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Over the past couple of years, cloud marketplaces have gone from interesting to inevitable.
The appeal is clear—faster procurement, broader reach, closer alignment with hyperscalers who are influencing more software buying decisions every quarter.
But as adoption has accelerated, so has the need for clarity. Most companies aren’t asking why they should use marketplaces anymore. They’re asking how to make them work. And that’s why we joined forces with Roman Kirsanov and Partner Insight to build the State of Marketplace and Co-sell report.
Everyone is talking about cloud marketplaces, but behind the scenes, most revenue teams are flying blind. In working with our customers and talking to dozens of GTM, RevOps, and partnership leaders, we consistently heard the same frustration: a lot of opinions, not a lot of data. A lot of theory, very little execution guidance.
So we went to the source.
We surveyed the GTM leaders and practitioners actually doing the work to answer the questions that matter:
- What activities are actually moving revenue via the marketplace?
- Is co-sell worth the operational complexity?
- How are the best teams making this channel work?
What we found is both encouraging and sobering. Cloud marketplaces are very real growth channels, but they don't run on autopilot. The gap between success and failure comes down to execution.
The teams seeing real ROI from cloud marketplace GTM have built intentional systems around process, training, measurement, and engagement with hyperscaler field teams. The rest are still figuring it out. Often with strong buy-in but limited execution.
Let’s take a look at where the market stands—and what it means for the road ahead.
TL;DR
Cloud marketplace adoption is near-universal, but most companies are still scratching the surface on revenue impact. Key findings from our original research:
- 89% of companies transact on a hyperscaler marketplace, but only 22% drive meaningful revenue through it
- 62% are generating net-new revenue — not just rerouting existing deals
- Co-sell delivers higher win rates, but 51% say execution complexity is holding them back
- RevOps alignment is the most overlooked gap in cloud GTM
- Top performers share one trait: operational discipline, not just marketplace presence
Marketplace adoption is mainstream, but maturity is a work in progress
The data tells a compelling story: 89% of companies surveyed are already transacting on one or more hyperscaler marketplaces. That’s an astonishing rate of adoption, and it marks a clear turning point. Marketplace participation is no longer an “innovation project.” It’s a core GTM motion.
But underneath that momentum lies a critical gap: only 22% of respondents say more than 20% of their total revenue flows through the marketplace. Meanwhile, for 41% that number is still less than 5%.
The takeaway is clear. The surface looks promising, but the depth of execution is still evolving.
The companies seeing serious results have something in common: operational discipline.
What this means for you
Being on a marketplace isn't enough anymore. Audit your current marketplace revenue mix. If fewer than 20% of your deals close through the marketplace, treat that as a gap, not a baseline.
Read More: A Complete Guide To Cloud GTM
Marketplaces are fueling net-new growth, not just deal shifts
We’re often asked at Clazar if cloud marketplaces are really a new GTM route that drives net-new revenue? Or are sellers investing heavily—only to watch existing deals get rerouted through the marketplace, with a margin hit thanks to transaction fees?
One of the most powerful insights from this year’s report: 62% of companies are generating net-new revenue through cloud marketplaces. That’s a strong signal that marketplaces are no longer just a workaround for procurement—they’re becoming strategic levers for customer acquisition and expansion.
Only 30% said they’re simply moving direct deals onto the marketplace. But there’s some nuance to this number, too. This shift isn’t happening because of internal pressure. It’s because buyers are asking for it. Shaped by the need for speed, budget alignment, pre-approved workflows, and, as Jay McBain (Chief Analyst, Omdia) calls it, a generational shift in how software gets evaluated and purchased.
What this means for you
If you're not leading with marketplace in your GTM conversations, you're leaving deals on the table. In your next sales planning cycle, explicitly identify which segments or personas are most likely to buy through cloud marketplaces, and build a dedicated play around them.
Expert Advice: Ido Neeman (CEO of Firefly) shared how cloud marketplace listings directly impact SaaS revenue. Watch now
Co-sell works, if you can execute it
We’ve always known that co-sell motions, when done right, can supercharge pipeline. The data backs this up: 59% of companies report higher win rates on co-sell deals.
But we also found that only 40% have structured cadences in place—things like regular joint pipeline reviews, account mapping, and synced field engagement. Even more telling: 51% say co-sell complexity is a major blocker to scale.
Here’s the nuance: co-sell isn’t failing because it doesn’t work. It’s failing because it’s hard to execute without intentional investment, dedicated partner owners, tight CRM integrations, and field-ready sales enablement.
