Overview
Pipe17 is a cloud-native, composable order operations layer designed to streamline and automate ecommerce order processes for businesses. This innovative platform caters to brands, merchants, third-party logistics providers (3PLs), and SaaS providers, offering a comprehensive solution for modern ecommerce operations.
Core Functionality
- Connects and automates order operations across various commerce channels, fulfillment centers, and back-office applications
- Provides real-time visibility into all orders throughout the entire process
- Ensures seamless execution and accurate data synchronization across all channels
Automation and Integration
- Automates order-to-fulfillment processing, including dynamic holding, splitting, and routing of orders
- Updates inventory availability in real-time and automates internal returns workflows
- Integrates quickly, often within a week, avoiding lengthy and costly integration projects
- Supports multiple connectors and flows, allowing for flexible addition, swapping, or removal of channels
AI-Driven Order Operations
Pipe17 features an AI agent named Pippen, which leverages:
- Generative AI
- Machine learning
- Big data analysis Pippen enhances error detection, creates order routing rules, configures order holds, and generates custom integration mappings using natural language inputs.
Benefits
- Reduces fulfillment costs by over 25%
- Improves click-to-delivery times by more than 50%
- Decreases customer complaints by over 20%
- Eliminates manual processes and data errors
- 10x faster implementation and 10x cheaper maintenance compared to traditional systems
Scalability and Flexibility
- Designed for seamless scalability, allowing businesses to expand channels and change providers without disruptions
- Modern, headless architecture provides flexibility to select best-of-breed solutions
- Protects existing technology investments In summary, Pipe17 offers a unified and automated ecommerce order flow solution, providing superior control, visibility, and efficiency in order operations for businesses of all sizes.
Leadership Team
Pipe17's leadership team comprises industry veterans with extensive experience in ecommerce, logistics, and software development. Their collective expertise drives the company's innovation in order operations solutions.
Mo Afshar - Co-Founder & CEO
Mo Afshar leads Pipe17 as Co-Founder and CEO, setting the strategic direction and driving the company's growth and innovation in ecommerce order operations.
Kelly Goetsch - Chief Operating Officer (COO)
Kelly Goetsch joined as Pipe17's first COO, bringing valuable experience from his time at commercetools and as co-founder of the MACH Alliance. He is recognized as an industry pioneer in composable commerce infrastructure.
Ryan Powell - Chief Revenue Officer (CRO)
Appointed in June 2024, Ryan Powell brings over 20 years of experience in sales and revenue leadership from the logistics and ecommerce sectors, having previously held roles at Ryder Systems and Whiplash.
Other Key Leadership Positions
- Co-Founder & Head of Product: Oversees product development and strategy
- Co-Founder & Chief Technology Officer (CTO): Guides the technical vision and development of Pipe17's solutions
- SVP, Product and Engineering: Manages product and engineering functions
- Chief Marketing Officer (CMO): Leads marketing strategies and initiatives
- SVP, Partnerships and Business Development: Focuses on building partnerships and expanding Pipe17's reach The leadership team's combined expertise in cloud software, composable commerce, big data, business process automation, and data integration is crucial for Pipe17's mission to unify and streamline ecommerce operations.
History
Pipe17, a Seattle-based e-commerce logistics startup, has experienced rapid growth and innovation since its inception. Here's a chronological overview of the company's journey:
Founding (October 2019)
- Founded by Mo Afshar (CEO) and Dave Shaffer (Head of Product)
- Afshar previously served as CEO of Spoken Communications (acquired by Avaya in 2018)
- Shaffer brings experience from Oracle and Workato
Initial Funding (February 2021)
- Secured $8 million in seed funding
- Led by GLP Capital Partners
- Timing coincided with pandemic-driven online shopping boom
Platform Development
- Designed to manage e-commerce operations by connecting various software systems
- Provides real-time view of e-commerce operations
- Helps merchants streamline processes and eliminate manual data collection
Growth and Expansion
- Doubled average revenue per deal
- Increased average deal size by nearly 3X in 18 months
- Notable customers include Allbirds, Made In Cookware, Orthofeet, and MaryRuth Organics
- Partnerships with logistics providers like Ryder, UPS, and FedEx
Recent Funding and Leadership (January 2025)
- Announced $15.5 million Series A funding round
- Led by LFX Venture Partners, with participation from existing investors
- Total funding raised: $25 million since launch
- Hired Kelly Goetsch as first Chief Operations Officer
Technological Innovation
- Platform built on AI technology and MACH principles
- Features AI Order Operations Agent
- Enables seamless integration of systems and synchronization of data flows
- Designed to unify systems and channels for competitive advantage Pipe17's history demonstrates a trajectory of continuous growth, technological advancement, and strategic expansion in the e-commerce operations space.
Products & Solutions
Pipe17 offers a comprehensive suite of solutions designed to streamline and automate order operations for ecommerce businesses, including merchants, brands, and third-party logistics (3PL) providers. The company's offerings are built on a robust technological foundation and cater to various aspects of ecommerce operations.
