What HESCOM-Software does

HESCOM-Software is a privately held German software partnership founded in 1999 and headquartered in Bürstadt, Germany, that develops Windows-based desktop software for the antiquarian book trade in the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland). The company's flagship products are Antiquar-PC, a complete inventory and business management system for antiquarian bookshops, art antiquaries, galleries, and publishers covering customer records, cataloging, ordering, invoicing, dunning, and one-click export of inventory and images to online marketplaces (AbeBooks/ZVAB, Antiquariat.de, Booklooker, Amazon); and Exlibris-PC, a professional collector software for private book and graphics collectors, small libraries, and archives, which features manual title entry, import, international library research, automatic duplicate checking, and catalog generation. A complementary offering, HESCOM-Shop, is an eCommerce webshop solution that integrates with the desktop products and is bundled with webdesign and hosting services on an annual basis. The company also provides IT consulting and ongoing support.

HESCOM operates a direct sales model through its website and contact-based outreach, offering free demo versions of both Antiquar-PC and Exlibris-PC, with pricing structured as one-time/perpetual licenses for the desktop software and annual fees for webshop hosting. Customer segments are SMB antiquarian bookshops and private collectors, with no enterprise concentration; named references include 20+ clients across Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Ireland. Revenue is generated primarily through license sales, recurring webshop hosting and design contracts, and project-based consulting.

The company is owned and managed by its three founders — Thomas Keinz, Markus Meyer, and Dr. Christian M. Meyer — and has remained independent with no external funding, parent company, or subsidiaries. Its product evolution has been incremental over 25 years (versions 4.0 in 2003, 4.1 in 2008, 4.2 in 2010, library module in 2013, Remote2Office in 2020), with the most significant structural move being the 2006-2007 acquisition of HESCOM-Software Messel and the subsequent expansion into web, eCommerce, and IT consulting under the HESCOM-Software brand.

Name

HESCOM-Software

Legal name

HESCOM-Software GbR, Inh. Keinz, Meyer & Meyer

Website

https://hescom.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

HESCOM-Software is a German partnership (founded 1999, Bürstadt) that develops Windows desktop software — Antiquar-PC for antiquarian bookshops and Exlibris-PC for private collectors — plus the HESCOM-Shop eCommerce module, serving SMB antiquarians and collectors across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Vertical Software (Antiquarian Book & Collectibles Management)

NAICS

Software Publishers (513210)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Software/SaaS Subscriptions (Consumer & Prosumer) (CRAFAIAB)

Keywords

• Antiquarian bookshop software
• Collector management software
• Rare book inventory software
• Antiquarian ecommerce solutions
• Specialty library software

Headquarters

HQ city

Bürstadt

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Antiquar-PC Software License: One-time software license sales for Antiquar-PC, a complete solution for managing antiquarian bookshops, galleries, and publishers. Includes inventory management, customer management, ordering, invoicing, and catalog creation.
2. Exlibris-PC Software License: One-time software license sales for Exlibris-PC, professional collector software for books and graphics suitable for private collectors, small libraries, and galleries.
3. HESCOM-Shop Webshop Solution: Webshop solution and webdesign services as complement to title management software. Includes hosting, design, and eCommerce functionality for antiquarians.
4. Consulting and Support Services: IT consulting services including network solutions and data management. Support and update services over years emphasized as important part of customer satisfaction.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

HESCOM-Software develops and sells Windows-based desktop software for the antiquarian book and graphics trade. Its portfolio comprises Antiquar-PC (complete business management for antiquarian bookshops, galleries, and publishers covering inventory, customer records, ordering, invoicing, and dunning), Exlibris-PC (collector software for private collections, small libraries, and archives with library research and duplicate detection), and HESCOM-Shop (an integrated eCommerce webshop with shopping cart, multi-currency support, and encrypted order processing).

Product overview

HESCOM-Software offers a portfolio of specialized software solutions for antiquarian bookshops, galleries, publishers, libraries, and private collectors. The core product lineup consists of Antiquar-PC (a complete business management system for antiquarian bookshops), Exlibris-PC (professional collector software for private collections and small libraries), and HESCOM-Shop (an eCommerce webshop module that integrates with both Antiquar-PC and Exlibris-PC). The three products are designed to work together: Antiquar-PC and Exlibris-PC handle inventory management and cataloging, while HESCOM-Shop provides the online sales channel for reaching customers over the internet.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Antiquar-PC: Complete solution software for antiquarian bookshops, galleries, and publishers for cataloging books and graphics, managing inventory, invoicing, and order processing.
• Exlibris-PC
• HESCOM-Shop

Products and services

• Antiquar-PC Complete inventory and business management software for antiquarian bookshops, art antiquaries, galleries, and publishers. Covers inventory organization, customer management, book and graphics cataloging, quote and catalog creation, order processing, invoicing, dunning, and direct data export to online marketplaces such as AbeBooks/ZVAB, Amazon, Antiquariat.de, and Booklooker.
• Exlibris-PC Professional collector software for managing private book and graphic collections, small libraries, and archives. Supports title cataloging via manual entry, data import, or international library research, with automatic duplicate detection, catalog generation, and inventory/insurance documentation.
• HESCOM-Shop Full-featured eCommerce webshop solution that complements Antiquar-PC and Exlibris-PC. Provides shopping cart, search and category browsing, multiple currency support, encrypted order processing, automated order confirmations, customizable design, and one-click title data transfer from the inventory software.

Quantifiable outcome

• Library module significantly improves book cataloging speed
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• MicrosoftcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 1999HESCOM-Software is a Microsoft Registered Partner. The partnership provides technical certification and validates the company's software development capabilities. All HESCOM products are Windows-based and support various Microsoft operating systems including Windows Server environments.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Sage Group plc: Global SMB accounting and business management software provider serving small businesses across Europe, including book retail. Represents the broader incumbent alternative for SMB customers evaluating HESCOM's invoicing/inventory capabilities.
• Microsoft (Dynamics 365 Business Central): Microsoft's SMB ERP/inventory platform, broadly comparable as a Windows-based business management alternative. HESCOM is itself a Microsoft Partner and operates in the same Windows ecosystem, making Dynamics the most likely displacement competitor at enterprise customers.
• Haufe-Lexware GmbH & Co. KG: One of Germany's largest SMB business software suites (accounting, ERP, inventory). While not antiquarian-specific, Lexware competes for the same German SMB customers and represents the generic alternative some antiquarians might choose.

Emerging players

• Lightspeed Commerce Inc. Cloud-based POS and inventory platform popular with specialty retailers including book and gift shops. A modern alternative that small antiquarians and collectors might adopt instead of HESCOM's Windows stack.
• Shopify Inc. Cloud-based commerce platform increasingly adopted by niche retailers and antiquarian booksellers as a modern alternative to legacy webshop solutions. HESCOM-Shop competes with Shopify in the antiquarian eCommerce segment, and Shopify also offers adjacent POS/inventory features.

Direct peers

• AvanTEC Software GmbH: German software vendor serving libraries, archives, and antiquarian book trade with specialized cataloging and management solutions. Directly comparable to HESCOM in vertical focus (antiquarian/library), SMB customer base, and German-market orientation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights1 record

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hescom-software

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 HESCOM-Software