne (2022-present).
• Clik CollectiveminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for hosting the Melbourne Ecommerce Meetup. Joint community building initiative in the Shopify/ecommerce ecosystem.
• The Working PartyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-time co-hosts of Shopify Meetup Melbourne, to whom Disco Labs handed over hosting responsibilities.
• Ruby CommunitysupportingOthersActive participants in Ruby communities at local and international level. Sponsor RubyConf AU and employees regularly attend local Ruby meetups.
• ApplesupportingTechnology or IntegrationHardware supplier for workstations. Apple provides Environmental Reports for each product, enabling Disco to calculate equipment lifecycle emissions accurately.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• The Working Party: The Working Party is an Australian ecommerce agency co-hosting Shopify Meetup Melbourne with Disco Labs, with overlapping Shopify expertise and a comparable SMB/enterprise merchant focus in Australia.
• We Make Websites: We Make Websites is an Australian Shopify Plus partner agency with overlapping regional and customer-segment focus, providing custom development and integrations for enterprise merchants locally.

Direct peers

• Blend Commerce: Blend is a Shopify Plus partner agency focused on complex ecommerce implementations, custom app development, and migrations, serving large merchants globally - a direct competitor for the same enterprise Shopify Plus engagements Disco Labs pursues.
• Swarm: Swarm is a Shopify Plus specialized agency with deep platform expertise offering custom development, integrations, and migrations for enterprise merchants - directly comparable to Disco Labs on customer segment, service mix, and Shopify Plus specialization.
• Spiral Scout: Spiral Scout is a Shopify Plus partner agency providing custom development, integrations, and app builds for enterprise merchants - a comparable direct competitor on Shopify Plus specialist services.
• Blue Stout: Blue Stout is a Shopify Plus partner agency offering custom storefront development, integrations, and platform migrations for enterprise brands - a direct rival for the same complex implementation engagements.
• OuterBrand: OuterBrand is a Shopify Plus agency specializing in bespoke design and development for high-growth and enterprise brands, competing head-to-head with Disco Labs on complex Shopify Plus builds.
• Pixel Union: Pixel Union develops Shopify themes, apps, and provides custom development for Shopify Plus merchants, with significant merchant brand overlap and a similar product-plus-services positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Accenture (Accenture Song / Interactive): Accenture is a global management and digital consultancy with a Shopify Plus enterprise practice, competing for the same large-enterprise ecommerce transformation deals Disco Labs targets, but from a vastly larger portfolio.
• Deloitte Digital: Deloitte Digital is a global digital consultancy with an enterprise commerce practice that includes Shopify Plus implementations, competing with Disco Labs for large-brand digital transformation mandates at the upper end of the market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/discolabs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/disco-labs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Disco Labs