AcceleTrex and IT-Harvest Forge Strategic Partnership to Revolutionize the Cybersecurity Referral Economy
In a groundbreaking move set to redefine how cybersecurity startups grow and scale, AcceleTrex Corporation, an innovative AI-driven referral exchange, has announced a strategic partnership with IT-Harvest, the esteemed research and advisory firm founded by renowned cybersecurity analyst Richard Stiennon. Together, they are launching a joint initiative aimed at activating a global referral economy where trusted conversations between industry leaders and emerging startups drive faster, smarter deals.
This collaboration leverages the strengths of both organizations to create a powerful ecosystem that transforms personal networks into scalable go-to-market engines—without the need for cold outreach, expensive sales teams, or conflicts of interest. By combining AcceleTrex’s cutting-edge AI-powered platform with IT-Harvest’s extensive network of analysts, architects, and Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs), the partnership enables professionals to monetize their expertise while fostering trust-based relationships across the cybersecurity industry.
A New Model for Growth: Trust Over Transactions
At the heart of this partnership is a shared vision: replacing transactional sales approaches with trusted referrals. “This is about trust, not transactions,” said Allan Thompson, Co-Founder and CEO of AcceleTrex. “We’re uniting our referral economy with IT-Harvest.com to turn insight into income. This partnership empowers professionals to monetize their expertise—ethically, efficiently, and at scale.”
Richard Stiennon, Founder of IT-Harvest, echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the importance of community-driven marketplaces in today’s digital landscape. “I have thought long and hard about how to build a community-based marketplace,” Stiennon said. “AcceleTrex is the right way to do it. Only experienced industry veterans who have lived the whole sales cycle from multiple perspectives could succeed at a venture like this.”
Stiennon further praised the model, stating, “Referrals are the strongest way to make enterprise sales. AcceleTrex rewards market experts for referring prospects to participating vendors.” Notably, IT-Harvest itself is one such vendor on the platform, offering subscriptions to its SaaS tool that allows security teams to research the entire cybersecurity industry, including over 11,340 products. According to Stiennon, half of IT-Harvest’s new subscribers already come from referrals—a testament to the power of trusted networks.
Empowering Startups Through Trusted Networks
The partnership comes at a critical time when startups face mounting challenges in acquiring customers and scaling operations. Traditional sales methods, such as cold outreach, often yield poor results and strain resources. In contrast, leveraging trusted networks has proven to be far more effective.
“Startups that leverage trusted networks outperform those that rely on cold outreach,” said Tom Masucci, Co-Founder and EVP of Member Services at AcceleTrex. “With IT-Harvest, Richard has built the most powerful research firm in cybersecurity. Now, we’re giving users a way to act on that intelligence—and get rewarded for it.”
Through the AcceleTrex platform, industry experts can refer vetted startups to potential clients and earn Personal Recurring Revenue (PRR) when deals close. This innovative model aligns incentives, ensuring that all parties benefit from successful outcomes. For startups, the platform reduces customer acquisition costs (CAC), shortens sales cycles, and accelerates growth through warm introductions facilitated by trusted advocates.
Key Benefits for All Stakeholders
The partnership offers distinct advantages for every participant in the ecosystem:
- For Startups: Gain access to warm introductions that reduce CAC, shorten sales cycles, and enable rapid scaling—all without the inefficiencies of traditional sales methods.
- For Market Experts: Monetize your network and insights effortlessly, without engaging in cold calling or managing complex sales processes.
- For the Industry: Replace noise and inefficiency with trust and transparency, fostering a referral-driven culture that prioritizes meaningful connections over impersonal outreach.
Accelerating Adoption with Exclusive Offers
To encourage early adoption and drive momentum within the ecosystem, AcceleTrex is offering a limited-time promotion: any startup referred by Richard Stiennon or the IT-Harvest network will receive a 50% discount on their first-year membership. This incentive underscores the partners’ commitment to fueling engagement and building a thriving community of innovators, experts, and enterprises.
Built for Scale, Designed for Trust
Central to AcceleTrex’s success is its ability to combine AI-driven matching with human judgment, ensuring relevance, compliance, and quality across the platform. As more experts, regions, and verticals join the network, the system becomes increasingly intelligent and resilient, creating a self-reinforcing ecosystem of value. This scalability ensures that the platform can meet the evolving needs of the cybersecurity industry while maintaining the highest standards of trust and integrity.
Pioneering a New Era of Collaboration
The partnership between AcceleTrex and IT-Harvest represents a bold step forward in reimagining how businesses grow in the digital age. By empowering professionals to monetize their networks and startups to thrive through trusted referrals, this collaboration lays the foundation for a more connected, efficient, and ethical approach to cybersecurity sales.
As the cybersecurity landscape continues to evolve, initiatives like this highlight the transformative potential of technology and human expertise working hand-in-hand. With its focus on trust, innovation, and scalability, the AcceleTrex-IT-Harvest partnership is poised to unlock unprecedented opportunities for growth and collaboration across the industry.
About IT-Harvest
Founded by Richard Stiennon, IT-Harvest is a leading research and advisory firm focused on cybersecurity trends, vendor performance, and startup innovation. With over 30 years of industry insight, IT-Harvest helps organizations navigate the evolving security landscape.
About AcceleTrex
AcceleTrex is a first-of-its-kind Technology Referral Exchange that transforms trusted relationships into predictable revenue for cybersecurity vendors and Market Experts. By combining artificial intelligence with human expertise, AcceleTrex accelerates go-to-market strategies, reduces customer acquisition costs, and creates sustainable growth opportunities in the $300B+ addressable cybersecurity market.
