Blackpearl CEO: ‘SaaS-Pocalypse’ Is A Much Needed Wake-Up Call For Technology Companies

As volatility hits US software stocks following rapid advances in AI agents, Founder and CEO of Blackpearl Group (NZX: BPG) Nick Lissette says New Zealand tech companies should stay calm and look for leverage.

Recent updates from Anthropic and the rapid adoption of OpenClaw - which has reportedly generated 1.5 million AI agents in just over three months - have fuelled offshore commentary about a potential ‘SaaS-pocalypse’. Accompanying this was a dive in US software stocks.

“We are now living in an age of great uncertainty,” says Lissette. “There will be something new emerging every day. That volatility isn’t going away - it’s the new normal.”

But Lissette says the narrative deserves nuance. AI agents are increasing competitive intensity in software markets and feature-based SaaS models may face margin pressure; but this means data ownership and structured knowledge are becoming more valuable. Companies with strong data foundations could even stand to benefit from the shift.

“You no longer compete with one or two scaled rivals,” says Lissette. “You compete with thousands of micro-competitors. It’s not a single shark - it’s piranhas. Each agent can automate a narrow slice of functionality that customers previously paid SaaS providers for. One slice doesn’t matter. But enough slices over time can hollow out a product. That’s a real dynamic,and the market is responding to it.”

However, Lissette is clear this is not the end of SaaS and tech firms should reassess defensibility, not panic.

“What concerns me more is that in all the noise, companies can lose sight of the fundamentals,” he says. “Technology doesn’t win on its own. Delivering genuine customer outcomes is the true north. It has to start and finish there.”

“An agent is only as powerful as the information it runs on. Intelligence without knowledge is noise. If it runs on deep, structured, proprietary knowledge, it becomes exponentially more valuable. That’s where the leverage shifts and the fuel providers are set to win.”

From Blackpearl’s perspective, the proliferation of AI agents may represent disruption but also demand.

“OpenClaw hasn’t just created 1.5 million agents. It may have created 1.5 million new consumers of high quality data and buying signals [Data-as-a-Service] almost overnight,” believes Lissette. He adds that the current repricing in global software markets reflects a reassessment of value rather than a collapse.

“Once you are clear on the outcome you deliver for customers, you then select the tools and data required to achieve that,” he says. “AI is one of those tools - powerful, yes - but still a tool. This is less about extinction and more about evolution. Companies need to ask: is our value in features that can be automated; or in data and insights that can’t easily be replicated?”

For the tech sector, Lissette says the opportunity lies in clarity.

“The challenge is that everything now moves at extraordinary speed. You can’t set strategy annually and hope it holds. You have to evolve in real time. Brands should be reevaluating where their real defensibility sits. If your edge is workflow alone, you need to move fast and to do so now. If your edge is structured data and proprietary knowledge, this shift could help accelerate your advantage.”

About Blackpearl Group

Blackpearl Group (BPG) is a market leading data technology company that pioneers AI-driven sales and marketing solutions for the US market.

Specifically engineered for small-medium sized businesses (SMEs), BPG consistently delivers exceptional value to its customers. Our mantra is simple: ‘Better Growth Together’. When our customers win, we win.

Founded in 2012, BPG is based in Wellington, New Zealand, and Phoenix, Arizona.

Blackpearl.com

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