The complex, often fragmented world of post-purchase commerce operations is undergoing a seismic transformation, moving away from cumbersome manual processes toward a future orchestrated by artificial intelligence. This shift is no longer a distant concept but a present-day reality, powerfully demonstrated by the performance of companies architected for this new era. Pipe17, an AI-native platform, stands at the vanguard of this movement, showcasing its influence with a stunning 163% year-over-year surge in order volume in 2025.
The Dawn of AI-First Commerce Operations
The traditional model of commerce operations, characterized by siloed systems and reactive problem-solving, is rapidly becoming obsolete. Brands and third-party logistics (3PL) providers are increasingly recognizing that manual workflows cannot keep pace with the demands of modern e-commerce, which requires speed, accuracy, and scalability. This has created a critical need for a new operational paradigm—one that is intelligent, automated, and proactive.
Pipe17’s extraordinary 163% growth in order volume is a clear testament to this industry-wide pivot. It signals a growing consensus among businesses that leveraging AI is not just an advantage but a necessity for survival and growth. This momentum reflects a strategic decision by companies to invest in technologies that can unify logistics, optimize inventory, and accelerate fulfillment without the corresponding increase in operational headcount, thereby creating a more resilient and efficient supply chain.
The Foundation of an AI-Native Platform
At its core, Pipe17 is an Order Operations Platform built from the ground up with artificial intelligence as its central nervous system. Designed specifically for the complex needs of modern brands and 3PLs, the platform’s fundamental mission is to streamline the entire post-purchase journey. It addresses the persistent challenges of disparate systems and data fragmentation by creating a unified operational hub.
This AI-native architecture enables businesses to manage and automate complex processes with unprecedented ease. The platform’s purpose extends beyond simple connectivity; it aims to empower companies to scale B2B operations, maintain optimal inventory levels across all channels, and ensure faster, more accurate fulfillment. By doing so, Pipe17 allows its clients to enhance customer satisfaction and drive profitability, all while containing the costs associated with manual operational management.
Milestones of a Record-Breaking Year
The company’s performance in 2025 was marked by more than just top-line order growth. Deeper metrics reveal a significant embedding of Pipe17’s technology into the core of its clients’ operations. A 7.6x increase in automation engine runs and a 6.3x jump in processed returns underscore the platform’s role in handling increasingly complex and high-volume tasks. Furthermore, a 5x growth in purchase and transfer orders indicates a deeper reliance on the system for comprehensive inventory and supply chain management.
These figures collectively paint a picture of a platform that has become an indispensable operational backbone for its users. The growth is not merely transactional; it represents a fundamental shift in how these businesses manage their day-to-day commerce flows. They are actively leveraging Pipe17’s automation and intelligence to handle a greater scope of work, demonstrating a high level of trust and dependence on its capabilities.
Pippen AI Agent The Operational Catalyst
A primary driver behind this operational integration was the widespread adoption of Pippen, Pipe17’s proprietary AI agent. Pippen acts as an intelligent assistant, enabling operations teams to use natural language to diagnose and resolve complex issues, such as troubleshooting order routing decisions or configuring new automation rules. This user-friendly interface demystifies complex processes, making powerful automation accessible to non-technical users.
The impact of this tool was profound, evidenced by a 14x increase in monthly user conversations and an impressive engagement rate of 70% among all platform users. Testimonials from clients like ITB Fulfillment highlighted Pippen’s effectiveness, noting that it empowered their team to independently resolve approximately 95% of intricate mapping and customer flow issues, radically simplifying their operational workload.
Launch of the Model Context Protocol MCP Server
Further cementing its role as an industry pioneer, Pipe17 launched the first-ever Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for order management in September 2025. This groundbreaking technology extends the platform’s connectivity into major AI environments like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini. Consequently, business users can now interact with their operational data directly within their preferred AI tools.
This innovation eliminates the need for context-switching between different applications. For instance, a manager can ask questions about order status or generate fulfillment reports using simple, conversational language within ChatGPT, receiving instant, accurate answers sourced directly from Pipe17. This seamless integration provides unprecedented access to operational intelligence, as praised by clients like Allbirds, who noted the immediate value of having such data at their fingertips.
