Exabeam channel growth beats plan as partners surge

Exabeam said its APEX Partner Program drove stronger global channel growth in the first half of 2026, with channel-driven new-logo pipeline reaching 138% of target.

Expansion bookings hit 125% of plan over the same period, while the channel became Exabeam's highest-volume sales source. Pipeline targets were exceeded in every region, and more than 90 partner-led campaigns and events were funded and delivered worldwide.

The figures come just over a year after Exabeam launched the APEX Partner Program as part of a channel-first strategy. The programme focuses on partner competency, enablement, customer outcomes and growth, as Exabeam looks to deepen partner involvement in both new customer acquisition and expansion work with existing clients.

Exabeam also highlighted broader work with Google, including a co-engineered Google Security Operations integration, a Google Cloud Marketplace route, and joint go-to-market activity. The company said these measures were intended to create additional opportunities for partners.

Another part of the programme is Exabeam Sherpa, an AI-based virtual channel account manager designed to help partners build expertise, find sales resources and prepare for customer engagements.

"When we launched the Exabeam APEX Partner Program, we set out to build a channel-first program that would create meaningful growth opportunities for our partners and make it easier for them to build, sell, and expand with Exabeam," said Craig Patterson, Senior Vice President of Global Channels & Marketing, Exabeam.

"A year later, we have the results to back up that strategy. Partners are generating pipeline, converting more opportunities, expanding within customers, and contributing to growth in every region."

Partner survey

Exabeam also released findings from its 2026 Voice of the Partner survey, which gathered feedback from 115 partners across six regions, three APEX programme tiers and several partner business models.

According to the company, 82% of partners said they were satisfied or very satisfied. Among Pinnacle partners, the highest tier in the programme, satisfaction reached 4.40 out of 5 and the Net Promoter Score was +61.9.

Exabeam said the results pointed to stronger advocacy and confidence among its most engaged partners. The survey was part of its effort to assess whether channel investments were improving the partner experience as well as commercial performance.

A UK partner highlighted the role of the Sherpa tool in customer engagements.

"Exabeam Sherpa has been a game changer for our team," said Ian Thomas, Chief Executive Officer, Saphire.

"It accelerates learning and helps our people show up in front of customers with greater expertise and confidence. Having an always-on digital assistant that can help us strengthen proposals and presentations, find relevant proof points and collateral, and stay aligned with Exabeam messaging gives us a more cohesive approach with customers. That consistency helps build trust from the beginning in a way traditional online training, shared repositories, and webinars simply can't match."

Exabeam Chief Executive Officer Pete Harteveld said the company was using partner feedback to gauge the programme's impact.

"Partner feedback is one of the clearest measures of whether our strategy is delivering meaningful business impact," said Pete Harteveld, Chief Executive Officer, Exabeam.

"The growth metrics tell one part of the story, while rising satisfaction, advocacy, and confidence in our portfolio show that our investments are strengthening the partner experience as well. That feedback continues to shape how we invest, innovate, and grow alongside our partners."

Industry recognition

Alongside the commercial results, Exabeam cited several industry accolades in 2026. The APEX Partner Program received a five-star rating in CRN's Partner Program Guide, and Exabeam said it ranked first overall in AI Security in CRN's Annual Report Card.

Additional recognition included Patterson being named among CRN's 50 Most Influential Channel Chiefs, Exabeam's inclusion in the CRN Security 100, and finalist status for Security Vendor of the Year in the CRN Best of the Channel Awards.

For Exabeam, the latest figures suggest the channel is playing a larger role in how it sells its products and builds customer relationships. The standout figure is that the channel has become the company's largest source of sales volume, with both new-logo pipeline and expansion activity running ahead of plan.