What Climb Channel Solutions does

Climb Channel Solutions is a global specialty technology distributor and wholly-owned subsidiary of publicly traded Climb Global Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ: CLMB). Founded over 40 years ago and headquartered in Eatontown, New Jersey, the company operates as a value-added distributor connecting technology vendors with resellers, managed service providers (MSPs), and channel partners across North America, EMEA, and LATAM, with offices in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, France, the Netherlands, and South Africa.

The company offers a curated portfolio of 100+ vendor products spanning cybersecurity, virtualization, cloud, data management, software lifecycle, connectivity, and storage solutions. Core proprietary assets include the Expedition Marketplace self-service platform for MSPs and resellers, the Climb Elevate program for emerging partners seeking channel access, and the Climb SLED division (acquired in July 2024 as Douglas Stewart Software + Services) serving K-12, higher education, and state/local government markets with 800+ resellers and 25+ education-focused vendors. The company holds ISO 27001, ISO 9001, and UK Cyber Essentials certifications and operates OMNIA Partners cooperative purchasing contracts (#01-130 and #159571) enabling sales to public agencies across all 50 US states.

Climb generates revenue primarily through product distribution margin on technology resale transactions and subscription management for software licenses and cloud services, with complementary revenue from financing services (flooring programs, multi-year terms up to 2 years). Its channel-first go-to-market combines field sales teams across 9 US, 3 Canadian, and 4 EMEA/APAC territories with inside sales, premier account teams dedicated to national resellers (CDW, SHI International, Insight), and self-service via Expedition Marketplace. The company has aggressively expanded its vendor portfolio through partnerships with Sophos, Fortinet, Fortra, Delinea, Nitro Software, and others, and introduced AI-focused programs (Skyward Project, Climb AI Academy) to position channel partners for AI-driven growth.

Name

Climb Channel Solutions

Legal name

Climb Channel Solutions

Website

https://climbcs.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Climb Channel Solutions is a global specialty technology distributor (subsidiary of NASDAQ: CLMB) connecting 100+ technology vendors with resellers, MSPs, and VARs across North America, EMEA, and LATAM through its Expedition Marketplace, Climb SLED, and Climb Elevate programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Eatontown

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Product Distribution: Resells technology products (software, security, cloud solutions) from vendor partners to resellers and MSPs, earning margin on product transactions. Revenue generated through transactional product sales with no public revenue disclosure.
2. Subscription Management: Handles subscription-based products including software licenses and managed services, supporting recurring revenue models for vendor partners and providing billing/renewal management for MSP customers.
3. Financing Services: Provides flexible financing options including flooring programs, net terms, credit cards, third-party financing, and escrow services, generating revenue through financing fees and interest.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Climb Channel Solutions is a global specialty technology distributor that connects more than 100 emerging and established technology vendors with a worldwide network of resellers, managed service providers (MSPs), and value-added resellers (VARs). The company earns margin on reselling software, security, cloud, and infrastructure products and adds value through financing programs, certification support, the Expedition Marketplace self-service platform, and consultative partnership programs such as Climb Elevate, Climb SLED, and the People + Platform MSP model.

Product overview

Climb Channel Solutions is a global specialty technology distributor and wholly owned subsidiary of Climb Global Solutions (NASDAQ: CLMB) that operates as a value-added distributor connecting innovative technology vendors with resellers, MSPs, and channel partners. The company offers a curated portfolio of over 100 vendor products across security, virtualization, cloud, data management, software lifecycle, connectivity, and storage solutions. The core offering includes the Expedition Marketplace platform for self-service procurement, the Climb Elevate program for emerging partners, and the Climb SLED division for public sector education markets. Additional services include financing options, MSP Partner Team support, the Skyward Project AI Partner Program, Market Maker analytics tools, and various incentive programs (SPIFFs & Promos, Launch + Connect). The company maintains operations across North America, EMEA, and South Africa with offices in the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Germany, France, Netherlands, and South Africa.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Expedition Marketplace: Self-service platform for exploring and managing leading and emerging technologies and cloud services for MSPs and reseller partners.
• Skyward Project
• Climb AI Academy
• Climb Elevate
• Climb SLED

