B2B MARKETPLACE PLATFORM

B2B Marketplace Platform: Composable Commerce Gives You the Building Blocks. ACE Runs Your Marketplace Autonomously.

The Emporix B2B marketplace platform connects manufacturers, distributors and channel partners in one system. Approvals, commissions and quotes run on automation instead of manual upkeep. As a Commerce Value Stream inside ACE, your marketplace is built for AI purchasing agents from day one.

Request a Demo Why ACE Is Agent Ready

90%

of B2B purchases will run through AI agents by 2028 according to Gartner, moving more than $15 trillion in spend

Source: Gartner, 2028 forecast

20%

of B2B sellers will be pushed into AI agent led quote negotiations in 2026, according to Forrester

Source: Forrester, 2026 forecast

71%

of B2B companies already offer e-commerce according to McKinsey, with about a third of revenue running through digital channels

Source: McKinsey B2B Pulse Survey

Two Ways to Run a B2B Marketplace.

A Classic Marketplace Tool

✗ A standalone system next to your core shop

✗ Vendor onboarding handled manually

✗ Approvals and pricing kept separate from your B2B business

✗ Not built with AI purchasing agents in mind

Marketplace as a Value Stream in ACE

✓ One data model for shop, sales and marketplace

✓ Vendor onboarding guided and reviewed

✓ Pricing, access and order splitting in the same system

✓ Agent ready from the start

Core Capabilities

Vendor as Its Own Legal Entity

Name, legal name, tax registration number and country of registration, including subsidiaries and multiple locations. Activation stays with the operator.

Vendor Owned Product Catalog

Each vendor manages its own products, media and availability, in the same system as your core assortment.

Vendor Owned Pricing

Vendors maintain their own base prices. Commercial rules and terms stay with the operator.

Four User Groups per Vendor

Created automatically for every new vendor: product manager, product viewer, order manager, order viewer.

Automatic Split by Vendor

An order spanning several vendors is split into suborders automatically, each vendor sees only its own part.

Central Operator Control

Manage company data, subsidiaries, locations and contacts per vendor centrally.

DIFFERENTIATION

Your Marketplace Is Agent Ready Because ACE Is.

AI purchasing agents compare offers, send requests and increasingly negotiate on their own. Your marketplace does not need to be built for that separately, it runs on the same API first architecture as the rest of your business.

One Product Data Model, Not an Island

Vendor products run in the same data model as your core assortment.

API Driven Offers

Prices and availability available in real time, not only visible in the storefront.

Existing Governance Still Applies

Vendor status, user groups and approvals apply regardless of who or what places the order.

Use Cases by Industry

Manufacturing

Manufacturers

Direct and partner sales in one system, without channel conflicts.

Wholesale / Distribution

Wholesale and Distribution

Core assortment and marketplace offer in one platform.

Financial Services

Insurance and Financial Services

Sales partners sell subscription services directly, as in the VHV reference project.

Architecture Compared

Criteria	SaaS Marketplace Specialist	Emporix ACE Platform
Architecture	Standalone, often licensed separately	Value Stream inside your existing platform
Agent Readiness	Typically not built in	Natively built for AI purchasing agents
Integration	Extra interface to your core shop	One data model for shop and marketplace
Time to Value	Depends on vendor, often longer rollout	Can build on an existing ACE instance

From the Field

months to go live

VHV Insurance: "meinMaklerStore"

Through digitalbroking.de, a VHV subsidiary, Emporix built this service marketplace together with implementation partner Adesso, live since 2025.

✓ Go live in only 5 months

✓ Vendors sell subscription services directly

✓ Orders routed to the right vendor automatically

✓ All vendor data and contracts in one place

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a B2B marketplace?

A platform where multiple vendors sell to business buyers together, sharing payment, approval and onboarding processes.

How does a B2B marketplace work?

Vendors manage their own catalogs, the operator handles approvals, commissions and buyer access centrally.

What is the difference between a marketplace and an ecommerce platform?

An ecommerce platform sells one company's products. A marketplace brings several vendors into one purchasing flow.

How much does it cost to build a B2B marketplace?

It depends on vendor count, existing systems and desired automation. We size it against your actual vendor mix.

What features does a B2B marketplace platform need?

Vendor onboarding, catalog and PIM per vendor, approval workflows, split payments or a commission engine, quote to order, and customer hierarchies.

Ready to Run Your B2B Marketplace Autonomously?

Request a Demo