Piped Bits
Spiral Inc. (formerly Piped Bits) operates SPIRAL, a Japanese low-code development platform enabling business users and web developers to build secure databases, web applications, member sites, and email workflows for government, financial, and enterprise customers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersMinato, Japan
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Piped Bits does
Piped Bits, Inc. (株式会社パイプドビッツ) was founded in 2000 and rebranded to Spiral Inc. (スパイラル株式会社) on June 1, 2023. The company develops and operates SPIRAL, a low-code development platform enabling business users and web developers to build secure web applications, databases, member sites, email campaigns, inquiry forms, and event registration systems without full custom software development. The current-generation product, SPIRAL ver.2 (launched November 2020), combines a no-code visual builder with a PHP execution environment, REST APIs, database triggers, an authentication area, and built-in security controls (IP restrictions, two-factor authentication, access logs). The legacy SPIRAL ver.1, with a per-record pricing model and over 20 years of operation, has accumulated 13,000+ cumulative customer companies and remains in production alongside ver.2.
Spiral serves Japanese enterprise, mid-market, and SMB buyers across verticals where data sensitivity is high — government, financial institutions, education, manufacturing, healthcare, real estate, and membership organizations. The go-to-market combines direct enterprise sales, a partner channel of 400+ web development and SI firms (the SPIRAL Developers Program), and a self-serve trial funnel (30-day Trial and Enginee β accounts). Pricing is subscription-based (Standard Plan at 50,000 JPY/month for 5 users plus add-ons), supplemented by Professional Services for outsourced implementation. Strategic partnerships include Microsoft Entra ID SSO integration (2026) and a 100% subsidiary in Cambodia contributing to platform development. Direct platform usage reported by the company is 3,000+ users with 97% support desk satisfaction and a 99.9% monthly uptime SLA.
Piped Bits firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Piped Bits
- Legal name
- スパイラル株式会社
- Website
- https://pi-pe.co.jp
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Spiral Inc. (formerly Piped Bits) operates SPIRAL, a Japanese low-code development platform enabling business users and web developers to build secure databases, web applications, member sites, and email workflows for government, financial, and enterprise customers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Piped Bits industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Low-code development platform
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (5132), Custom Computer Programming Services (541511), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Low-Code/No-Code Application Platforms (HDAEAKAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Low-Code/No-Code Application Development & Modernization (BPAEAFAF), Industry-Specific Low-Code Platforms (Vertical App Platforms) (HDAEAKAL), Low-Code/No-Code Integration Builders (BPAMAOAL), Enterprise Application UX, Portals & Low-Code Extensions (BPAEAGAM), Developer Portals, SDKs & Documentation Platforms (BPAMADAG)
Keywords
Where Piped Bits is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Minato
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
Piped Bits business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- SPIRAL ver.2 Platform Subscription: Monthly/annual subscription to the low-code development platform, priced per plan tier based on user count, storage, API agents, and included app/site quotas. Includes base platform plus optional add-ons.
- Professional Services: Paid setup, configuration, and managed services for customers who prefer outsourced implementation. Customers can request design/build assistance separately from platform subscription fees.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Standard Plan: 50,000 yen/month, 5 users, 10 light users, 1 API agent, 1 site, 20 apps, 100MiB record storage, 10GiB file storage, 100K API requests/month |
| Subscription | Monthly | Optional Add-ons: User/light user/API expansions and address auto-completion feature (5,000 yen/month) |
| Freemium | Monthly | Free Trials: 30-day Trial Account (business use, production data migration possible) and unlimited Enginee β Account (individual/learning use) |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
Piped Bits product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Piped Bits (now operating as Spiral Inc.) provides the SPIRAL low-code development platform that enables organizations to build secure web applications, websites, and business systems without extensive programming. The platform combines a visual no-code builder, PHP execution environment, REST APIs, and a secure cloud database to support use cases such as email newsletters, surveys, membership sites, inquiry management, and event registrations. The company serves over 13,000 organizations including government agencies and financial institutions, with the flagship SPIRAL ver.2 platform supplemented by the legacy SPIRAL ver.1.
Product overview
Piped Bits operates as a low-code development platform provider, now rebranded as Spiral Corporation (スパイラル株式会社). The product portfolio centers on SPIRAL ver.2 as the primary low-code development platform for web applications and websites, supplemented by the legacy SPIRAL ver.1. Add-on services include the Waiting Room feature for traffic management, the Insourcing Development Support service for DX acceleration, MKupdate Plus partner webinars, and the SPIRAL Developers Program (SDP) partner network. Complementary resources include the Support Site and Knowledge Site for operational guidance.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- Customer support satisfaction rate: 97%
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Piped Bits
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments9 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Piped Bits technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature11 records
Piped Bits partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- Microsoft (Microsoft Entra ID)coreSPIRAL ver.2 integrates with Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) via SAML authentication, enabling single sign-on for enterprise users. This allows organizations using Microsoft Entra ID to apply their existing security policies (conditional access, MFA) to SPIRAL ver.2 access, improving security governance and reducing ID management overhead. Future plans include user and group synchronization.
