Daniel Saks: A Visionary Leader at the Intersection of AI and Business Innovation

A Legacy of Entrepreneurship and Resilience Daniel’s story begins with his deep connection to his family’s 100-year-old business, Saks Furniture, based in Niagara Falls, Canada. For generations, his family successfully ran the business, and it became a pillar of the community. However, when the 2008 recession hit, the company was forced to close its doors. This deeply personal experience instilled in Daniel a desire to understand how modern technology could help businesses like his family's survive and thrive, even in the most difficult economic climates​

Srinivasan Ramanujam

10/13/20243 min read

Daniel Saks: A Visionary Leader at the Intersection of AI and Business InnovationDaniel Saks: A Visionary Leader at the Intersection of AI and Business Innovation

Daniel Saks: A Visionary Leader at the Intersection of AI and Business Innovation

In the world of artificial intelligence and business transformation, Daniel Saks stands as a remarkable figure whose entrepreneurial journey continues to inspire. As the co-founder and CEO of Landbase, Daniel has spearheaded a movement toward automating and optimizing go-to-market (GTM) strategies through the power of agentic AI. His commitment to innovation and his personal drive to empower businesses are rooted in both his family’s entrepreneurial legacy and his firsthand experiences navigating the challenges of running a business.

A Legacy of Entrepreneurship and Resilience

Daniel’s story begins with his deep connection to his family’s 100-year-old business, Saks Furniture, based in Niagara Falls, Canada. For generations, his family successfully ran the business, and it became a pillar of the community. However, when the 2008 recession hit, the company was forced to close its doors. This deeply personal experience instilled in Daniel a desire to understand how modern technology could help businesses like his family's survive and thrive, even in the most difficult economic climates​

After witnessing his family’s business close, Daniel turned his attention to entrepreneurship. Inspired by the rise of cloud computing and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), he co-founded AppDirect in 2009, alongside his friend and business partner, Nicolas Desmarais. Their vision was simple: to help businesses harness the power of cloud software to operate more efficiently and compete in the digital world. Under Daniel’s leadership, AppDirect grew into a unicorn, valued at over $1 billion, and became a leader in the subscription commerce space, serving millions of users across the globe​

Innovating with Landbase: The Future of Go-To-Market Automation

Building on the success of AppDirect, Daniel shifted his focus to tackling one of the most critical and often overlooked challenges faced by businesses today: go-to-market strategy. Enter Landbase, a company designed to unify and automate GTM processes through AI-driven technology. At the heart of Landbase is GTM-1 Omni, the world’s first AI platform specifically created to handle the complexities of GTM functions.

What sets Landbase apart from other solutions is its innovative use of agentic AI—a form of AI that not only analyzes data but also executes tasks, making decisions based on performance feedback and human input. This unique combination of machine learning and human insights is designed to deliver better results, faster. Early adopters of the platform have already reported significant improvements, including a 7x increase in conversion rates and a 70% reduction in time spent generating leads

Moreover, Landbase’s approach to reinforcement learning allows the platform to continuously improve by analyzing outcomes and adjusting strategies based on real-world performance. The company’s recent $12.5 million seed funding round, led by A* and 8VC, underscores the confidence investors have in Daniel’s ability to disrupt the traditional go-to-market space with cutting-edge technology​

A Personal Journey of Leadership and Vision

What makes Daniel Saks truly exceptional is his ability to translate his personal experiences into visionary business strategies. The lessons learned from his family’s business—especially the importance of embracing technology—shaped his approach to both AppDirect and Landbase. His journey from a small-town furniture store to the helm of multiple unicorns is a testament to his resilience, adaptability, and entrepreneurial spirit.

Daniel’s work is not just about creating successful companies; it’s about empowering other businesses to succeed. By leveraging the latest in AI technology, Daniel is helping companies automate time-consuming tasks, enabling them to focus on strategy and growth. His commitment to creating products that blend machine intelligence with human ingenuity is paving the way for a new era of AI-driven business solutions​

Leading the Agentic AI Revolution

As Landbase continues to grow, Daniel Saks is positioning the company as a leader in the agentic AI space, a field where AI technologies don’t just assist but actively participate in decision-making processes. This marks a significant shift in how businesses will operate in the future, with AI not just acting as a tool but as a partner in growth.

The upcoming launch of tools like the Landbase GTM Trust Score—which provides data-driven insights into the trustworthiness and performance of brands—further demonstrates Landbase’s commitment to making AI accessible and actionable for businesses of all sizes​

Conclusion: A Visionary with a Purpose

As Daniel Saks continues to drive innovation with Landbase, his personal journey and professional achievements serve as a source of inspiration for entrepreneurs and business leaders alike. His ability to merge AI technology with practical business applications showcases his forward-thinking approach and his unwavering commitment to helping companies navigate the complexities of the digital economy.

I am excited to meet Daniel Saks and delve deeper into his vision during our upcoming interview. His story is one of resilience, innovation, and purpose, and I look forward to learning more about how Landbase will continue to revolutionize the go-to-market landscape with agentic AI.