ecosystem / people / tobi-lutke
Tobi Lütke

Tobi Lütke

Co-founder & CEO, Shopify

E-commerce

Tobi Lütke is the German-born co-founder and CEO of Shopify. A programmer, he began building software in 2004 to run Snowdevil, an online snowboard store, and he and his founding team launched that software as the Shopify platform in 2006. He was Shopify's chief technology officer until April 2008, when he became CEO, and he chairs its board.

Tobi hasn’t spoken on a TechTO, TechVancouver or TechWaterloo stage. This profile is here because Tobi co-founded Shopify, which appears in 5 talks in the archive.

More from TechTO ×1

Newsletter
Your idea isn't risky enoughThe TechTO newsletter · mentions Tobi
2026

Around the web ×3

Podcast
How to Live in Everyone Else's Future (with Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke)Acquired (ACQ2)
2025
Podcast
Tobi Lütke finally comes on the BetaKit PodcastBetaKit
2024
Article
Founder Tobias Lütke on Shopify's lack of profits, Canada's 'go-for-bronze' mentality and life as a multibillionaireThe Globe and Mail
2019

Quick answers

Who is Tobi Lütke?

The co-founder and chief executive officer of Shopify. Shopify's April 2026 management information circular says he co-founded the company in September 2004, has been CEO since April 2008 and chairs the board, and Fortune still described him as Shopify's cofounder and CEO in July 2026.

How did Shopify start?

In 2004 Lütke started writing software to launch Snowdevil, an online snowboard store. The software turned out to be worth more than the snowboards, so he and his founding team launched it as the Shopify platform in 2006.

What did he do at Shopify before becoming CEO?

He was its chief technology officer from September 2004 to April 2008. Shopify's circular also notes that he worked on the core team of the Ruby on Rails framework, created open-source libraries such as Active Merchant, and sits on the board of Coinbase Global.

How much control does he have over Shopify?

Shopify's April 2026 circular puts his share of the company's total voting power at about 40%.

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Maintained by TechTO · facts sourced and dated · last reviewed Sep 13, 2026