- MKupdate PlussupportingMKupdate Plus is a monthly webinar series organized by Spiral for SPIRAL partners, providing updates on SPIRAL ver.2 knowledge, feature updates, and usage methods. Partners receive email notifications to participate.
- SPIRAL Developers Program (SDP) PartnerscoreOver 400 web development companies and SIers participate in the SDP program, building and reselling SPIRAL-based applications. Partners receive developer accounts, discounted client pricing, seminars, and project referrals. The program includes 5 components: developer accounts, client pricing, training/seminars, direct project referrals, and partner promotion.
- PIPED BITS (CAMBODIA) CO., LTD.supportingSpiral's 100% subsidiary in Cambodia handles a portion of platform development, with access to Japanese server data as needed. This arrangement is disclosed in Spiral's personal information protection policy under 'external environment recognition.'
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Piped Bits competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- GeneXus: Low-code development platform with strong presence in Latin America and Japan markets. Comparable on automatic code generation and database-driven application development with similar Japan market overlap.
- Questetra: Japanese cloud-based workflow and BPM platform with SaaS deployment model. Comparable as a Japan-focused low-code process automation platform serving enterprise and government customers with similar security and compliance positioning.
Direct peers
- Mendix (Siemens): Enterprise low-code platform owned by Siemens, focused on collaborative app development with strong multi-experience UI and integration capabilities. Direct competitor in the low-code application platform category.
- kintone (Cybozu): Cybozu's kintone is a leading Japanese low-code/no-code business application platform serving similar enterprise and SMB customers in Japan. Directly comparable on no-code app building, database management, and workflow use cases, with overlapping target verticals.
- OutSystems: Global enterprise low-code platform for building and deploying web and mobile applications. Comparable on visual development, enterprise integration, and developer extensibility, though targeting larger multinational enterprises.
- Appian: Low-code process automation and case management platform with strong enterprise and regulated-industry credentials. Comparable on process/case management low-code capabilities and security-focused enterprise positioning.
Broad incumbents
- ServiceNow App Engine: Low-code application development layer within ServiceNow's enterprise platform. Competes for the same enterprise low-code development use cases with deep workflow and integration capabilities.
- Microsoft Power Apps: Low-code app-building capability within Microsoft's Power Platform, bundled with Microsoft 365 and Dynamics. Competes for the same business user/developer low-code mindshare, with vast distribution and AI investment advantages.
Emerging players
- Bubble: Visual no-code web application platform enabling non-developers to build full web apps. Comparable on visual builder and database-driven application development, though primarily serving the SMB/consumer builder segment globally.
- Google AppSheet: Google's no-code application development platform acquired in 2020, enabling business users to build mobile and web apps from data sources. Comparable on no-code business user focus and database-driven app building.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Piped Bits compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Piped Bits financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Piped Bits leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Piped Bits funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Piped Bits M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Piped Bits
What does Piped Bits do?
Piped Bits (now operating as Spiral Inc.) provides the SPIRAL low-code development platform that enables organizations to build secure web applications, websites, and business systems without extensive programming. The platform combines a visual no-code builder, PHP execution environment, REST APIs, and a secure cloud database to support use cases such as email newsletters, surveys, membership sites, inquiry management, and event registrations. The company serves over 13,000 organizations including government agencies and financial institutions, with the flagship SPIRAL ver.2 platform supplemented by the legacy SPIRAL ver.1.
Is Piped Bits a public or private company?
Piped Bits is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Piped Bits founded?
Piped Bits was founded in 2000. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Piped Bits based?
Piped Bits is headquartered in Minato, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does Piped Bits make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. SPIRAL ver.2 Platform Subscription is the primary driver. The others are professional Services.
Who are Piped Bits's main competitors?
Regional players on record are GeneXus and Questetra. Direct peers are Mendix (Siemens), kintone (Cybozu), OutSystems and Appian. Broad incumbents are ServiceNow App Engine and Microsoft Power Apps. Emerging players are Bubble and Google AppSheet.
Does Piped Bits have an API?
Yes. SPIRAL ver.2 exposes major functions via REST API, allowing developers to integrate secure databases and email delivery capabilities. APIs return JSON format responses using standard HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE). Security features include IP address restrictions and API agent-level access controls for databases, fields, and operation scopes. Developer documentation and API reference available. Developer documentation is at docs.spiral-platform.com/api.
What industry is Piped Bits in?
Piped Bits's product category is Low-code development platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAEAKAA, Low-Code/No-Code Application Platforms, with a secondary code of BPAEAFAF, Low-Code/No-Code Application Development & Modernization. Its NAICS code is 5132 and its SIC code is 7372.