Hello, world
Especial was founded in Düsseldorf, Germany, from a simple frustration: digital projects were often slower, more complicated and more expensive than they needed to be.
We built Especial to be different - a senior, focused digital agency for companies that need strong technology, clear thinking and reliable execution.
Today, we help ambitious teams build scalable commerce platforms, custom apps and digital experiences that solve real business problems. Collaboration is at the heart of how we work.
We partner closely with clients, challenge assumptions, reduce complexity and stay focused on outcomes that create lasting impact.
Our team works across three countries, bringing together different perspectives, deep technical expertise and a constant curiosity for better ways of building.
We keep learning, keep improving and treat every challenge as a chance to sharpen our craft. With 40+ international clients and counting, we are proud of the work we have delivered - and even more excited about what comes next.
Ready to build what’s next? Let’s dance.
Meet our leaders
DE
Malte Dietrich
Account Manager & Co-founder
Malte is usually the first person clients speak to and often the person keeping complex projects aligned. He brings structure to requirements, stakeholders, timelines and communication - making sure ambitious projects stay clear, realistic and moving forward.
DE
Daniel Kolb
Product Manager & Co-founder
Daniel works at the intersection of product, technology and business requirements. He helps turn complex commerce challenges into practical platform decisions, custom workflows and scalable implementation plans.
za
Bronson Dunbar
Tech Lead
Bronson leads the technical execution behind many of our most complex projects. From Shopify Plus and custom apps to integrations and modern frontend architectures, he helps make sure the solution is not only launched, but reliable.
PT
Sofia Chiquilho
Design Lead
Sofia leads design across ecommerce, websites and digital products. Her focus is on clear, usable experiences that support both the brand and the business behind it.
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Repeat clients
We are proud to maintain strong long-term
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Delivered commerce projects
Our clients praise their websites and apps as user-friendly, high-performing, visually impressive, and - most importantly - reliable and fully functional.
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Clients across DACH and Europe
We work with ambitious commerce teams across the DACH region and Europe. From B2B specialists and fast-growing DTC brands to enterprise organizations with complex system landscapes.
WHat makes us especial.
What drives
our success
Senior small teams
We keep teams intentionally focused. That means fewer handovers, faster decisions and more direct access to the people actually responsible for the work.
Enterprise thinking
without enterprise overhead
We understand complex requirements, stakeholder environments and system landscapes, but we do not add unnecessary layers to solve them.
Technical depth
Shopify Plus is often only one part of the system. We build the custom apps, middleware, APIs, frontend architectures and integrations needed to make commerce platforms work in the real world.
Pragmatic execution
We prefer clear decisions over endless theory. Our process is built around discovery, prioritization, delivery cycles and continuous validation, so projects keep moving without losing control.
AI-assisted delivery
We use AI where it improves speed and quality: migration audits, data mapping, QA, documentation, testing, content migration and technical analysis. The goal is not hype. The goal is better delivery.
Long-term ownership
We build platforms with the future in mind. After launch, we can continue supporting performance, conversion, integrations, workflows and new platform capabilities.
We combine Shopify Plus expertise, product thinking, design and custom development to deliver commerce projects that are scalable, reliable and easier to operate.
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