The Hope Factory
The Hope Factory is a boutique Australian Shopify Premier Partner agency that designs, builds, migrates and grows Shopify and Shopify Plus ecommerce stores for Australian and international mid-market and enterprise brands, with 450+ projects delivered since 2008 by a senior in-house development team.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersElsternwick, Australia
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What The Hope Factory does
The Hope Factory is a boutique Australian Shopify Premier Partner agency that designs, builds, migrates and grows Shopify and Shopify Plus ecommerce stores. Founded in 2008 by Andrew Cox and pivoting exclusively to Shopify ecommerce in 2015, the firm operates from Melbourne and Sydney with a small named team of approximately six to eight people including founder Andrew Cox, Technical Lead Rax Martinovic, Growth Manager Veena Prakash and Senior Front End Developer Gati Shah. The customer base spans 450+ brands since inception, with logos including Patagonia, Sennheiser, Cancer Council, Jo Mercer, Wittner, Coco & Lola, Robert Gordon, Veneziano Coffee Roasters, Axil Coffee, Tontine, Write To Me, W. Titley & Co and Montalto.
The agency's technical capability is concentrated on Shopify and Shopify Plus, encompassing Checkout Extensibility for custom discount, shipping, payment and post-purchase logic, Shopify Flow automation, B2B wholesale portals with member-level pricing, multi-store management across AU, NZ and US, and an integration roster covering Klaviyo, Recharge, Gorgias, Retail Express, NetSuite, Cin7 Core, Winehub, Xero, Rebuy, Preezie, Shippit, Starshipit, Campaign Monitor, Yotpo and Okendo. The team is positioned as senior Australian-based developers with no outsourced overnight hand-offs, delivering four primary service lines: custom Shopify Design, custom Development and complex integrations, platform Migration from Magento, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Neto and other platforms, and a recurring Growth Program providing fractional ecommerce leadership to $1M+ brands.
The business model is professional services, with fixed-price project fees ranging from AUD $7,500 for entry-level builds to AUD $50,000-$100,000+ for Shopify Plus migrations, layered with ongoing development blocks (AUD $1,760 incl. GST per 10 hours) and Growth Program retainers. All engagements originate from a free 30-minute discovery call and pricing tiers include discounts for monthly, quarterly and annual commitments. The agency owns a single acquired DTC brand, Timber Kids (acquired 2023), through which it operates a Shopify storefront of eco-friendly timber toys, learning tiles and nursery decor. Ownership is held by Andrew Cox through the Cox Family Trust (The Hope Factory Pty Ltd ATF Cox Family Trust), with no disclosed external institutional investment or board representation.
The Hope Factory firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Hope Factory
- Legal name
- The Hope Factory Pty Ltd ATF Cox Family Trust
- Website
- https://thehopefactory.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Hope Factory is a boutique Australian Shopify Premier Partner agency that designs, builds, migrates and grows Shopify and Shopify Plus ecommerce stores for Australian and international mid-market and enterprise brands, with 450+ projects delivered since 2008 by a senior in-house development team.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Hope Factory industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Ecommerce Agency Services / Shopify Development
- NAICS
- Computer Systems Design Services (541512), Graphic Design Services (541430)
- SIC
- Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Omnichannel Commerce & Click-and-Collect Platforms (BPAMAGAL)
Keywords
Where The Hope Factory is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Elsternwick
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices4 records
Markets served
The Hope Factory business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Project-based Professional Services (Custom Shopify Builds): Fixed-price custom Shopify and Shopify Plus build engagements scoped after a free discovery call. Pricing tiers range from $7,500 entry-level builds to $50,000+ enterprise Shopify Plus implementations. Revenue is recognised on a per-project basis.
- Ongoing Development Blocks / Retainer: Post-launch development support sold in blocks of time (10 hours) or monthly retainer arrangements. Allows clients to access the dev team on demand for new features, bug fixes, performance work, and platform updates without hiring in-house.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Monthly | Standard Shopify build (premium theme customisation) |
| One time/ perpetual license | Monthly | Custom Shopify build with integrations |
| One time/ perpetual license | Monthly | Enterprise Shopify Plus implementation / complex platform migration |
| One time/ perpetual license | Monthly | Entry-level Shopify project |
| One time/ perpetual license | Monthly | Shopify Plus enterprise build |
| Subscription | Monthly | Ongoing development blocks |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
The Hope Factory product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Hope Factory is an Australian boutique ecommerce agency that exclusively designs, builds, migrates, and grows Shopify and Shopify Plus stores for brands. The agency offers four core service lines: Shopify Design (custom analytics-led store design), Shopify Development (custom themes, checkout extensibility, complex integrations), Shopify Migration (from Magento, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Neto, WordPress), and Shopify Consulting & Growth (fractional ecommerce leadership for stores past $1M revenue via the proprietary Growth Program). Engagements begin with a free discovery call and are delivered as fixed-price projects with optional ongoing development block retainers.
