SaaStock founder retires 10-year brand, launches Shift AI for the post-SaaS era

Alexander Theuma is killing SaaStock after a decade and launching Shift AI, citing $2 trillion in erased SaaS market cap and the collapse of per-seat pricing under AI agent pressure.

Apr. 15, 2026 at 1:25pm

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A highly detailed, glowing 3D illustration of a complex, futuristic AI-powered software infrastructure, with neon cyan and magenta lights illuminating the intricate cybernetic components, conceptually representing the powerful, transformative impact of AI on the software industry.As the SaaS era gives way to the age of AI agents, the software industry faces a seismic shift in business models and technology.Austin Today

SaaStock founder Alexander Theuma is retiring Europe's biggest B2B SaaS conference after a decade and replacing it with Shift AI. The Austin event on 15-16 April is the last SaaStock; the first Shift Europe runs in Barcelona on 13-14 October 2026. Theuma cited $2 trillion in SaaS market cap erased in Q1 2026 and the structural collapse of per-seat pricing under AI agent pressure.

Why it matters

SaaStock was the gravitational center of Europe's B2B software founder community for a decade, helping companies learn the SaaS playbook of pricing per seat, scaling through product-led growth, and hitting the metrics VCs wanted. But with the rise of AI agents replacing the workflows customers pay for, the per-seat model is under structural pressure, and the companies that win the next decade will not look like the ones that won the last one.

The details

SaaStock launched in Dublin in 2016 with 700 attendees and grew to over 4,000 founders, operators, and investors across five continents. It became the place where European SaaS companies went to learn the SaaS playbook. But Theuma, who spent 11 years in IT and telecoms sales before starting a SaaS blog, says the decision to kill the brand he built is a recognition that the category the conference was named after - software as a service, sold by the seat - is no longer the defining frame for the industry it serves.

  • The SaaStock conference running in Austin on 15 and 16 April is the final one.
  • The first Shift Europe event will take place in Barcelona on 13 and 14 October 2026.

The players

Alexander Theuma

The founder of SaaStock who is retiring the 10-year-old brand and launching a new event called Shift AI.

SaaStock

Europe's biggest B2B SaaS conference that ran for a decade before being retired by its founder.

Shift AI

The new event being launched by Alexander Theuma to replace SaaStock, focused on the post-SaaS era and the impact of AI agents on software companies.

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What they’re saying

“In Q1 2026, $2 trillion in SaaS market cap was erased. The per-seat model is under structural pressure it won't recover from. AI agents are replacing the workflows our customers pay for. The companies that win the next decade will not look like the ones that won the last one.”

— Alexander Theuma, Founder of SaaStock

What’s next

The first Shift Europe event will take place in Barcelona on 13 and 14 October 2026, signaling a shift in focus from the historical SaaS era to the emerging AI-driven software landscape.

The takeaway

The retirement of the SaaStock brand and launch of Shift AI represents a recognition that the software industry is undergoing a fundamental transformation, with AI agents disrupting the traditional per-seat SaaS model. Founders who built their companies on SaaS economics now need to navigate the agentic era, and Shift AI aims to be the new gathering point for this community as they adapt their businesses.