It’s official — PartnerStack has passed a billion dollars in Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) on the platform. GMV can be defined as revenue driven through our ecosystem and network — providing a strong growth trajectory of the economic impact PartnerStack facilitates each year. With 117 per cent of GMV growth year over year, we’re thrilled to share that we’ve enabled $500 million of GMV in 2023 alone across our network.
This milestone shines a light on what we've been building at PartnerStack — the only platform purpose-built for igniting demand and driving tangible revenue for B2B SaaS companies. Every dollar of GMV is a dollar of value facilitated between a partner and a SaaS company. Crossing the $1B mark proves that partnerships can be the revenue engine for SaaS.
Without the loyalty and dedication to partnerships from our customers, smart activity from our partners and every active member of our ecosystem, we couldn’t have achieved this massive accomplishment. Our gratitude for our customers and partners is real — and despite a tough year for SaaS, with stories of slower sales-cycles, shrinking Annual Contract Values (ACVs), and missed targets at every turn, we're grateful to have an ecosystem of partners and SaaS companies that are connecting to buck that trend with partner-sourced revenue actually growing year over year.
Customers, agency partners and other partners benefit from higher GMV in the PartnerStack ecosystem
Customers such as monday.com find value and revenue growth through PartnerStack. By leveraging a variety of marketing and sales tools through the platform and tapping into the PartnerStack Network to recruit new partners, they can do more with their partnerships programs.
“PartnerStack provides a comprehensive platform for managing your partnership program, including tools for tracking partner activity, managing commissions, and generating reports,” says Dor Winter, Senior Referral Partnerships Manager at monday.com. “That enables me to better understand the performance of your partners and identify those who are driving the most revenue.”
Some customers, like Apollo.io, lean on PartnerStack for specific partner programs, like affiliates. “PartnerStack plays a pivotal role in our affiliate program at Apollo.io. They provide us and our partners with a user-friendly platform that covers all aspects of our program, including onboarding new partners, facilitating communication, and ensuring timely rewards,” says Jennifer Rhima, Director of Partnerships at Apollo.io, who enjoys both the platform and the people behind it. “Plus, the support we receive from the PartnerStack team is fantastic — big thanks to them!”
One of the reasons we pay attention to GMV is because it’s a metric that reflects wins for both vendors and partners — and the growing number creates opportunities for everyone in partnerships.
Jessica Grossman, founder and CEO of In Social and one of our top network partners, gets business value and time back from PartnerStack. “I can confidently say that the PartnerStack platform has made a measurable impact on our ability, as an agency partner, to sell our tech partner software to our clients,” says Grossman, who appreciates the easy commission payout system amongst other PartnerStack offerings. “Having the majority of our partners and all in one spot (and actively working to convince the others to switch), makes it so much easier to grab partner referral links, find partner marketing assets, and submit and track leads.”
“We also love how open and accommodating the PartnerStack team is to our feedback to make the agency experience as seamless as possible,” Grossman adds, reflecting on her experience. “Love the whole PartnerStack platform and team!”
The ecosystem platform and PartnerStack Network are changing the game for revenue in 2023
Our vision is to change the way the world sells software and $1B in GMV flowing through our Network brings us one step closer to achieving that vision. The most exciting aspect of this milestone is that the growth rate of the GMV continues to exceed 100 per cent YoY, which, according to PartnerStack’s CEO, Bryn Jones, is the best indication that B2B SaaS companies, partners, and partnership leaders are leaning into the possibility of indirect revenue, which we know is the most efficient scalable way to go to market.
“The triple digit growth is the direct result of the success of the B2B SaaS companies and partners that work together through PartnerStack,” says Jones. “We are steadfast in our pursuit to improve the user experience of the independent service vendors (ISVs) and partners who trust us to unlock the potential of indirect revenue.”
Though together we have achieved this significant milestone, we are in the early innings of what is possible through partnership revenue. “I am confident in the next phase of our shared success will be built on aggregated data to identify new growth opportunities for ISVs and partners — we will automate cumbersome process and workflows that limit the potential of indirect revenue, and we will unlocks features like smart matching which will save resources and power the growth of our entire ecosystem,” says Jones, as he looks ahead at the future.
PartnerStack’s General Manager, Network, Mary Winfield, believes this GMV growth demonstrates the power of our ecosystem platform coupled with our network. “It’s an exciting milestone that demonstrates the need and the opportunity here,” says Winfield. “Thrilled for our customers and partners — and so proud of the people at PartnerStack who helped make this milestone happen. Looking forward to the next billion!”
Certified PartnerStack partners, like All Inclusive Marketing (AIM), are also positively impacted by this exciting GMV milestone. "PartnerStack has been an invaluable partner for us and our mutual clients,” says Jason Lilien, Senior Director of B2B for AIM. “With a shared goal of making partnerships more efficient, scalable, and profitable for B2B brands, we are excited to continue to work closely together to support the partner ecosystem as an increasing priority for digital growth."
Related: Partnerships terms you keep hearing — and what they actually mean.
Tyler Calder, PartnerStack’s Chief Marketing Officer, is a realist with an optimistic view on partnerships and believes in the growth of them. Observing the shifts in the market in 2023 and looking ahead at the SaaS industry and what’s to come in 2024, Calder is doubling down on indirect channels as the key to revenue growth. "The entirety of GTM is in a moment of transition. Whether you're a leader in sales, marketing or customer success — you know you're a revenue leader and you know that acquiring, retaining, and expanding revenue is harder than ever,” says Calder. “Those who are working with their partnership teams to hit their number are the ones who are at the forefront of the moment. $1B in GMV is just the start."
Though challenging, generating revenue this year has been proven possible by the most dedicated partnerships leaders in 2023.
There will be more partnership ecosystem growth ahead
It’s clear that indirect channels continue to be a big opportunity in B2B SaaS — and partnerships, along with reviews, communities and other indirect efforts, continue to be key tactics that can help drive revenue and success.
In 2023, we’re still betting on partnerships as the solution to the scalability problem. Partnership pros are honing their skills and strengthening their tools, quarter after quarter, as they manage multiple partner programs and sometimes hundreds of active partners — with the support of ecosystem platforms. As the partnerships industry continues to evolve, leaders in the space are getting more efficient with recruitment, providing smoother onboarding experiences and activating multiple partner programs (with different partner types!) and scaling in smart ways. The activity in our network of more than 80,000+ active partners reflects this.
See more: The ultimate guide to partnerships for ecosystems in 2023.
