According to CRN, the publication has identified 10 cybersecurity startups at the Series C funding stage or earlier that are worth watching heading into 2026. These companies, including Orchid Security, are taking a notably partner-first approach to the market. Orchid’s Chief Revenue Officer, Trish Cagliostro, who previously drove channel growth at Wiz, is explicitly building the identity security startup as a channel company from day one. The list focuses on vendors delivering novel approaches in areas like identity security, exposure management, and data security. The central idea is that for these early-stage vendors, leveraging the channel is a smarter path to early customer traction than building a massive direct sales force. This strategy is a direct response to the critical role solution providers play in securing business customers.
The Channel-First Mindset
Here’s the thing: building a direct sales engine from scratch is brutally expensive and slow. It’s a huge gamble for a startup. But what if you could tap into an existing network of trusted advisors who already have the customer relationships? That’s the bet these companies are making. By going channel-first, they’re basically outsourcing their initial market credibility to established MSPs and solution providers. It’s a faster way to scale, and it signals to the ecosystem that they’re built to play nice with others. I think we’re going to see more of this. After years of vendors “adding” channel programs as an afterthought, starting with one is becoming a legit competitive advantage.
Who This Actually Affects
So, what does this trend mean for everyone else? For solution providers, it’s good news. They get earlier access to innovative tools and, ideally, better partnership terms from vendors who need them. They become the true gatekeepers for what new tech gets deployed. For enterprise users, the impact is indirect but real. Their trusted IT partners will have a wider, fresher arsenal of specialized solutions to recommend. But there’s a catch, right? Early-stage software can be rough. The burden of integrating and supporting a glitchy new platform falls on the solution provider first. It’s a risk-reward calculation for them. For the startups themselves, it’s a disciplined path. It forces them to build products that are actually partner-friendly and easy to deploy, not just flashy on a sales deck.
Looking Beyond the Buzzword
Now, “partner-friendly” can’t just be a marketing tagline. It has to be baked into the product’s architecture and the company’s DNA. We’ve all seen vendors claim they love the channel, but then make it impossible to actually work with them. The proof for these 10 startups will be in their enablement, their deal registration simplicity, and their technical support. If they get it right, they could disrupt not just a security niche, but the traditional vendor go-to-market playbook itself. It’s a fascinating shift to watch. The real test will be which of these names we’re still talking about when 2026 actually rolls around.
