Partner channel
Resellers, agencies, systems integrators, marketplaces, or app ecosystems that sell or extend the product.
Counts as evidence: The company discloses a partner program or a share of revenue through partners.
Who ran it
Zoom · Sales routed by deal size, land and expand · 2016 to 2020
Partner channel SupportingA channel team ran resellers and strategic partners, and the App Marketplace for third-party integrations was announced in 2018.
Zoom · Enterprise platform and AI · 2021 to now
Partner channel SupportingThe channel now runs from resellers to global system integrators, service providers, and independent software vendors.
HubSpot · Naming inbound, then selling it by phone · 2006 to 2014
Partner channel SupportingMarketing agencies used HubSpot and referred customers on commission. Agency partners and their referrals were about 42% of customers and 33% of revenue in the first half of 2014.
HubSpot · Free CRM and the first freemium products · 2014 to 2018
Partner channel PrimaryMore than 3,500 agencies partnered with HubSpot, and they and their referrals were about 49% of customers and 40% of revenue in 2016.
HubSpot · Free to Enterprise on one platform · 2018 to 2022
Partner channel PrimaryRenamed Solutions Partners, the channel was about 34% of customers and 44% of revenue in 2021, a share of revenue that kept rising.
HubSpot · Beyond search: owned media and answer engines · 2022 to now
Partner channel PrimarySolutions Partners and their referrals were about 25% of customers but 49% of revenue in 2025, and co-selling with HubSpot's sales team grew 29% a year.
Salesforce · The End of Software, sold by phone · 1999 to 2004
Partner channel SupportingConsulting firms, technology vendors and systems integrators referred prospects and were typically paid a percentage of the first-year subscription revenue from the customers they referred.
Salesforce · AppExchange and the move to larger customers · 2004 to 2008
Partner channel PrimaryThe sforce platform and then the AppExchange directory (now AgentExchange) let partners build and list apps that customers install on Salesforce. More than 700 apps had been posted by January 2008.
Salesforce · Many clouds, Dreamforce, Trailblazers and acquisitions · 2009 to 2024
Partner channel SupportingThe referral network spans global consulting firms, systems integrators and regional partners, plus ISVs paid a percentage of subscription revenue. Ninety-five of the Fortune 100 run at least one AppExchange app.
Salesforce · Agentforce, digital labor and consumption pricing · 2024 to now
Partner channel SupportingAgentExchange extends the marketplace to agents, launching with more than 200 partners on top of AppExchange's 13 million app installs. The 10-K leans on ISVs and systems integrators to reach new markets.
Atlassian · Starter licenses, Marketplace and Experts · 2009 to 2019
Partner channel PrimaryTwo channels: the Atlassian Marketplace for third-party add-ons from 2012, and value-added resellers called Atlassian Experts who handled local language, currency, and customization. Indirect sales were about 25% of fiscal 2015 revenue, and Marketplace purchases passed $300 million in fiscal 2019.
Atlassian · Free cloud editions and the server sunset · 2019 to 2022
Partner channel PrimaryOver 700 Solution Partners and Global Alliance Partners drove more than a third of revenue. Marketplace purchases passed $500 million in fiscal 2021, and a customer using a Marketplace app showed about half the dollar churn.
Atlassian · Enterprise sales on a cloud-only platform · 2022 to now
Partner channel SupportingSolution partners and a Marketplace of more than 6,000 third-party apps and integrations continue, and marketplace revenue rose $21.4 million in FY2026.
Slack · Direct sales layered on self-serve, then Enterprise Grid · 2016 to 2019
Partner channel SupportingMore than 1,500 apps were listed in the App Directory by January 2019, and the Slack Fund had invested $10.1M in 46 companies building on Slack.
Slack · Shared channels, the pandemic, and the sale to Salesforce · 2019 to 2021
Partner channel SupportingPartners such as enterprise software companies, security providers, and systems integrators supplied enterprise leads and co-sold.
Figma · Platform seats, IPO and AI credits · 2024 to now
Partner channel SupportingProduct integrations, distribution partnerships and certified service partners support adoption. AI-era distribution includes the Figma MCP app in Claude and the Figma app in ChatGPT.
Twilio · Inverting the enterprise sales model · 2015 to 2018
Partner channel SupportingCustomers without developer resources were referred to Solution Partners, who embed Twilio in contact center, sales force, and marketing automation software they sell to other businesses.
