Working with StartHQ has transformed our outbound strategy. Their domain expertise and custom-built AI create hyper-personalised campaigns that consistently outperform any other approach we’ve tried. The response rates we see are exceptional, and the level of service is second to none. StartHQ has become an integral partner in our go-to-market strategy, and we now consider them a long-term ally in driving growth. If outbound email has ever felt like a struggle, we couldn’t recommend StartHQ more highly.
How Katalyst Transformed Their Lead Generation with StartHQ’s AI-Driven Approach | 5%+ Response Rates and Deals Closed Within 3 Months
When we first engaged with Katalyst, they had already tried several lead generation providers and outreach strategies but none delivered a consistent return on investment. After taking the time to understand their target market and pain points, we implemented a fully managed, AI-driven outbound lead generation campaign.
Within three weeks the campaign was live and over the next three months, the results outperformed everything they’d tried before, with multiple new client wins. As a result, Katalyst made StartHQ their long-term partner and integrated our lead generation system into their core growth strategy.
This case study shows how a tailored, deeply personalised and data-driven approach, rather than a “spray and pray” mass outreach, can transform outbound lead generation and build a reliable business pipeline.
Real-Time Campaign Results Dashboard
About Katalyst
Katalyst is a restaurant-technology company offering a modern, unified point-of-sale (POS) and operations platform, from mobile and iPad POS to kitchen display, online ordering, loyalty, reservations and multi-location management. It is designed by restaurateurs for restaurateurs.
The Problem
Before working with StartHQ, Katalyst had already experimented with a variety of lead generation providers and techniques, however:
- None delivered a strong or consistent return on investment
- Outreach often resulted in low-quality leads with little engagement
- They couldn’t reliably scale their new business pipeline
In short – they needed an outbound lead generation solution that would consistently deliver clients, not just contacts.
Working with StartHQ
Katalyst ultimately chose StartHQ due to our unique combination of:
- a custom-built AI lead generation platform capable of deep company research and crafting hyper-personalised messages, and
- our hands-on expertise in building scalable, effective pipelines for B2B software businesses.
We began by understanding exactly who Katalyst were trying to reach, their ideal customers, decision making personas, market pain points, and product differentiators. With that foundation, we iterated on messaging tone and structure, calls to action, segmentation criteria, and outreach strategy.
Once the strategy was locked in, we configured the system: trained our AI models on Katalyst’s value proposition and target market; verified lead data and cleaned their existing lists; and set up warmed, safe outbound domains and inboxes to protect Katalyst’s domain reputation.
From kick-off to live campaign took around three weeks, enabling them to begin scaling outreach quickly without distracting their internal team.
The Results
The campaign delivered significantly better results than previous lead generation efforts Katalyst had tried. Within three months:
- They closed several pieces of new business directly attributed to leads generated through our outreach.
- The response and engagement rates far exceeded previous attempts, giving them a steady stream of qualified prospects.
- They evaluated the ROI and concluded that this approach was more cost-effective and scalable than prior methods, enough that they converted StartHQ into a long-term business partner.
Today, StartHQ is a core component of Katalyst’s lead generation and growth strategy.
Why this worked
- Deep personalization over mass-mailing: Instead of generic or templated outreach, every message was tailored to the recipient’s context, role and likely challenges, making them far more likely to respond.
- Quality lead sourcing: We ensured the contact data quality remained high, reducing wasted outreach.
- Rapid, managed launch: With our AI infrastructure and campaign setup process, Katalyst saw results fast – no long lead-time or internal bandwidth drain.
- Ongoing partnership mindset: We didn’t just hand over a list, we partnered with Katalyst to refine messaging, optimise targeting, and embed the campaign into their long-term go-to-market strategy.