Products and services

• Expedition Marketplace Self-service platform for MSP and reseller partners to explore, customize, order, and manage leading and emerging technologies and cloud services, with access to Climb support agents when needed.
• Climb Elevate Channel program for emerging partners looking to grow into the channel and for national resellers targeting one-off opportunities; mediates relationships between manufacturers, resellers, and end users.
• Climb SLED State, Local, and Education distribution division (formerly Douglas Stewart Software + Services) providing tailored technology solutions and distribution services for K-12, higher education, and public sector markets via 800+ resellers and 25+ education vendors.
• MSP Partner Team Dedicated team focused on helping managed service providers grow through vendor alignment, solution guidance, business growth support, and long-term partnership.
• Skyward Project AI Partner Program helping partners leverage AI as a growth opportunity, featuring the Climb AI Academy training and the Climb AI Business User Group community for channel partners.
• Climb Financing Options Flexible payment and financing options for reseller and MSP partners including pre-paid programs, credit cards, ACH, net terms, flooring programs with up to 60 days interest-free financing (Wells Fargo, DLL, Northpoint Financing), third-party financing, escrow services, and multi-year financing up to 2 years.
• Climb MSP Line Card Vetted, MSP-focused vendor portfolio providing flexible billing, automation, and scalable management solutions designed to boost retention and recurring revenue for managed service providers.
• Market Maker Data-driven analytics tools providing partners with market trend analysis and campaign effectiveness tracking to enable smarter, more strategic moves.
• OMNIA Partners Public Sector Contracts Government purchasing cooperative contracts (Contract #01-130 and #159571) enabling Climb to sell software, SaaS, and cybersecurity products to federal, state, and local government organizations across all 50 US states through established procurement channels.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4-hour SLA for quotes and orders
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• FortracoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 30 May 2026Distribution agreement covering UK and Ireland extending existing partnership that began in North America in late 2024. Adds Fortra's cybersecurity and software products including data security, brand protection, exposure management, and adversary emulation to Climb's portfolio. Demand driven by AI adoption, tighter regulation, and heightened data governance requirements.
• SophoscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 20 May 2026Cybersecurity vendor partnership covering South Africa market entry. Climb appointed as Sophos distributor to serve local resellers and MSPs. South African team led by Andrew Potgieter as sales director includes six Sophos-certified members. Partnership attracted 78 Sophos VARs requesting partnership within two weeks. Climb plans to launch Skyward Project AI partner programme in South Africa.
• Westcon-ComstorminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 30 April 2026Marketplace strategy comparison - Westcon expanded marketplace by joining Microsoft's REO programme. Climb UK positioned its 'People + Platform' model as an alternative approach, combining digital platform with hands-on support and advisory services.
• SophoscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 6 March 2026Exclusive Irish distribution partnership for Sophos cybersecurity products. Only authorized distributor offering Sophos Threat Profile assessment service identifying exposed credentials, dark web exposure, and internet-facing vulnerabilities. Targets Ireland's cybersecurity sector growing 13.4% annually and generating €2.7bn revenue. Strategic expansion building on existing North American relationship.
• DelineacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 26 January 2026Extended partnership from North America to Europe covering UK, Ireland, and DACH regions. Climb distributes Delinea's privileged access management platform covering human, machine, and agentic AI identities in hybrid cloud environments. Partner launch events planned in London, Dublin, and Munich during Q1 2026. Amy Nairne-Clark appointed as Cyber Security Vendor Manager to lead regional GTM.
• DelineacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 23 January 2026Expanded identity security distribution partnership covering Ireland, UK, and DACH regions. Partnership aims to strengthen identity controls and leverage AI advancements in cybersecurity amid rising concerns about AI-related cyber threats.
• Zebra SystemsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 23 January 2026GFI Software consolidated North American distribution under Zebra Systems LLC effective April 21, 2026, replacing previous agreement with Climb. Zebra Systems has been GFI's top-performing distributor in Europe for over 15 years.
• Nitro SoftwareminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 11 December 2025Extended distribution partnership with Nitro Software to Europe following successful US collaboration. Nitro provides secure PDF, eSign, and analytics solutions to nearly 3 million users across 190 countries.
• FortinetcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 December 2025US partnership enabling Climb's partners to access Fortinet's enterprise-grade security solutions. Signals Climb's focus on delivering carefully curated, effective security technologies through strategic alliances.
• SecloreminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 5 November 2025North American partnership with data security vendor Seclore to expand access to data protection solutions across ecosystem of resellers, MSPs, and VARs.
• HalcyonminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 28 October 2025Partnership with anti-ransomware solution provider to expand access to ransomware prevention technology across North American VARs and MSPs.
• OMNIA PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNational government purchasing cooperative enabling Climb to sell to federal, state, and local government organizations across all 50 US states through cooperative purchasing contracts.
• interworks.cloudminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcquisition by Climb Global Solutions extending European presence in software distribution and cloud services.
• Douglas Stewart Software + Services (DSS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcquired in July 2024, DSS is the education business unit (now Climb SLED) providing specialized education technology distribution with 800+ resellers and 25+ vendors.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Westcon-Comstor: Global value-added distributor specializing in security, networking, and unified communications. Direct competitor in cybersecurity distribution; explicitly cited in source data as a marketplace-strategy comparator to Climb's People + Platform model.
• Exclusive Networks: Specialty cybersecurity VAD with global footprint across EMEA, APAC, and the Americas. Closest comparable by go-to-market: vendor-aligned cybersecurity distribution with value-added services for resellers and MSPs.

Broad incumbents

• Ingram Micro: World's largest IT distributor with broad product coverage across cloud, security, and hardware. Overlaps with Climb's cybersecurity and cloud lines but at materially larger scale and catalog breadth.
• TD SYNNEX: Global IT distributor formed from the Tech Data and SYNNEX merger, offering end-to-end distribution across security, cloud, and services. Competes with Climb for vendor relationships and reseller mind-share.
• Arrow Electronics: Broad-line technology distributor serving enterprise and channel customers globally. Overlaps with Climb on cybersecurity and cloud distribution but operates a much larger enterprise-focused portfolio.
• ScanSource: Hybrid specialty and broad-line distributor focused on communications, security, and cloud services for resellers. Comparable mid-market positioning and channel-first GTM.
• D&H Distributing: Mid-market technology distributor serving resellers and MSPs across North America. Comparable scale and channel-first orientation; overlaps in SMB-tier cybersecurity and cloud distribution.

Regional players

• ALSO Group: Leading European ICT logistics and services company operating across DACH, Benelux, and Nordics. Geographic overlap with Climb's EMEA footprint and similar vendor portfolio in cybersecurity and cloud.

Emerging players

• Pax8: Cloud-first distributor purpose-built for MSPs, offering a managed marketplace for SaaS and security products. Direct overlap with Climb's MSP Partner Team and Expedition Marketplace strategy.
• Sherweb: Cloud services distributor focused on Microsoft, security, and productivity solutions for MSPs. Comparable niche positioning in cloud subscription management and MSP enablement.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Climb_CS
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCmlGE6_3chSsCponXwBcFXQ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/climbcs
• Facebookfacebook.com/ClimbCS

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Climb Channel Solutions