Twilio · Three motions, ISVs, and AI · 2024 to now
Partner channel PrimaryISV partners build on the APIs and resell Twilio inside their own software, and the 10-K lists ISV and other partner relationships among its efficiency priorities.
Datadog · Inside sales, enterprise team, and multi-product expansion · 2016 to 2019
Partner channel SupportingA partner team worked with resellers, distributors, and managed service providers.
Datadog · Platform expansion and peak net retention · 2020 to 2022
Partner channel SupportingA Marketplace let customers buy products partners built on the Datadog platform, alongside resellers, system integrators, referral partners, and managed service providers.
Snowflake · Land and expand, the IPO, and the Data Cloud · 2019 to 2021
Partner channel SupportingChannel partners, system integrators, and technology partners source leads and handle training, implementation, and migration.
Snowflake · The AI Data Cloud and agents · 2023 to now
Partner channel PrimaryPartners now source leads and execute transactions, and system integrators bring a small but increasing share of revenue. A $200 million Anthropic agreement set up a joint global go-to-market initiative.
CrowdStrike · Modules, trial-to-pay, marketplace and channel · 2017 to 2020
Partner channel SupportingSales leans on channel partners, and Dell and SecureWorks agreed to sell Falcon as their preferred endpoint security offering. Kurtz says the revenue scale needs a great reseller channel.
CrowdStrike · Platform scale and module depth · 2020 to 2024
Partner channel PrimaryThe FY2020 10-K says sales leverages a network of channel partners; by FY2024 it describes a powerful go-to-market sales motion with a vast ecosystem of channel and alliances partners.
CrowdStrike · After the July 2024 incident: Flex and partner-first · 2024 to now
Partner channel PrimaryThe 10-K describes a partner-first go-to-market strategy to land new logos and expand in existing accounts, working with resellers, distributors, MSSPs, MSPs and global system integrators.
Okta · Cloud SSO and enterprise sales from day one · 2009 to 2013
Partner channel SupportingPre-built integrations with cloud apps, the Okta Application Network, were built in parallel with the product, so every new app integration became available to every customer.
Okta · Platform, land and expand, and the IPO · 2014 to 2017
Partner channel PrimaryNearly all leading cloud application providers are customers or partners, and many co-sell Okta or build it into their products. Okta also sells through channel partners, and the S-1 calls its investment in partnerships a force multiplier.
Okta · Public scale-up of the workforce engine · 2017 to 2021
Partner channel PrimaryThe renamed Okta Integration Network grew from over 5,500 integrations in the FY2018 10-K to over 7,000 in the FY2021 10-K, which calls it an extensive partner ecosystem.
Okta · Specialized sales, profitability and AI agents · 2024 to now
Partner channel SupportingOkta chose to accelerate the shift of professional services to partners, at a cost of about one point of revenue growth. The integration network now lists 8,000+ integrations.
Anthropic · Claude Code and the enterprise build-out · 2025 to 2025
Partner channel SupportingDeloitte and Anthropic set up a certification program for 15,000 Deloitte professionals, and about 30,000 Accenture professionals were to receive training on Claude.
Anthropic · Partner network, three clouds, expansion · 2026 to now
Partner channel PrimaryIn March 2026 Anthropic committed an initial $100 million to the Claude Partner Network for 2026 and said it would scale its partner-facing team fivefold. In May 2026 it announced a new enterprise AI services company with Blackstone, Hellman & Friedman, and Goldman Sachs.
Replit · Enterprise through the product, marketplaces, and partners · 2025 to now
Partner channel SupportingPartners include Hexaware for deploying apps inside existing IT systems and Databricks, which Accenture uses to build client apps with Replit. A Solutions Partner Program for SIs and agencies launched in October 2026.
Wiz · Platform, marketplaces and partners · 2023 to 2024
Partner channel SupportingA strategic alliance with PwC UK paired its cyber advisory services with Wiz, and the WIN integration platform for other software vendors passed 100 official integrations about a year after launch.
Wiz · Inside Google Cloud, still multicloud · 2025 to now
Partner channel PrimaryThe Wiz Partner Alliance launched in January 2026 for system integrators, consultancies, and resellers, letting members pick the model that fits how they go to market. At its partner summit Wiz named AWS its CSP Partner of the Year.