The companies that have cracked the co-sell code have embedded co-sell into their systems, not treated it as a secondary channel. They're managing co-sell through their CRMs, automating submissions to ACE/Partner Center, and giving AEs the tools to engage hyperscaler sellers directly.
What this means for you
Map out your current co-sell process and identify where it breaks down. If you don't have joint pipeline reviews and CRM-synced submissions in place, that's where to start. Clazar can help you automate the ACE/Partner Center submissions that most teams are still doing manually.
Expert Advice: Brett Fountain, Head of Partners and Alliances, Posit, shows you how to grow your cloud revenue through AWS Co-sell
RevOps is the missing link
In many organizations, the partnership and sales teams are aligned. But RevOps is still, understandably, on the fence.
42% companies report RevOps resistance around cloud sales. RevOps is the nervous system of your cloud sales motion. If you’re not investing in tooling, integration, and repeatable workflows, your co-sell engine will stall before it ever hits momentum. The result? Reporting is fragmented. Attribution is inconsistent. And scale is slowed by manual work.
What this means for you
Getting RevOps aligned is non-negotiable. Get them in the room for your next cloud GTM review — not as an observer, but as an owner. If attribution and reporting are still manual, that's the first thing to fix.
Read More: The Complete Guide to Sales Growth on Cloud Marketplaces
What top performers are doing differently
The companies seeing the most revenue from cloud marketplaces aren’t necessarily doing more—they’re doing it better.
They’ve focused on:
- Building automated workflows to scale efficiently
- Engaging hyperscaler field teams consistently
- Measuring what matters, and doubling down on what works
These companies have moved beyond experimentation and are proving that co-sell and cloud marketplaces can be more than a strategy—they can be a revenue engine.
What this means for you
Pick one of the three focus areas (automation, field engagement, and measurement) and assess where you stand. Then build a 90-day plan around closing that specific gap.
Free On-demand Webinar: The Roadmap to Your First $10M in Cloud Marketplace Revenue
The road ahead for cloud GTM
We’ve moved past the “try it out” phase. The market is maturing—and your competitors are maturing with it. If you’re still experimenting, you’ll be playing catch-up. But if you’re investing in the right motions today, you’re setting yourself up to win tomorrow.
What will define the next chapter of cloud GTM?
- Marketplace-first will become the default. Buyers increasingly expect this option. Sellers who lead with it will win faster.
- Co-sell will be integrated into every sales motion. No longer a partnership initiative—it’ll be embedded in GTM culture, owned by RevOps, and tied to quota.
- The cloud sales stack will evolve. Purpose-built tools will power automation, attribution, and field engagement at scale.
Success in cloud marketplaces isn’t accidental. It’s the result of aligned teams, intentional execution, and scalable systems.
This report on cloud marketplace trends is a snapshot of where the industry stands—but more importantly, it’s a map for where it’s going. Use it to benchmark your efforts, identify your gaps, and make your next move.
Don’t just adopt marketplaces. Master them.
If you want to see what’s possible, Clazar is here to help you scale. Let’s turn marketplace GTM into your next growth engine. Talk to our experts.
Top FAQ's
1. Why are cloud marketplaces becoming essential for SaaS companies?
Cloud marketplaces offer faster procurement, broader reach, and tighter alignment with hyperscalers—who now influence a growing share of enterprise software purchases. As a result, marketplaces have shifted from “interesting” to “expected” in SaaS GTM.
2. Is marketplace adoption high, and are companies actually seeing results?
Yes—89% of companies are already transacting on cloud marketplaces. However, only 22% generate more than 20% of their revenue through them, showing adoption is high but maturity is still developing.
3. Do cloud marketplaces create net-new revenue or just shift existing deals?
Cloud marketplaces create net-new revenue. 62% of companies report that marketplaces are driving new business, not just rerouted deals. Only 30% say deals are simply moved to a marketplace, often because buyers request it for speed and budget alignment.
4. Does co-sell with hyperscalers actually improve win rates?
Yes. 59% of companies report higher win rates on co-sell deals thanks to hyperscaler seller advocacy, joint account planning, and increased executive alignment.
5. If co-sell works, why do so many companies struggle with it?
Execution is the challenge. 51% cite co-sell complexity as a major barrier. Teams struggle without CRM integration, structured cadences, dedicated partner owners, and clear guidance on how AEs should work with hyperscaler field teams.
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