Product overview
The Hope Factory is a Shopify-focused ecommerce agency offering a unified portfolio of services built around Shopify and Shopify Plus platforms. The core offering consists of four primary service lines: Shopify Design (custom store design with conversion focus), Shopify Development (custom themes and integrations), Shopify Migration (platform transitions from Magento, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Neto and others), and Shopify Consulting & Growth (fractional ecommerce leadership for scaling brands). Supporting these are Growth-focused UX Design, Development & Complex Integrations, and ongoing Support services. The agency operates exclusively within the Shopify ecosystem, specialising in Shopify Plus for high-volume merchants requiring advanced features like checkout extensibility, B2B wholesale portals, multi-store management, and Shopify Flow automation.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Timber Kids: A family-run Shopify-based business on a mission to reduce the number of plastic toys in homes by providing beautiful, hand-illustrated, eco-friendly timber toys, learning tiles, nursery decor, and gift cards. Acquired by The Hope Factory in 2023.
Products and services
- Shopify Design Custom Shopify store design service using an analytics-led approach to identify what is losing sales before redesigning. Includes mobile-first product and cart pages and conversion-focused checkout flows, targeted at brands requiring unique visual identity and user experience.
- Shopify Development Custom Shopify theme development and integration services including Shopify Plus themes, checkout extensibility, subscription stacks, B2B portals with buyer-specific pricing, and third-party integrations (ERP, POS, shipping, email, loyalty, subscriptions).
- Shopify Migration Platform migration services from WordPress, Magento, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, Neto, Squarespace, OpenCart, or custom platforms to Shopify and Shopify Plus. Includes data migration, SEO redirect mapping, and coordinated launch planning to preserve search rankings and sales continuity.
- Shopify Consulting & Growth (Growth Program) Fractional ecommerce leadership embedded in client teams, including revenue-leak audits, what-to-ship-next prioritisation frameworks, and ongoing conversion optimisation for stores past $1M revenue. Structured as a post-launch engagement model distinct from one-off builds.
- Shopify Plus Builds Enterprise-scale Shopify Plus implementations including full checkout control via Checkout Extensibility, Shopify Flow automation, B2B functionality with member-level pricing, multi-store management (AU, NZ, US, B2B portal), and advanced integrations for high-volume merchants ($1M+ revenue).
- Ongoing Development Blocks / Support Retainer Post-launch development support sold in 10-hour blocks at $1,760 inc GST or as monthly retainer arrangements. Provides access to the development team on demand for new features, bug fixes, performance work, and platform updates without hiring in-house. Hours do not expire for 12 months.
Quantifiable outcome
- 10x sales volume growth for W. Titley & Co over a multi-year Shopify Plus partnership
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use The Hope Factory
Customer profileNamed customers23 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The Hope Factory technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration17 records
Feature6 records
The Hope Factory partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- ShopifycoreThe Hope Factory is an official Shopify Premier Partner — the second-highest tier in Shopify's partner program. The agency exclusively builds on Shopify and Shopify Plus, with Shopify Partner status since 2013. This partnership provides priority technical support, direct line to Shopify's partner team, access to co-sell opportunities, and resources not available to lower-tier partners.
- KlaviyocoreEmail marketing and marketing automation platform integrated into client Shopify stores. Used extensively for retention strategy and customer lifecycle campaigns (e.g., Veneziano Coffee Roasters, Robert Gordon).
- RechargecoreSubscription commerce platform integrated into Shopify stores for recurring billing, subscription management, and loyalty programs. Used for coffee subscription stores (Veneziano, Axil Coffee) and other subscription-based clients.
- GorgiassupportingAI-powered customer service and support platform integrated into Shopify stores for CX automation. Referenced as part of the agency's integration ecosystem.
- Retail ExpresssupportingPOS and retail management system integrated with Shopify for omnichannel retailers. Used for clients with physical retail locations such as Coco & Lola (3 boutiques) and Wittner (20+ stores in Australia and NZ).
- OkendosupportingProduct reviews and ratings platform integrated into Shopify stores to enhance social proof and conversion. Referenced as part of the agency's integration ecosystem.
- YotposupportingReviews, loyalty, and SMS marketing platform integrated into Shopify stores. Part of the integration ecosystem available to clients.
- Wine HubcoreSpecialised wine ecommerce platform integrated with Shopify to handle wine-specific workflows including case count logic, club tiers, age verification, and direct-to-consumer and wholesale wine sales. Recommended for wine clients including Montalto and Robert Gordon Hospitality.
- XerosupportingAccounting software integrated with Shopify for financial management, invoice handling, and bookkeeping. Referenced as a key Australian integration requirement alongside Afterpay, Zip, Australia Post and StarTrack.
- NetSuitesupportingERP platform integrated with Shopify for enterprise clients requiring advanced inventory, financial, and operational management.
- Optimising SEO AgencysupportingSEO agency partner integrated into the client's tech stack for search engine optimisation work alongside Shopify builds.
- ShippitsupportingShipping platform integrated with Shopify for Australian domestic shipping, handling Australia Post and StarTrack integrations.
