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While at ChannelCon, Cavelo’s Larry Meador told Channel Insider about his first six months with Cavelo and the trends he sees in its partner base and across the channel.
How Cavelo is reintroducing itself to the channel as it expands its platform
Cavelo was founded in 2020 but only shifted to a channel-only model last year. Now, the platform provider is building a reputation with partners as it continues to add features across a variety of risk-related activities.
“We’re actually kind of in the midst of reframing how we talk about ourselves, simply because we do so much. We have a singular platform that does many different things,” Meador said. “Basically, at the core, how do you protect what you often can’t see?”
Meador points out many companies remain unaware of where most of their sensitive data is stored and who has access to it. Cavelo promises to provide visibility into the full scope of risk companies have based on their assets.
The platform offers classification and categorization solutions that organizations can tailor to their own definitions of sensitive data, and then determine access and use policies. It also features configuration management tools, and ways to prioritize risks and convey the importance of taking action to their clients.
“We help MSPs triage, because at any given moment there’s tens of thousands of CVEs and MSPs can drive themselves crazy trying to stay on top if it all. We help them prioritize and add in the IBM cost of breach data analysis so MSPs can put real-world dollar figures on the exposure their clients might have,” Meador explained.
“One of the things I often talk about onstage is trying to remind MSPs, you aren’t just the IT company anymore. You’re now a business advisor, because IT’s involved in everything within an organization, and I do think more and more people are taking that to heart.”
Why partners are re-considering their tech stacks
Cavelo’s long list of platform-based offerings can make it hard to categorize; Meador has heard it referred to as an attack surface management platform, a DPSM play, and others. Now, the company seems to be using the terminology “risk visibility platform” as it tries to explain the sum of its parts to MSPs.
That may be its strongest pull, though, as tool sprawl and fatigue continue to plague partners who are rethinking the size and scope of their stacks.
“It costs an MSP a heck of a lot of money to train their people and pay for their own licensing. The smart MSPs are starting to look and say, we have way too many tools,” Meador said. “We often tell MSPs, if we can’t displace two or three of the tools you’re using, you may not want to talk to us. It’s that simple- we feel like we’re out here to help them consolidate their tech stack.”
Meador also stresses Cavelo wants to see its partners not just save money but also increase revenue opportunities that the platform can unlock.
“MSPs can now put tools into place to remediate a lot of these issues, do project work, things like that. And they’re coming to us and telling us, ‘holy cow, you’re making it so easy for us to make money because you put together such a clear picture,’” Meador said.
What comes next as Cavelo continues to grow
Meador describes 2025 as the “year of MSP referrals” for Cavelo, which he says is steadily growing its partner base through word of mouth as much as anything else. In a channel still dominated by trust and relationships, those referrals are important to Meador and his team.
“I think we’re on the map now, and that’s really exciting for us,” Meador said. “This whole channel is a relationship-based channel. People don’t buy products, they buy from people they trust. Our culture is to find ways to help partners, and that doesn’t always involve selling them something. I get energized by being out here at events and talking to people.”
He’s also referred to this year as Cavelo’s “coming out,” highlighting the increase in events the team has attended and the general brand awareness it continues to drive.
“Over the last 18 months, we’ve experience meterotic growth, and that’s been exciting. Growth also creates some growing pains, and we’re working through those internally as well,” Meador said. “The rate at which we are adding partners is like nothing I’ve ever seen in any other organization.”
Moving forward, Meador says he hopes to see adoption and mutual success scale across the partner base.
