Delivered on July 27, 2026
QGIS, Cloud, Map Data—MIERUNE's Vision for the Future of Location-Based Business
Speakers:
Yasunori Kirimoto, Representative CEO / Co-Founder, MIERUNE Inc.
Affiliation and position information is as of the time of distribution
We spoke with MIERUNE about their journey over the past 10 years since their founding and their initiatives under the motto "From Location to Value." They introduced "QGIS LAB by MIERUNE," which promotes QGIS and disseminates information, the development background of "Kumoy," a cloud service that seamlessly connects QGIS and the Web, and their continued contributions to the open-source GIS community. Furthermore, they delved into creating an environment where more people can utilize location information technology and the expanding possibilities of GIS use in local governments and companies. They shared their perspectives on the current state of the location information industry and the future in which GIS will become even more widespread as social infrastructure.
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1. MIERUNE's Founding Background and the Philosophy of "From Location to Value"
MIERUNE Inc. is a group of location information technology specialists founded in Sapporo, Hokkaido in 2016, and celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2026. Originally founded by three individuals who met in the open-source (OSS) location information technology community "FOSS4G," the company is characterized by a community culture at its core, rather than a business-first approach. The company operates under the slogan "From Location to Value," and has grown to over 30 employees, yet continues its unique management style without traditional sales staff. Technical blog posts and community activities effectively serve as sales, attracting customers based on deep trust in technology. Co-founder and CEO, Mr. Kirimoto, is a GIS expert with over 20 years of experience, and at the time of its founding, he single-handedly handled everything from development and infrastructure to accounting. As the company grew, his role changed, and now, while overseeing overall management, he continues to contribute to OSS personally, receiving global recognition as an AWS Hero.
A Unique Business Strategy Balancing Solutions and Products
MIERUNE's business is broadly divided into two axes. The first is the "Solution Business," which solves individual customer problems with specialized knowledge and domain knowledge. Leveraging the advanced knowledge cultivated through many years of contract development, we build and provide optimal systems for complex location information challenges. The second is the "Product Business," which provides tools developed in-house. In recent years, since Mr. Kirimoto became CEO, the emphasis on this product side has been further expanded. Representative examples include the cloud service "Kumoy," "MIERUNE Map Tiles" which distributes background maps, and "Rekizu" which handles historical maps. Until now, the focus was on custom-made solutions, but by productizing common problems and providing them generically, we are building a portfolio that delivers value to a wider range of users. Through this two-pronged strategy, we aim to achieve a high level of balance between business growth and contributions to open source.
Democratization of the World Standard GIS "QGIS" and a Sustainable Development Ecosystem
QGIS, the focus of the company, has become a global standard as a desktop open-source GIS, possessing advanced features comparable to commercial software. While expensive software was once the norm, the rise of QGIS has led to the "democratization of GIS," creating an environment where anyone can perform map analysis. QGIS is developed by volunteers worldwide, but companies like MIERUNE sponsor it, returning profits to the developers and supporting a sustainable development system. The company plays a crucial role not merely as a user, but as a vital partner in maintaining the ecosystem. QGIS has a vast user base not only in Japan but also globally, meaning that developing services related to this platform allows targeting the global market from the outset. MIERUNE sees business opportunities in providing even greater convenience to this vast user base.
Cloud Service "Kumoy" Changes the Norms of Data Sharing
To solve the long-standing problem of "cumbersome data sharing and management" faced by QGIS users, the cloud service "Kumoy" was developed. Because QGIS is basically software that operates in a local environment, data sharing involved cumbersome processes such as sending and receiving Zip files. Using Kumoy, data on QGIS can be uploaded to the cloud with a single click and easily shared with others via a browser. This enables a smooth workflow for sharing the latest map information with clients and team members without specialized knowledge. Its greatest strength lies in its high fidelity, faithfully reproducing complex styles and design expressions set on QGIS directly in the browser. It dramatically simplifies the process of "publishing meticulously crafted map designs on the web while maintaining their original design," which was previously difficult.
The Strategic Value of "Data Hosting" with a View to Global Expansion
"Kumoy" was designed from the outset with a strong focus on global expansion, aiming to provide it to QGIS users worldwide, building on its success in Japan. We are currently working on complying with overseas contracts and legal rules, and plan to accelerate our full-scale global expansion from 2024 to 2025. From a technical standpoint, we emphasize the function of "data hosting" (storage location) with location information, rather than simply being a visualization tool. This is because we believe that in the age of AI, where reliable primary data is stored and utilized holds extremely high asset value. Taking advantage of the "non-genre" nature of location information technology, which is not easily specialized to a particular industry, we are building a SaaS model that can accept users from all fields while flexibly responding to enterprise-level customization requests.
Engineer Education and Approach to Technology in the Era of Generative AI
In response to the rapidly evolving generative AI, MIERUNE has established an AI task force within the company and is actively introducing it to automate internal operations such as administrative tasks and attendance management. This has significantly reduced previously cumbersome miscellaneous tasks, creating an environment where employees can concentrate on their core work. On the other hand, in the software development field, we are taking a cautious stance from an educational perspective regarding the risk of blindly trusting AI's answers and ceasing logical thinking. We are particularly concerned that less experienced engineers will become overly reliant on AI and lose the ability to explain the logic behind the code's generation. We believe that fostering the ability for humans to understand AI's response processes and make independent choices is the honest approach for engineers at this time. While looking ahead to an era where AI can fully interpret maps, we are currently exploring the optimal solution during this transitional period.
Location Information Technology as Social Infrastructure and Future Prospects
Using our 10th anniversary as a milestone, MIERUNE aims for a state where location information technology is "used without conscious effort" in all aspects of society. We envision a world where everyone can use location information technology as a standard infrastructure, enabling us to solve more social problems quickly. By continuously feeding back the concrete knowledge cultivated in our solutions business into product development, we will strengthen the cycle of creating next-generation convenient tools. This will create an environment where advanced technology is easily accessible to everyone. While maintaining our base in Sapporo, we are actively recruiting through a combination of relocation support and remote work, gathering colleagues with diverse backgrounds. By continuing to provide a platform that fosters both community and business growth, we aim to contribute to the overall growth of the industry from the ground up.
Summary
MIERUNE Inc.'s 10-year journey is a history of pure contributions to the open-source community and the challenge of elevating that into a robust business model. True to its motto, "From Location to Value," the company continues to expand the possibilities of geographic information through innovative products like "Kumoy," which gives meaning to mere coordinate data and connects QGIS and the cloud.
Under CEO Kirimoto, the company is driving both solutions and products, building a solid foundation in data hosting, and aiming to transmit its value from Japan to the world. The company's evolution for the next 10 years, including coexistence with AI and global expansion, will be a crucial engine in ensuring that location information technology permeates every corner of society, making our lives richer and more convenient.