# Nicolas Desmarais

> Nicolas Desmarais is the chairman and co-CEO of AppDirect, the San Francisco-based B2B subscription commerce platform he co-founded with Daniel Saks in 2009 out of an apartment at age 23. AppDirect now powers digital marketplaces for thousands of providers across software, telecom, energy, hardware and AI, has raised roughly $750M, and most recently unveiled an AI-led 'everything store' for B2B procurement.

- **Role:** Chairman & Co-CEO at AppDirect
- **Organizations:** AppDirect, Power Corporation of Canada (family), Bain & Company (former)
- **From:** Canada
- **Nationality:** Canadian
- **Education:** B.A., double major in Economics and Political Science, Amherst College
- **Known for:** Co-founded AppDirect in 2009; grew to ~850 employees and ~$227M annual revenue., Raised approximately $750M in total funding across equity and debt., Named to Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2015.

## Career timeline

- **2007** — Graduates from Amherst College with a double major in economics and political science.
- **2007-2009** — Management consultant at Bain & Company, focused on media and business services.
- **2009** — Co-founds AppDirect with Daniel Saks in a San Francisco apartment at age 23.
- **2011** — AppDirect's first product launch lands with near-silence; team regroups and pivots toward distribution partners.
- **2015** — Named to Forbes 30 Under 30 alongside co-founder Daniel Saks.
- **2021** — AppDirect closes $185M round led by Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec (CDPQ), pushing valuation north of $1.5B.
- **2024** — CDPQ adds another $100M in debt financing to expand AppDirect's capital program for partners.
- **2025** — Keynotes Thrive 2025 in Austin; AppDirect unveils its AI-led 'everything store' for B2B procurement and devs.ai agentic AI marketplace.
- **2025-2026** — AppDirect closes acquisitions of Broker Online Exchange, DNE Resources, Firstbase, Tackle.io, and PartnerStack.

## Achievements

- Co-founded AppDirect in 2009; grew to ~850 employees and ~$227M annual revenue.
- Raised approximately $750M in total funding across equity and debt.
- Named to Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2015.
- Led AppDirect to a valuation north of $1.5B following 2021 CDPQ-led round.
- Closed acquisitions of AppCarousel, Broker Online Exchange, DNE Resources, Firstbase, PartnerStack, and Tackle.io.
- Launched devs.ai agentic AI marketplace and the AI-led 'everything store' for B2B procurement (2025).

## Latest updates

- **2026-04** — AppDirect closes acquisition of PartnerStack to add partner relationship management to its subscription commerce stack.
- **2025-12** — AppDirect closes acquisition of a network and mobility lifecycle management platform to complement its newly launched Everything Store for B2B.
- **2025-08** — Keynotes AppDirect Thrive 2025 in Austin, unveiling the AI-led Everything Store and devs.ai marketplace.
- **2025-06** — AppDirect acquires energy broker DNE Resources, expanding its energy services portfolio in Canada.
- **2024-01** — CDPQ commits an additional $100M debt facility to support AppDirect's capital program.

## Links

- Website: https://www.appdirect.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolas-desmarais-8069a914/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/AppDirect
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKBFf4hHFIU
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AppDirect

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/nicolas-desmarais
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-05-30