Agentic Commerce Alliance Kickoff Builds Momentum for Fair, Open Standards in Agentic Commerce

Agentic Commerce Alliance members in Cologne, Germany, for the ACA kickoff meeting

Human Element and the founding members of the Agentic Commerce Alliance welcome and shape open, interoperable standards for an agent-driven open commerce future.

November 3, 2025 – Ann Arbor, Mich – By 2030, analysts expect nearly a third of all eCommerce transactions will be executed by AI agents. The recent announcement of Instant Checkout in ChatGPT confirms what we at Human Element, together with our partners in the Agentic Commerce Alliance (ACA), have been preparing for: a future where AI agents discover, compare, and purchase products and services on behalf of our customers and their customers.

Agentic Commerce Alliance and the paradigm shift of eCommerce

“Analysts expect that by 2030, AI agents will execute nearly a third of all eCommerce transactions. For our customers, this means new channels, new opportunities, and new ways to grow.” — Jason Magee, managing partner and co-founder, Human Element.

When we co-founded the Agentic Commerce Alliance in the spring of 2025, our goal was clear: lay the foundations of an open, interoperable, and customer-first ecosystem for agentic commerce. That’s why we welcome the decision by OpenAI and Stripe to open source the Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP), which enables Instant Checkout. This step aligns directly with the roadmap we’ve been pursuing: shared standards, interoperable agents, and scalable discovery.

That’s why we welcome the decision by OpenAI and Stripe to open source the Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP), which enables Instant Checkout. This step aligns directly with the roadmap we’ve been pursuing: shared standards, interoperable agents, and scalable discovery. “Without open standards, discovery and choice risk being controlled by closed platforms. With them, agents can recognize trust, service, and expertise — ensuring merchants of all sizes remain visible and competitive.” — Stefan Hamann, CEO, Shopware

Together with a growing network of forward-thinking companies, we aim to shape the future of AI-driven commerce in a way that’s open, fair, and empowering for merchants of all sizes.

Agentic Commerce Alliance members

From Vision to Action at the Alliance Kickoff in Cologne

On September 15, 2025, the Agentic Commerce Alliance held its inaugural Kickoff Event in Cologne. What began as a vision of open, agentic commerce became a working reality. Founding members agreed on a shared charter, established a governance model with regular all-member calls and steering sessions, and launched a shared collaboration hub to accelerate delivery.

More importantly, the Kickoff created urgency and momentum. Members committed to deliver tangible outputs by year-end — from draft standards to working prototypes — and structured their work into four streams: Education & Enablement, Applications & Prototypes, Data Standards & Experience Protocols, and Trust & Security.

The message was clear: the window to act is now. We at Human Element, together with the other Alliance members, left Cologne with a shared conviction that Agentic Commerce must be fair and competitive, built as a community, with openness and interoperability at its core.

About Human Element 

Human Element is an eCommerce services and digital marketing agency based in Ann Arbor, MI. Founded in 2004, Human Element has been delivering eCommerce solutions, custom integrations, and digital marketing solutions for more than 20 years. B2B and B2C clients include Chempoint, Pentair, Roush Performance, Implus, EOTECH, and more. To learn more, please visit www.human-element.com

About The Agentic Commerce Alliance

The Agentic Commerce Alliance unites AI-first technology companies, researchers, and merchants to build the foundations of open, agentic commerce: shared standards, interoperable agents, and merchant-first data sovereignty. The Agentic Commerce Alliance pools research, talent, and capital so that autonomous, ethical, and accessible AI becomes the default engine of commerce. Join us to accelerate adoption, unlock new markets, and shape the transformation of global commerce. For more information, visit https://agentic-commerce.org/.

Media Contact:

Emily Kania
Director of Marketing
[email protected]

Picture of Emily Kania

Emily Kania

Emily is the director of marketing at Human Element. She's spent the majority of her career marketing B2B tech solutions & services, wearing all the hats that come with marketing for small, agile agencies. She enjoys the wide variety of challenges and projects that come with the role, and especially the smart people she gets to work with every day.
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