Co-Founding the Commerce Operations Foundation
Building on its commitment to industry-wide standards, Pipe17 co-founded the Commerce Operations Foundation in November 2025, a coalition of over 70 influential entities. This foundation introduced the Order Network eXchange (onX), a new specification designed to standardize the exchange of order, inventory, and fulfillment data between systems.
Built upon the MCP, onX is designed to serve as a critical infrastructure layer for what is being termed the “agentic era” of commerce. In this emerging landscape, autonomous AI agents will manage transactions from customer intent all the way through to final delivery. By establishing a common language for these systems, onX aims to create a more fluid and interoperable e-commerce ecosystem, paving the way for a new generation of automated commerce.
Significant Platform Capability Enhancements
Throughout the year, Pipe17 also rolled out a suite of significant enhancements to its core platform. These improvements included advanced order routing controls that provide greater flexibility and precision in fulfillment decisions, as well as comprehensive B2B commerce flows to support more complex wholesale and distribution models.
Major performance upgrades were also a key focus, resulting in an 8x faster bulk operations feature and a 10x improvement in order ingestion throughput for Shopify merchants. These technical gains ensure that the platform can handle enterprise-level scale and complexity without sacrificing speed or reliability, further solidifying its value proposition for high-growth brands and logistics providers.
The AI-Native Advantage
What truly differentiates Pipe17 from legacy systems is its AI-first architecture, which is fundamentally designed to be proactive rather than reactive. Traditional platforms often require manual intervention to identify and fix problems after they have occurred. In contrast, Pipe17’s intelligent system is built to anticipate and prevent issues, such as stockouts or routing errors, before they can impact the customer experience.
This proactive stance is achieved through a unique strategic combination of internal and external innovation. The platform leverages its powerful internal AI agent, Pippen, to empower users with immediate, intelligent assistance. Simultaneously, it champions foundational, industry-wide protocols like MCP and onX to foster a truly interoperable and future-proof ecosystem. This dual approach ensures both immediate user value and long-term industry leadership.
Expanding the AI-Powered Ecosystem
A key part of Pipe17’s strategy in 2025 involved the strategic expansion of its ecosystem through new managed network connections. Recognizing the shifting dynamics of global e-commerce, the company added crucial integrations with high-growth marketplaces, including Temu and SHEIN, allowing its clients to tap into these rapidly expanding sales channels seamlessly.
In addition to broadening its marketplace reach, Pipe17 also deepened its capabilities in enterprise fulfillment. The platform introduced connections to leading solutions such as Manhattan WMS and FedEx Supply Chain, as well as the returns management service Happy Returns. These integrations ensure that Pipe17 can support the complex logistical needs of large-scale operations, making it a viable and powerful solution for businesses of all sizes.
Reflection and Broader Impacts
Reflection
Pipe17’s journey through 2025 showcased immense strengths, most notably its innovative application of AI and its impressive, quantifiable growth metrics. The company successfully translated advanced technology into practical tools that solve real-world operational problems. However, this rapid innovation also presents a significant challenge: driving industry-wide adoption for new standards. While initiatives like onX are visionary, convincing a diverse and often slow-moving industry to embrace a new protocol requires sustained effort and collaboration.
Broader Impact
Looking beyond the company itself, the work being done by Pipe17 is foundational for the future of digital commerce. By building the critical data and communication infrastructure for an “agentic era,” the company is helping to shape a future where autonomous AI agents can manage transactions with minimal human oversight. This has the potential to fundamentally change how businesses operate, leading to unprecedented levels of efficiency, personalization, and automation across the entire value chain.
The Future of Commerce is Orchestrated by AI
The achievements of 2025 solidified Pipe17’s position as a leader in the AI-driven transformation of commerce operations. The record growth, the successful deployment of its Pippen AI agent, and the pioneering work on the MCP and onX standards all pointed to a market that was ready and eager for intelligent automation. These milestones were not just corporate wins; they were indicators of a permanent shift in how the industry approached operational efficiency.
As 2026 unfolds, Pipe17’s focus sharpens on the next frontier: developing intelligent automation that moves beyond reaction and resolution to anticipation and prevention. The goal is to create a system so intelligent that it can foresee potential disruptions in the order lifecycle and autonomously implement solutions before they ever affect a customer, truly delivering on the promise of a seamlessly orchestrated commerce experience.
