The Vertical Software Conference

Vertical platforms are increasingly caught between being the indispensable backbone or the front-end that drives outcomes. This panel will explore how founders are choosing their lane, where AI fits, and whether the next wave of winners will be systems of record, engagement, or intelligent hybrids.

As vertical SaaS platforms grow, so does the complexity — and upside — of embedded payments. This session looks at how payment strategy evolves at each inflection point: from monetization experiments at $10M ARR to optimizing margin and product depth at $1B+. Learn what to build, when to partner, and how the smartest platforms are scaling payments into a true second business line.

What does the future of vertical SaaS look like? Founders at the edge of the category are experimenting with business-in-a-box models, multi-product rollups, and new bundling mechanics that could shape the next decade.

Everyone’s adding AI — but how many are doing it well? You may be asking yourself, "should I buy or build?" Hear raw stories of what worked, what broke, and the risks no one talks about when deploying AI in deeply vertical workflows.

More platforms are finding themselves owned by — or selling into — PE-backed rollups. We’ll unpack how to thrive in that environment, from navigating procurement to aligning with fund incentives.

Everyone knows the big vertical SaaS stories — restaurants (Toast), ecommerce (Shopify), salons (Mindbody), law firms (Clio). But the next wave of billion-dollar companies may come from industries most people overlook. Other “underserved” markets have unique challenges — fragmented customers, outdated workflows, complex regulations — but also massive, underpenetrated opportunities. In this panel, founders and operators share how they’ve built products that actually work in these spaces, expanded into unexpected verticals, and discovered just how big these “niche” markets really are.

If you’re building in vertical software, you’ve probably already thought about payments — but what comes next? This panel will explore how to thoughtfully approach and implement additional financial products within your platform, unlocking the massive revenue potential that embedded fintech offers.

You've got burning questions, we've got answers. What AI frameworks are working? How can I grow my community? How do I build a moat that will last? This panel will dive into real tactics that are working right now in vertical software.