WunderGraph, a startup focused on solving the problem of API sprawl within the GraphQL ecosystem, has raised $7.5 million in a Series A round. The funding round was backed by investors, including eBay Ventures, Karma Ventures, and Aspenwood Ventures. Along with the investment, eBay is also acting as a key design partner for WunderGraph’s initiative to build an open-source alternative to Apollo, a leading GraphQL company.
The company’s goal is to scale its GraphQL federation platform, aiming to provide an open-source alternative to Apollo’s proprietary federation. Bryan Woodruff, eBay’s VP of Seller Experience Engineering, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership, stating that the collaboration would help enhance eBay’s API ecosystem and improve product development processes for eBay sellers.
Founded in 2020, WunderGraph is led by CTO Dustin Deus, CEO Jens Neuse, COO Björn Schwenzer, and CCO Stefan Avram. While the company has strong roots in Germany, it has incorporated in the U.S. and added Avram, based in Miami, to lead U.S. operations in 2022.
GraphQL, a data query language for APIs, was developed by Meta (formerly Facebook) in 2012. It has become a key technology in the API ecosystem, enabling more efficient data retrieval compared to traditional REST APIs. However, as applications grow, the number of APIs can become unmanageable, creating API sprawl. This is where WunderGraph aims to help.
Initially, WunderGraph developed a software development kit (SDK) that unified multiple APIs, including GraphQL, REST, SOAP, and databases like MySQL. But the company found greater success by focusing on GraphQL federation, particularly after Apollo changed its federation product from an open-source MIT license to a proprietary Elastic License in late 2021. This shift created an opportunity for WunderGraph to offer an open-source alternative to Apollo’s now-closed model, which led to the creation of Cosmo in 2023.
As part of WunderGraph’s open-source initiative, eBay has provided not only financial backing but also essential design feedback, helping to shape the product to meet the needs of enterprise-scale companies. eBay’s involvement has guided WunderGraph in making Cosmo more adaptable and customizable, helping to ensure the product is suitable for organizations with specific integration needs.
WunderGraph’s open-source model also helps avoid the limitations imposed by proprietary products, which often lock customers into specific ecosystems. This is a key reason why large enterprises, such as eBay, are turning to WunderGraph for more flexibility and control over their API infrastructure.
With the $7.5 million in Series A funding, WunderGraph plans to expand its 20-person team and continue refining Cosmo, focusing on enhancing collaboration and governance features for large teams. The company believes that open-source solutions are the future of API management, especially as enterprises increasingly demand transparency, flexibility, and control in their tech stacks.
“We’re building the essential plumbing for the world’s biggest platforms,” said Stefan Avram, co-founder of WunderGraph. “This funding allows us to scale while keeping our commitment to open-source development.”
The investment signals the growing importance of open-source solutions in the evolving API economy and reflects a broader industry trend toward greater flexibility and collaboration in building scalable, distributed systems.
