As part of the annual Partner Program Guide, CRN designates some vendor channel programs as 5-Star Programs. Here are the 5-Star Programs among startup companies for 2026.
Rising Stars
The most comprehensive, most developed partner programs are usually provided by the large, more established IT vendors. Solution providers naturally expect more resources, assistance and incentives from the partner programs offered by such companies as Cisco Systems, Dell Technologies and Hewlett Packard Enterprise.
IT startups, early in their development, often work with smaller numbers of customers and generally have channel operations that are more limited in scope. And yet some startups, recognizing the value of the channel, operate world-class channel programs early in their evolution.
The CRN 2026 Partner Program Guide offers the information solution providers need to evaluate the channel programs operated by the IT vendors they work with or are considering partnering with. The guide is based on detailed applications submitted by vendors outlining all aspects of their partner programs.
As part of the Partner Program Guide, CRN designates some programs as 5-Star Partner Programs because they provide the most comprehensive lineups of incentives, resources, training, services and benefits.
Here we provide snapshots of the 5-Star designees among IT startups, companies founded in 2020 or more recently.
Details of every vendor’s partner program can be found at CRN.com.
Slide shows in the 5-Star Partner Program Guide series include companies that provide products and services in eight technology categories: cloud, computing, data center, MSP platforms, networking, security, software and storage.
While many companies provide products and services that span multiple technologies, we’ve assigned each vendor to the slideshow for the technology category in which they are most prominent.
The text concerning the biggest changes to partner programs has been taken from each company’s PPG application and lightly edited.
Dispersive Stealth Networking
Program Name: Dispersive Accelerate Global Partner Program
Channel Chief: Mike Miralis, VP of Worldwide Channels
Most Significant Changes To Partner Program Over The Past Year:
Dispersive has transformed its long-standing partner-first approach into a fully integrated global program with the launch of Dispersive Accelerate. Historically, our partnerships focused on the intelligence community and special forces, but as state-level threats have expanded into commercial markets, enterprises now require the same level of protection. At the same time, the industry has shifted from a detect-and-respond model to preemptive cyber defense and resilience, creating strong demand for our technology and a scalable, programmatic partner framework.
We have standardized incentives, enablement, and co-marketing to help partners win faster with clearer margins and simpler engagement. DispersiveCloud and DispersiveFabric give partners multiple deployment models—cloud, hybrid, sovereign, or highly secure—so they can meet any customer requirement while expanding their own services and recurring revenue. The program is designed to reward real performance and provide partners with a greater share of the value chain as they grow.
We also aligned our go-to-market motion with partners globally, recognizing top performers and driving joint execution across sales, technology, and operations. Dispersive Accelerate now gives channel partners a differentiated and highly profitable path to grow revenue, strengthen margins, and deliver advanced resilience to their customers.
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2026-details?c=60
Skyhigh Security
Program Name: Skyhigh Security Altitude Partner Program
Channel Chief: Jesse Grindeland, VP, Global Channels, Alliances
Most Significant Changes To Partner Program Over The Past Year:
The introduction of defined leveling into our existing program helped to create a clear and highly profitable road map for our partners. By investing in the right certifications, partners can earn a higher tier and unlock more significant benefits like rebate awards for new customer acquisition. We also invested resources in expanding our managed service provider (MSP) program, making these partners a larger and more empowered part of our overall partner ecosystem.
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2026-details?c=167
Torq
Program Name: Torq Alliance & Momentum Partner Program
Channel Chief: Sheldon Muir, Head Of Global Channels, Alliances
Most Significant Changes To Partner Program Over The Past Year:
Torq has achieved notable advancements in the past year, generating significant channel momentum, onboarding ~175 WW partners and expanding growth by 40 percent in the last year.
Key milestones include:
In July 2025, Torq launched the AMP Alliance Program to accelerate autonomous SecOps.
In January 2025, Torq announced 300 percent revenue growth and 200 percent employee growth in a $70 million Series C round, bringing total funding to $192 million.
In December 2024, Torq Agentic AI launched to unburden overwhelmed SecOps teams facing an increasing number of high-volume, low-complexity attacks.
In April 2025, Torq announced its acquisition of Revrod, enabling the launch of Torq HyperSOC-2o, a platform that identifies, prioritizes and remediates threats across entire organizations.
Torq and AI4ALL announced a nationwide AI internship program designed to drive the next generation of cyber talent.
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2026-details?c=192