- StarshipitsupportingShipping management platform integrated with Shopify for label printing, tracking, and carrier management. Used for Robert Gordon's fulfilment stack.
- Cin7 Core (DEAR)supportingInventory and supply chain management platform (formerly DEAR) integrated with Shopify for inventory synchronisation. Used for Robert Gordon's multi-store operations.
- Pixel UnionsupportingShopify theme developer providing premium themes used as a starting point for some client builds.
- RebuysupportingUpsell and cross-sell app integrated with Shopify to drive average order value through personalised product recommendations at checkout and cart.
- PreeziesupportingInteractive product recommendation quiz platform integrated with Shopify. Used for Tontine's Dreamseeker Interactive Quiz to guide customers to the right bedding products.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Hope Factory competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Storetasker: Storetasker is a curated marketplace connecting Shopify merchants with vetted Shopify experts and developers. It overlaps with The Hope Factory's services through its developer network, particularly for smaller projects, and represents a different model of accessing Shopify talent.
Direct peers
- Disco Labs: Disco Labs is an Australian ecommerce and Shopify development agency offering custom builds, migrations, and integrations. Direct peer in the boutique Australian Shopify agency space, with overlapping customer segments in fashion, beauty, and lifestyle.
- Yoghurt Digital: Yoghurt Digital is an Australian digital agency with strong Shopify and Shopify Plus capabilities serving fashion, beauty, and lifestyle brands. Comparable boutique-to-mid-size peer in the same Australian market, with similar brand-building and CRO focus.
- OuterBox: OuterBox is a US-based digital agency focused on Shopify and Shopify Plus design, development, and SEO. It targets mid-market and enterprise merchants with similar build, migration, and growth services, making it a closely comparable peer in services and customer profile.
- We Make Websites: We Make Websites is a UK-founded Shopify Plus agency that builds, migrates, and grows DTC brands on Shopify. Direct peer in the Shopify-only agency model, with similar enterprise migration and Growth Program-style offerings, and a comparable boutique-to-mid-size positioning.
- Wave Digital: Wave Digital is an Australian Shopify Plus agency providing strategy, design, development, and growth services. Direct peer in the Australian Shopify market, targeting similar mid-market and enterprise brands with a comparable service portfolio.
- Absolute Web: Absolute Web is a US-based ecommerce agency with deep Shopify Plus and Adobe Commerce experience, offering end-to-end design, development, and digital marketing. Comparable to The Hope Factory in the Shopify Plus enterprise segment, with broader platform breadth.
- Swanky: Swanky is a UK-based Shopify Plus agency offering design, development, migration, and growth services for brands. Direct comparable to The Hope Factory given its exclusive Shopify/Shopify Plus focus, Premier Partner status, and emphasis on enterprise migrations and CRO.
- Slicedbread: Slicedbread is an Australian Shopify Plus agency delivering design, development, and growth engagements for established brands. Direct peer in geography, platform focus, and target customer profile, often cited alongside The Hope Factory in Australian Shopify agency rankings.
Broad incumbents
- Shopify (in-house agency services): Shopify itself, the platform owner, has expanded its own services, partner ecosystem, and AI-assisted store-building tools that compete indirectly with agencies like The Hope Factory. As the platform incumbent, Shopify sets the rules, partner tiers, and tooling that shape every agency in this space.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Hope Factory social profiles
Digital presenceThe Hope Factory financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Hope Factory leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
The Hope Factory subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
The Hope Factory funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Hope Factory M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Hope Factory
What does The Hope Factory do?
The Hope Factory is an Australian boutique ecommerce agency that exclusively designs, builds, migrates, and grows Shopify and Shopify Plus stores for brands. The agency offers four core service lines: Shopify Design (custom analytics-led store design), Shopify Development (custom themes, checkout extensibility, complex integrations), Shopify Migration (from Magento, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Neto, WordPress), and Shopify Consulting & Growth (fractional ecommerce leadership for stores past $1M revenue via the proprietary Growth Program). Engagements begin with a free discovery call and are delivered as fixed-price projects with optional ongoing development block retainers.
Is The Hope Factory a public or private company?
The Hope Factory is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was The Hope Factory founded?
The Hope Factory was founded in 2008. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The Hope Factory based?
The Hope Factory is headquartered in Elsternwick, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does The Hope Factory make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Project-based Professional Services (Custom Shopify Builds) is the primary driver. The others are ongoing Development Blocks / Retainer.
Who are The Hope Factory's main competitors?
Storetasker is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Disco Labs, Yoghurt Digital, OuterBox, We Make Websites, Wave Digital, Absolute Web, Swanky and Slicedbread. Shopify (in-house agency services) is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does The Hope Factory have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Hope Factory.
What industry is The Hope Factory in?
The Hope Factory's product category is Ecommerce Agency Services / Shopify Development. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMAGAL, Omnichannel Commerce & Click-and-Collect Platforms. Its NAICS code is 541512 and its SIC code is 7311.