5 Companies That Came To Win This Week

For the week ending Feb. 20, CRN takes a look at the companies that brought their ‘A’ game to the channel including Proofpoint, Palo Alto Networks, Net at Work, Monday.com and Evergreen.

The Week Ending Feb. 20

Topping this week’s 5 Companies that Came to Win list is cybersecurity tech developer Proofpoint for launching a major upgrade of its channel program with a focus on partner profitability and deal protection.

Also making this week’s list is Palo Alto Networks for a strategic acquisition around agentic AI security. And solution provider and MSP Net at Work is here for its latest acquisition to expand the geographic scope of its managed services.

Workflow automation platform developer Monday.com wins applause for expanding its channel program with an emphasis on helping partners bring AI to customer deployments.

And MSP holding company Evergreen makes the list for completing a successful 2025—including completing acquisitions and surpassing $1 billion in annual revenue—and setting big M&A goals for 2026.

Proofpoint Boosts Deal Protection, Profitability With Launch Of New Partner Program

Proofpoint unveiled an updated partner program this week that aims to better enable solution and service providers to drive consolidation on the cybersecurity vendor’s platform, according to channel chief Stan de Boisset.

Major enhancements in the new Proofpoint Partner Network include greater deal protections and expanded incentives to bolster profitability in the channel, de Boisset (pictured) said in an interview with CRN.

“We’re putting in new, stronger protection with deal registration [and ultimately] strengthening overall the position of the partner in the account,” he said.

Deal protections have been significantly strengthened both for partner-sourced deals and co-sell opportunities, as well as around incumbency protections on renewal business, de Boisset said.

In terms of profitability, Proofpoint is introducing new back-end rebates for partners related to winning new customer accounts, he said. Notably, the company is providing improved rebate opportunities for partners around reaching certain growth targets as part of the new program, which should be “super compelling” for partners, according to de Boisset, senior vice president for global channels at Proofpoint.

Another major profitability enhancement includes a new incentive focused on customer renewals, he said.

Palo Alto Networks To Acquire ‘Agentic Endpoint’ Security Startup Koi

Palo Alto Networks makes this week’s list for reaching a deal to acquire Koi, a startup offering capabilities for boosting visibility and protection for AI agent usage on endpoint devices.

Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. A Calcalist report in January indicated that Palo Alto Networks was in discussions to acquire Koi for $400 million.

Koi’s technology forms the basis for what Palo Alto Networks called the new cybersecurity category of “agentic endpoint security.” The cybersecurity giant plans to integrate Koi’s capabilities into its AI security platform, Prisma AIRS, the company said.

The Koi technology will also bolster Palo Alto Networks’ endpoint security offering, Cortex XDR, through delivering greater visibility across AI attack surfaces. The result will be enhanced prevention of malware and improved adherence to security policies, the company said.

In October 2025, Palo Alto Networks launched a new version of its AI security platform, Prisma AIRS 2.0, which included the full integration of capabilities from last year’s acquisition of Protect AI. That update enabled Prisma AIRS to provide in-line defense against a range of AI security threats—including prompt injection, malicious agents and tool misuse—in real time.

Net At Work Continues To Scale With OnPar Acquisition

Staying on the topic of acquisitions, solution provider and managed service provider Net at Work continued its recent torrid pace of acquisitions this week, acquiring OnPar Technologies, a North Carolina-based MSP with clients in 35 states.

Net at Work said the acquisition “strengthens its national managed services footprint” and expands the company’s industry-specific solutions portfolio across manufacturing, wholesale distribution, construction, nonprofit and health care.

Net at Work, founded in 1996 and ranked No. 246 on CRN’s 2025 Solution Provider 500, focuses on SMB and midmarket organizations. The company is unique in that it brings both an infrastructure play and an application play to the SMB space, Alexander Solomon, co-president of the New York-based company, told CRN in an exclusive interview.

With OnPar Technologies, Net at Work gets a team that shares the same business philosophy and culture as well as a very similar technology focus with almost no customer overlap, Solomon said.

Net at Work has been on an acquisition spree in recent years with numerous acquisitions focused on services around ERP applications from Sage and Acumatica.

Last month the solution provider acquired Kansas-based Network Computer Solutions in a move that significantly expanded the company’s Midwestern U.S. footprint. In 2025 alone its acquisitions included e2b Teknologies in January, AppSolute in August, the Acumatica practice of Advanced Solutions & Consulting in September, and LLB Partners in October. The company has made about 40 acquisitions since its founding.

Monday.com Expands Partner Capabilities With Eye On AI For Workflow Automation

Returning to the subject of partner program upgrades, workflow automation platform developer Monday.com this week said the company is expanding its channel program with an emphasis on helping partners bring AI to their customers’ deployments.

The announcement was made at the company’s seventh annual partner summit this week where executives offered partners insight into the company’s 2026 strategy.

The expanded partner program is focused on two initiatives. One is a new partner incentive program that’s built around AI, providing rewards—including monetary incentives—for partners that lean into Monday.com’s AI play, selling more AI products and driving AI information to their customers.

That effort also includes a new AI framework specialization program for partners that includes more resources and hands-on support from Monday.com.

The second initiative is the launch of a new “Go-To-Partners” platform, which replaces the company’s legacy partners directory with a new system with embedded AI that acts as a matchmaker to connect customers and partners based on industry expertise and business needs.

Monday.com also is evolving its commercial strategy to expand beyond a traditional revenue-share channel model with a new dedicated reseller program and a distribution program.

Evergreen Eyeing 30 to 40 Acquisitions in 2026 After Record-Breaking Year

Evergreen is setting big goals for itself in 2026 after recording double-digit organic growth in 2025 and closing 16 acquisitions—including 11 MSPs—in just the fourth quarter.

San Francisco-based Evergreen told CRN that it has a goal of completing 30 to 40 M&A deals this year. The holding company follows a decentralized, buy-and-hold strategy, a model that allows acquired companies to retain their brands, leadership and community presence.

That approach resonates strongly with owners weighing their exit options.

One of the company’s goals, meanwhile, is to hit $5 billion in revenue by 2030. The company hit $1 billion in revenue in 2025, making it the first billion-dollar MSP.

“We want to reach $5 billion in revenue by 2030. That’s not just about buying more companies. It’s three things: accelerate acquisition pace, grow organically at double-digit rates and expand margins,” Ramsey Sayhoun (pictured), Evergreen co-founder and M&A partner, told CRN in an interview.

“Last year we grew roughly 30 percent to 40 percent total,” Sayhoun said. “Organic growth was double digits on both top and bottom line. The rest came from acquisitions. But organic growth is critical. If you can’t grow what you own, you shouldn’t be buying more.”