Dropbox · Focus on work, self-serve at scale, IPO · 2015 to 2019
Partner channel SupportingA small share of users came through hardware makers that pre-install Dropbox, and more than 75% of Dropbox Business teams linked at least one third-party app.
Dropbox · Multi-product, restructuring, and AI · 2020 to now
Partner channel SupportingHardware pre-install partnerships continue, and just over 1,000,000 developers have registered and built applications on the platform.
Notion · Community, templates and a free personal plan · 2019 to 2021
Partner channel SupportingNotion for Startups launched through VC and accelerator partners after nearly half of a recent Y Combinator class was found using Notion, and in 2021 opened to any startup.
Notion · B2C2B: personal users carry Notion into teams · 2021 to 2024
Partner channel SupportingIn March 2022 Notion opened certification to anyone and built a directory of Notion Consultants, many of whom first came up through the community. A separate community was set up for the most avid users inside customer companies.
Notion · AI in the business plans, enterprise sales, agent credits · 2025 to now
Partner channel SupportingRegional partner managers are being hired, and certified consultants can be booked through Notion's consultant directory.
Stripe · Payments for developers · 2011 to 2015
Partner channel SupportingConnect launched in 2012 so marketplaces, store builders, and invoicing tools could onboard their own users to Stripe and collect a fee on each transaction.
Stripe · Startups first, beyond payments · 2016 to 2019
Partner channel SupportingAtlas launched with banking, accounting, legal, and cloud partners (Silicon Valley Bank, PwC, Orrick, and Amazon), and Stripe kept extending Connect for marketplaces and platforms.
Stripe · March into the enterprise · 2020 to 2022
Partner channel SupportingSalesforce Commerce Cloud Payments was built on Stripe in 2020. By 2022 more than 10,000 companies used Connect, and Stripe launched a partner programme with more than 1,800 vetted partners, including Accenture and Thoughtworks.
Stripe · Multi-product platform for startups and enterprises · 2023 to now
Partner channel PrimaryPlatforms embed Stripe to offer payments to their own business users: more than 13,000 platforms serve more than 8 million businesses through Connect. Stripe also became the default payments provider for Salesforce Commerce Cloud.
Shopify · Self-serve store builder and the first ecosystem · 2006 to 2012
Partner channel PrimaryInstead of building every feature request, Shopify opened APIs and recruited app and theme developers by hand, including a theme design competition, and aligned partners' interests with its own.
Shopify · Payments, paid search and the IPO · 2013 to 2015
Partner channel PrimaryThousands of design and marketing agencies built stores and referred merchants, Shopify sent work back through its Shopify Experts directory, resellers sold the platform, and about 75% of merchants had installed apps from an App Store of more than 900.
Shopify · Shopify Plus, Unite and merchant solutions take over · 2016 to 2019
Partner channel PrimaryReferring partners grew from about 11,000 to about 24,500, a Plus Partner Program for agencies launched, and the App Store grew to about 3,700 apps.
Shopify · Pandemic surge and a better developer deal · 2020 to 2022
Partner channel PrimaryAbout 42,200 partners referred a merchant in 2020, the App Store passed 8,000 apps, and in 2021 Shopify dropped its revenue share to zero on a developer's first $1 million a year.
Shopify · Enterprise push, merchant solutions and AI channels · 2023 to now
Partner channel SupportingMore than 21,000 apps, 100,000+ partners and $1.3 billion paid to partners in 2025, with system integrators now among referrers. The zero revenue share now covers a developer's first $1 million in lifetime revenue from January 1, 2025, not each year.
Canva · Free editor, search pages and word of mouth · 2013 to 2015
Partner channel SupportingThe free Canva Button let other sites embed the editor with a few lines of code, with launch partners including GoDaddy, Tailwind and Post Planner. A layout marketplace paid professional designers royalties each time their designs were bought.
Canva · Teams, classrooms and the workplace · 2020 to 2023
Partner channel SupportingCanva signed 42 partnerships in 18 countries in 2020, including a global preinstall deal with Samsung. In 2023 it opened the Apps SDK with a $50 million developer fund, and developers published 85 apps used 22 million times that year.
