For cybersecurity startups, breaking into enterprise accounts is a marathon. Procurement cycles are slow, trust is hard-won, and every new logo feels like a campaign.
But there’s a shortcut hiding in plain sight: cloud marketplaces.
Platforms like Azure, AWS, and Trellix Marketplace aren’t just where buyers browse, they’re where budgets get spent.
Listing there means you don’t just look enterprise-ready.
You are.
Why Marketplaces Move the Needle
Enterprise buyers already trust cloud providers. Being in their ecosystem does three things at once:
- Removes procurement hurdles – you’re already pre-vetted
- Taps into pre-committed cloud budgets (critical when CISOs don’t want to open new POs)
- Makes your startup feel bigger than it is – you’re listed next to global vendors
This isn’t lead gen. It’s deal acceleration.
Azure Marketplace: The Obvious Path
Microsoft’s marketplace is the gold standard for many B2B SaaS teams.
Once listed, you can:
- Co-sell with Microsoft sellers
- Let customers buy with a click, billed through Azure
- Pull from committed spend (yes, even six-figure security tools)
For GTM teams trying to open enterprise doors, Azure isn’t optional—it is leverage.
AWS Marketplace: Procurement Superpower
The AWS Marketplace offers the same playbook, with arguably broader reach.
- Most Fortune 500s already buy through AWS
- Your product gets wrapped into their billing cycles
- You can run private offers with custom pricing
- AWS sales can even route deals your way, if you align with their motion
The result?
Shorter sales cycles, cleaner renewals, and a procurement path your champions don’t have to fight for.
Trellix Marketplace: Technical Onramp, Not Just Shelf Space
Trellix offers something many marketplaces don’t: a real technical ramp.
Join, and you get:
- A dedicated environment to build and validate your integration
- Access to full solution packages and test data
- A low-cost annual fee (a few thousands) in exchange for a full sandbox
For security products, where integrations are table stakes, this changes the game. You’re not guessing how to plug in. You’re testing with the real thing!
And once listed?
Trellix actively introduces marketplace partners to customers. It’s not a maybe. It’s baked into their approach.
What to Do Now
- Evaluate which marketplace aligns with your buyer base
- Prioritise the one where your integration adds value to a current workflow
- Treat listing like a product launch: marketing, docs, pricing, internal enablement
- Build for speed, not perfection. Done > perfect when it comes to ecosystem GTM
Final Thought
Joining a marketplace isn’t about showing up. It’s about showing you’re ready.
You can spend six months chasing logos cold or plug into a pipeline where trust already exists.
A small listing fee? A week of engineering work?
Worth it.
The buyers are already there. The budget is already there.
Your job is to be easy to buy. That’s what marketplaces solve. And if your ARR needs a bump, it’s time to stop selling solo. Get listed. Get seen. Get bought.
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