Grow Your B2B SaaS
S7E11 - B2B SaaS Growth Strategy 2026: Scaling with AI Agents & Growth Loops With Mark Appel
AI Summary
Mark Appel, CMO of Sendcloud, outlines the company’s 2026 international scaling plan, highlighting cross‑functional GTM alignment, a hybrid PLG/SLG approach, and the identification of compounding growth loops across eight European markets. He details the integration of AI agents as SDRs and marketing assistants, the shift toward retention‑focused automation, and the evolution from feature‑led to brand‑led messaging to achieve €10 M ARR. Finally, he shares actionable advice for early‑stage founders on reaching the first $10 K MRR and scaling to multi‑million ARR.
Why It Matters
The insights reveal a replicable blueprint for B2B SaaS firms to accelerate international growth using AI‑driven GTM structures and self‑reinforcing growth loops, a model that can reshape market dynamics and competitive advantage.
Episode Description
Recorded live at the SaaS Summit in Amsterdam, this episode of the Grow Your B2B SaaS Podcast dives into a focused conversation with Mark Appel, Chief Marketing Officer at Sendcloud. As one of Europe’s fastest-growing B2B SaaS platforms, Sendcloud operates across eight European markets, generating close to 60 million in annual recurring revenue with a team of about 450. In this discussion, Mark reveals how Sendcloud approaches international scaling, builds cross-functional go-to-market alignment, identifies and prioritizes compounding growth loops, and integrates AI agents across marketing and GTM operations. He also reflects on what he would do differently if he could rebuild a SaaS go-to-market motion from scratch, what early-stage founders should focus on to reach their first 10K MRR, and how to evolve from feature-led messaging to a brand-led narrative on the path to 10 million ARR.
Key Timecodes
(00:00) – Intro: Scaling B2B SaaS, Growth Loops & AI GTM 2026
(01:10) – Guest Intro: Mark Appel, CMO of Sendcloud
(01:39) – Company Snapshot: €60M ARR, 450 Employees, 8 Markets
(02:20) – 2026 Focus: International SaaS Scaling Strategy
(02:36) – Cross-Functional GTM: Marketing, Sales & CS Alignment
(03:26) – GTM Motion: Hybrid PLG + SLG in B2B SaaS
(03:39) – Finding Growth Loops Across 8 Countries
(04:34) – Working Growth Loops: Demand to Revenue Flywheel
(05:15) – Platform Network Effects: Merchants, Carriers & Partners
(06:13) – Built-in Virality: Tracking Emails as Growth Channel
(06:51) – Ad Break: Reditus Affiliate & Referral Growth
(07:35) – AI for GTM 2026: AI SDRs & Marketing Agents
(08:50) – AI Implementation: Challenges & Early Adoption
(09:55) – Biggest GTM Shift: Retention, Expansion & Automation
(10:22) – PLG in Product: Driving Adoption via In-App Prompts
(11:40) – Rebuilding GTM: Cross-Functional Pods by Segment
(12:41) – Segmentation: Startup to Enterprise Strategy
(13:21) – Future Growth Loops: Consumer Visibility for SaaS
(14:41) – 0 to 10K MRR: In-Market Demand & Search Campaigns
(15:34) – 10K MRR to €10M ARR: Brand-Led SaaS Growth
(16:03) – Connect with Mark Appel: LinkedIn & Email
(16:18) – Outro & CTA: Subscribe, Sponsor & Learn via Reditus
Show Notes
Recorded live at the SaaS Summit in Amsterdam, this episode of the Grow Your B2B SaaS Podcast dives into a focused conversation with Mark Appel, Chief Marketing Officer at Sendcloud. As one of Europe’s fastest-growing B2B SaaS platforms, Sendcloud operates across eight European markets, generating close to 60 million in annual recurring revenue with a team of about 450. In this discussion, Mark reveals how Sendcloud approaches international scaling, builds cross-functional go-to-market alignment, identifies and prioritizes compounding growth loops, and integrates AI agents across marketing and GTM operations. He also reflects on what he would do differently if he could rebuild a SaaS go-to-market motion from scratch, what early-stage founders should focus on to reach their first 10K MRR, and how to evolve from feature-led messaging to a brand-led narrative on the path to 10 million ARR.
Key Timecodes
(00:00) – Intro: Scaling B2B SaaS, Growth Loops & AI GTM 2026
(01:10) – Guest Intro: Mark Appel, CMO of Sendcloud
(01:39) – Company Snapshot: €60M ARR, 450 Employees, 8 Markets
(02:20) – 2026 Focus: International SaaS Scaling Strategy
(02:36) – Cross-Functional GTM: Marketing, Sales & CS Alignment
(03:26) – GTM Motion: Hybrid PLG + SLG in B2B SaaS
(03:39) – Finding Growth Loops Across 8 Countries
(04:34) – Working Growth Loops: Demand to Revenue Flywheel
(05:15) – Platform Network Effects: Merchants, Carriers & Partners
(06:13) – Built-in Virality: Tracking Emails as Growth Channel
(06:51) – Ad Break: Reditus Affiliate & Referral Growth
(07:35) – AI for GTM 2026: AI SDRs & Marketing Agents
(08:50) – AI Implementation: Challenges & Early Adoption
(09:55) – Biggest GTM Shift: Retention, Expansion & Automation
(10:22) – PLG in Product: Driving Adoption via In-App Prompts
(11:40) – Rebuilding GTM: Cross-Functional Pods by Segment
(12:41) – Segmentation: Startup to Enterprise Strategy
(13:21) – Future Growth Loops: Consumer Visibility for SaaS
(14:41) – 0 to 10K MRR: In-Market Demand & Search Campaigns
(15:34) – 10K MRR to €10M ARR: Brand-Led SaaS Growth
(16:03) – Connect with Mark Appel: LinkedIn & Email
(16:18) – Outro & CTA: Subscribe, Sponsor & Learn via Reditus
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