When we started PartnerStack, the pitch was simple: stop relying on ads, cold outreach, and other inefficient paths to growth. Let people who already have the trust of your buyers carry your story.
10 years ago, we talked about ‘building the world’s largest sales force’, which was our way of saying: Build a partner ecosystem as your primary path to growth.
That pitch turned out to be more right than we imagined — and more urgent.
AI has flooded the market with software. Buyers are overwhelmed. The companies winning aren't necessarily building the best products anymore. They're the ones with the best distribution — whose story gets told by trusted voices, surfaced in AI search results, and closes in the marketplaces where buyers transact.
That's the world PartnerStack was built for. And today, we're taking it to a whole new level by joining forces with AppDirect.
So, why AppDirect? We’ve always been solving the same problem from different directions — they from the commerce and marketplace side, we from the partner ecosystem side. This is those two roads finally meeting. And we couldn’t be more excited about the path ahead.
None of this happens without the people who bet on partners before it was obvious. The customers who built their first program on PartnerStack when partner-led growth was still a contrarian idea. The partners who showed up, created content, and drove revenue before anyone was calling them 'B2B influencers.' The team members — past, present, and those yet to join us — who believed the model would work long before the data caught up. This next chapter is built on everything you helped us prove.
You can read the entire Press Release here.
What this means for you
If you're a PartnerStack customer Nothing changes. Your programs, your contacts, your platform — all exactly the same. What grows, over the coming months, is your reach: access to AppDirect's 14,000+ technology advisors, Tackle's cloud hyperscaler marketplace connections, and a combined ecosystem of 2,000+ providers. New routes to market. More places to get found. More ways to close.
If you're a PartnerStack partner Your earning opportunities just got bigger. Over time, you'll gain access to new providers across new categories — Energy, Network & Mobility, Infrastructure, Hardware, Cybersecurity — on top of the SaaS catalog you already promote. More solutions. More audiences. More revenue. Same platform, same payouts.
If you're new to PartnerStack You're arriving at the right moment. The combined AppDirect + PartnerStack + Tackle platform is the most complete B2B distribution engine available — and you can start building on it today.
Why distribution is the battleground now
Three things are converging — and together they make this moment critical.
AI is rewriting product discovery. When buyers search on ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Gemini, what comes back isn't your homepage. It's partner content — reviews, comparisons, guides created by your affiliate and influencer network. Your partner program isn't just a revenue channel anymore. It's your AI search strategy.
Marketplaces are the default buying venue. AWS, Microsoft, Google Cloud — these aren't optional channels. They're where enterprise procurement increasingly closes. PartnerStack customers can now access those channels through Tackle, without rebuilding their entire GTM.
Partner-led growth has proven itself at scale. 85–90% of AI search results are influenced by third-party partner content. 70% of B2B purchases flow through indirect routes (Forrester). 81% of buyers have a preferred vendor before they ever talk to sales (6sense). The channel isn't a supporting motion — it's the primary motion for the fastest growing, and category leading, B2B companies in the world.
What comes next
This next chapter is built to strengthen what matters most: continuity for your business and deeper investment in the product you count on.
Stay tuned for announcements at Thrive 2026.
In the meantime: keep building. The biggest opportunity in B2B distribution is still early. And you're already in the right place.
Frequently asked questions
What is AppDirect? AppDirect is a B2B subscription commerce platform company that brings together technology providers, advisors and businesses to simplify how they buy, sell and manage technology. More than 1,000 providers, 14,000 advisors, and 16 million subscribers rely on the AppDirect ecosystem of subscription marketplaces to power their innovation, growth and success.
Will my PartnerStack programs be affected? There are no changes to your current PartnerStack experience. Your programs, and PartnerStack points of contact remain the same. Our joint teams are committed to ensuring a smooth transition with no disruption to your business.
In the coming months, you’ll begin to see expanded capabilities, new integrations, and a more powerful end-to-end experience all built on the foundations you rely on today.
When will the platforms be integrated? We're excited to start integrating our companies and products, a journey that will extend over several months, with a focus on maximizing value to customers and partners. Stay tuned for more and our upcoming release announcements at Thrive 2026.
My marketplace is already with AppDirect, how does this benefit me? Marketplace operators can expect to gain access to an extended affiliate and referral partner network of 152,000+ B2B partners, helping drive more traffic, trials, and revenue while managing these relationships seamlessly. They can also expand their catalogs with 600+ new solutions and unlock new revenue opportunities by becoming referral partners themselves. Combined, this represents meaningful new avenues for growth and monetization.
I use Tackle today, how can I leverage PartnerStack? Tackle customers can leverage PartnerStack to increase their routes to market by launching a partner program and leveraging PartnerStack Partners to promote their solutions on top of distributing through hyperscaler marketplaces.
What about STACK’D? Are you still running your annual event? While we loved STACK’D just as much as you, we will be focused on bringing the same energy to Thrive 2026, and carving out some special experiences for our PartnerStack customers.
How to get access to the full PartnerStack x AppDirect ecosystem now
Talk to a member of our team today to find out how to maximize this growing ecosystem.
