Martech stack for medium-sized businesses: a practical guide to low cost and high ROI.

Why the martech stack has become a matter of survival.

By 2025, the martech universe will exceed 15,000 solutions, with annual growth close to 9% driven by generative AI[1][3]. At the same time, the average number of tools per stack is practically not exploding, indicating a trend towards rationalization: more integration, less random stacking of SaaS[1][2]. For medium-sized enterprises, this is crucial. The game is not about having many tools, but rather an essential stack that connects data, automation, and content, delivering a quick ROI. Studies show that only about 17% of companies declare that their martech components work well together[4]. In other words, the biggest enemy of SMEs is not the lack of technology, but the excess of poorly integrated technology. The good news: with a few well-chosen pieces, it is possible to compete with larger companies, especially using AI to accelerate testing, personalization, and team productivity[2][3].

Minimum viable stack: 5 blocks to grow without exceeding the budget.

The latest reports converge on a recurring core for modern stacks: data management, analytics, automation/journeys, content, and personalization[2][4][6]. For mid-sized businesses with limited budgets, this can be translated into five pragmatic blocks: 1) A CRM or engagement platform that is the center of gravity of the customer relationship, especially in B2B, where 42% of companies still have CRM as the axis of the stack[2]. 2) A simple data and analytics layer (lightweight data warehouse or accessible BI) to consolidate information and track acquisition, retention, and LTV metrics[4][6]. 3) A marketing automation tool focused on email, nurturing flows, and basic multichannel campaigns, with embedded AI to optimize timing and segmentation[2][7]. 4) Content and SEO tools with generative AI capabilities, in line with the expansion of solutions linked to content production and augmented SEO[1][3][8]. 5) A simplified customization module or CDP, often already included in affordable suites, to enable real-time data without requiring large IT teams[4][6]. Consolidation cases show significant gains: reducing point solutions in favor of integrated platforms has generated double-digit cost savings and increased performance in large brands[4]. For SMEs, the logic is the same on a smaller scale: fewer fragile integrations, more ROI and governance.

The near future: agentic AI, streams instead of stacks, and more invisible martech.

The latest martech maps indicate a paradox: more tools and, at the same time, a trend towards stack compression via AI[1][3][8]. The idea of flows instead of static stacks emerges: instead of collections of software, companies operate dynamic combinations of data, models, and automations connected by APIs and AI agents[3]. Concepts such as agentic infrastructure promise to mask complexity and reduce the number of “point and click” interfaces, allowing agents to orchestrate segmentation, personalization, and testing in real time[3]. Reports such as the State of Martech 2025 also point to a shift in the center of gravity: in B2C, automation, engagement, and data cloud platforms are already rivaling traditional CRM as the engine of the stack[2][6]. For medium-sized companies, this translates into three trend movements: prioritizing composable platforms, capable of growing through modules; using AI to test more ideas with the same team and budget; and plan data governance early on, avoiding walled gardens that prevent future integrations[2][3][4][7]. The martech stack for medium-sized companies is no longer an “arsenal of tools” but rather the silent infrastructure that allows for rapid experimentation, learning from data, and agile adjustment of the channel mix.