Canva · Enterprise rebuilt, pro tools and AI distribution · 2024 to now
Partner channel SupportingResellers such as SoftBank and CDW, agencies and consultancies such as Deloitte sell into enterprises, which Canva calls new go-to-market models on top of its product-led roots. Its MCP server puts Canva inside Gemini, Claude, ChatGPT, Perplexity and Copilot.
MongoDB · Enterprise Advanced and direct sales · 2013 to 2016
Partner channel SupportingGlobal system integrators, value-added resellers, and independent software vendors resold and integrated MongoDB; the S-1 names Accenture, AWS, Microsoft, and more than 1,000 other partner organizations.
GitLab · Enterprise sales, partners, and the IPO · 2019 to 2021
Partner channel SupportingAn Alliances and Channels initiative launched in 2020, with AWS, Google Cloud, and national system integrators and resellers, then Atlassian and Red Hat in 2021.
GitLab · AI agents and hybrid pricing · 2024 to now
Partner channel SupportingHyperscalers including Google Cloud and AWS, software vendors, global resellers, and system integrators complement direct sales.
Asana · Up-market and top-down sales · 2023 to 2025
Partner channel SupportingA partner program of value-added resellers, managed service providers, and technology partners across more than 50 countries was set up to strengthen the enterprise motion.
Asana · AI Studio, credits, and the agentic platform · 2024 to now
Partner channel SupportingThe reseller, managed service, and technology partner ecosystem across more than 50 countries continues, and an expanded Mastercard partnership gives small businesses a discounted rate.
Cloudflare · Enterprise sales layered on self-serve · 2016 to 2019
Partner channel SupportingPay-as-you-go plans are also sold through hosting partners, and the Enterprise plan through channel partners.
Cloudflare · Contracted customers, channel and agents · 2025 to now
Partner channel SupportingThe channel now spans managed service providers, resellers, distributors and global system integrators, plus hosting partners for self-serve.
monday.com · Sales, partners and the Work OS · 2018 to 2021
Partner channel SupportingChannel partners were paid commissions on referred customers, 112 channel partners were recruited, and an apps marketplace opened to outside developers in 2019 and 2020.
monday.com · Hybrid sales-led GTM and the AI Work Platform · 2025 to now
Partner channel Supporting300 channel partners in about 50 countries and territories, with some onboarding and training shifted from monday-led to partner-led, and 280 monetized partner apps on the marketplace.
Zscaler · Cloud security instead of appliances, sold with carriers · 2008 to 2016
Partner channel PrimaryCarriers such as BT, Deutsche Telekom, Orange, and Verizon include Zscaler in network transformation projects, and integrators bring it into cloud migrations. The top five channel partners were 40% of fiscal 2015 revenue.
Zscaler · Second product, land and expand, IPO · 2016 to 2020
Partner channel PrimaryMost revenue comes through the channel, and the S-1 says the sales team is focused on increasing sales through partners rather than direct sales.
Zscaler · Platform, flexible spend, and AI security · 2023 to now
Partner channel PrimaryMost revenue still comes through the channel. The top five partners went from 25% of revenue in fiscal 2024 to 31% in fiscal 2026, alongside joint go-to-market work with global systems integrators.
Lovable · Launch, ship daily, and post it · 2024 to 2025
Partner channel SupportingLovable co-marketed with the infrastructure products it integrates, such as Supabase, Replicate, and Resend, which benefit directly from its success. This was integration co-marketing, not a reseller channel.
Lovable · Enterprise, partners, and marketplaces · 2025 to now
Partner channel PrimaryA partner program launched in September 2026 with Experts and Solution Partners, up to 20% commission on referred enterprise deals, and co-selling. It formalised client work by more than 800,000 individuals and agencies, and 500+ Solution Partners signed ahead of launch.
Vercel · Frontend Cloud for the enterprise: sales, partners, marketplaces · 2023 to 2024
Partner channel PrimaryBy late 2024 one in two sales and project deliveries involved partners, with 70+ solution partners. The CEO says partners' sales engineers demo their back ends on Vercel, and the Vercel Marketplace resells integrated services with unified billing.
OpenAI · Self-serve teams, ecosystem, and campus · 2024 to 2025
Partner channel SupportingThe GPT Store opened in January 2024, with over 3 million custom GPTs created and a planned builder revenue program paid on engagement. By late 2025 Canva, Figma, Zillow, Spotify and others had apps inside ChatGPT, and retailers and payment firms were building on the Agentic Commerce Protocol.