Core Technology and Architecture
- Hub-and-spoke architecture: Centralizes and automates order-to-fulfillment processing for omnichannel selling
- Headless, composable technology framework: Ensures flexibility and agility in ecommerce operations
Key Features
- Order Cloud: SaaS delivery model aligning all order sources, fulfillment providers, and back-office systems
- Canonical Data Model: Proprietary model standardizing commerce data types across channels and applications
- Commerce Aware Integrations: Extensive library of smart, no-code ecommerce connectors
- Open API: REST APIs for integrating custom software or solutions
- Data Streaming: Modeled data streamed out for analytics and reporting
- Automation Engine: Touchless and error-free order orchestration with intelligent automation
- Operational Monitoring: Real-time view and management of omnichannel order status
Solutions for Merchants
- Execution of orders with total automation, visibility, and cost control
- Optimization of fulfillment costs and creation of automated fulfillment networks
- Integration with ERP systems
- Conversion of physical storefronts into ecommerce fulfillment locations
- Automation of internal returns workflows
- Elimination of silos between EDI and DTC order operations
Solutions for 3PLs and Fulfillment Providers
- Connectivity with ERPs and handling of orders from any sales or fulfillment channel
- Rapid customer onboarding and quick addition of selling channels
- Ability to close larger deals by connecting customers' ERPs with warehouse management tools
- Growth of customer base through service agility
- Cost reduction with automated backend returns workflows
Integration and Connectivity
- Integration with hundreds of retail EDI trading partners
- Streamlined routing of EDI document types between retail trading partners, warehouse partners, and ERPs
- Support for multiple accounts of the same connector (e.g., multiple Amazon Seller Central or Shopify Plus accounts)
- Management of all channels and accounts from a single Pipe17 account
Pricing
Pipe17's pricing model is based on order volume, connections, flows, and sub-accounts, ensuring cost-effectiveness for single, multiple, and omnichannel ecommerce merchants. In summary, Pipe17 provides a unified, automated, and scalable solution for managing order operations across various ecommerce channels, making it a robust tool for both merchants and 3PL providers.
Core Technology
Pipe17's core technology is built on several key components designed to optimize ecommerce order operations. The platform leverages advanced technologies to provide a seamless, efficient, and scalable solution for businesses.
Architecture and Data Modeling
- Hub-and-spoke architecture: Facilitates seamless flow of commerce data between various channels
- Universal commerce data model: Ensures data integration and accessibility across the entire order lifecycle
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Integration
- Generative AI (GenAI):
- Powers the conversational interface, including the agent Pippen
- Interprets natural language commands to configure custom integrations and automation rules
- Simplifies complex tasks like setting up order routing and automation rules
- Machine Learning:
- Enhances error and exception detection, notification, and resolution
- Continuously improves operational efficiency
- Big Data Analytics:
- Extracts insights from vast amounts of omnichannel transactional data
- Improves operational efficiency and decision-making
Automation and Order Operations
- Order Routing: Creates precise order routing logic without coding or IT assistance
- Order Holds and Modifications: Configures detailed order holds and modifications quickly
- Inventory Management: Automates multichannel inventory management and ensures real-time inventory sync
Integration and Connectivity
- Pre-built connectors for hundreds of selling channels, thousands of fulfillment providers, and popular ERPs
- Eliminates need for complex mapping
- Enables rapid implementation, often within days or weeks
User-Friendly Interface
- Designed for non-technical users to manage and optimize order operations
- Features point-and-click order routing engines
- Allows easy adjustment of workflows as business priorities evolve In conclusion, Pipe17's core technology combines advanced AI, automation, and user-friendly interfaces to provide a comprehensive solution for ecommerce order operations. This technology stack enables businesses to streamline their processes, improve efficiency, and adapt quickly to changing market demands.
Industry Peers
Pipe17 operates in the tech services industry, specifically focusing on e-commerce and order management solutions. The company faces competition from various players in the market, each offering unique solutions that overlap with or complement Pipe17's offerings.
Direct Competitors
- QuantiTech
- Revenue: $57.6M
- Employees: 318
- Focus: Tech services, not specifically e-commerce integration
- Fleetio
- Revenue: $44.6M
- Employees: 286
- Focus: Fleet management software with some operational workflow similarities
- ChipRewards
- Revenue: $5.1M
- Employees: 44
- Focus: E-commerce solutions, more closely aligned with Pipe17 in size and focus
Alternative Solutions
- TrueCommerce
- Offers EDI compliance solutions and automates order processing
- SBSA Technology
- Provides EDI and API automation for order fulfillment, logistics, and operations
- ShipBob
- Global omnifulfillment solution integrating with various sales channels, inventory, and order management
- Commerce Layer
- Composable e-commerce platform with multi-market capabilities
- Webgility
- Multichannel e-commerce software automating accounting and inventory management
Complementary Industry Peers
- ShipStation
- Shipping software solution for online retailers to manage orders and shipments across multiple channels
- WeSupply Labs
- Focuses on post-order customer experience, including order tracking, returns, and delivery estimates The e-commerce integration and order management industry is diverse, with companies offering various aspects of operational workflow automation. While some competitors directly challenge Pipe17's market position, others provide complementary services or focus on specific niches within the broader e-commerce ecosystem. This competitive landscape highlights the importance of Pipe17's unique value proposition, which combines comprehensive order management, AI-driven automation, and seamless integration capabilities. To maintain its competitive edge, Pipe17 must continue to innovate and adapt to the evolving needs of e-commerce businesses, leveraging its strengths in AI and automation to differentiate itself from other players in the market.