Why the U.S.? Why Now?
Expanding into the U.S. is more than a growth move—it's a strategic leap. The market is bigger, faster, and more competitive. But for European founders, it's often misunderstood.
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A credible U.S. footprint signals global ambition and maturity to venture capital and growth investors
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The U.S. opens doors to a broader, more aggressive funding landscape
We help you get it right the first time.
Open new revenue streams in the world’s most dynamic economy
Build a global brand that attracts investors and talent
Avoid the common mistakes that sink international expansion
Translate your European traction into U.S. growth
What We Offer
U.S. Expansion Readiness Sprint
A 30-day strategic deep dive to co-create your US GTM plan - including partnerships, hiring strategy, sales and marketing approach —customized for your business.
Ongoing Strategic Advisory
Monthly retainer-based relationships providing high-trust, founder-first guidance on every step of your U.S. journey.
Advisory Board Strategy & Creation
We help you design, staff, and activate a growth-focused advisory board to boost credibility, open doors, and accelerate execution.
What Success Looks Like
While every founder’s journey is different, here are the kinds of outcomes our clients aim for—and we help them build toward:
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Land their first U.S. customer in months, not years
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Avoid costly hiring mistakes with smart org planning
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Tailor their messaging to resonate with U.S. buyers
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Build investor confidence with a credible U.S. narrative
Why Catalysta?
We’re not consultants. We’re founder-level advisors who’ve been in your shoes—and across your markets.
We help you bridge the transatlantic gap—combining deep insight into European scale-up dynamics with a sharp understanding of what it takes to win in U.S. capital markets.
Our approach is different by design:
FOUNDER-LED THINKING
We’ve built and scaled companies ourselves. We know the pressure, the ambiguity, and the stakes.
AMERICAN INSIGHT, EUROPEAN PERSPECTIVE
We’re U.S. natives based in Europe. That means we understand your home market *and* your target one—culturally, operationally, and commercially.
GLOBAL STRATEGY,CROSS-SECTOR DEPTH
We’ve worked across SaaS, AI, retail, and fintech, bringing hard-won insights from 50+ markets—including Asia and Latin America—and some of the world’s most respected brands. Our experience across these diverse markets gives us a rare global lens on how to localize, scale, and adapt across cultural and operational contexts.
STRATEGIC ACCESS
Through our advisory roles, board memberships, and networks (including Harvard Alumni Entrepreneurs), we open the right doors—fast.
SELECTIVE AND HANDS-ON
We only work with a few companies at a time, so you always get senior attention and real results.
FOUNDER-LED THINKING
AMERICAN INSIGHT, EUROPEAN PERSPECTIVE
GLOBAL STRATEGY,
CROSS-SECTOR DEPTH
STRATEGIC ACCESS
SELECTIVE AND HANDS-ON
We’ve built and scaled companies ourselves. We know the pressure, the ambiguity, and the stakes.
We’re U.S. natives based in Europe. That means we understand your home market *and* your target one—culturally, operationally, and commercially.
We’ve worked across SaaS, AI, retail, and fintech, bringing hard-won insights from 50+ markets—including Asia and Latin America—and some of the world’s most respected brands. Our experience across these diverse markets gives us a rare global lens on how to localize, scale, and adapt across cultural and operational contexts.
Through our advisory roles, board memberships, and networks (including Harvard Alumni Entrepreneurs), we open the right doors—fast.
We only work with a few companies at a time, so you always get senior attention and real results.
VCs & Investors
We collaborate with venture firms and board members who want to help their portfolio companies scale internationally—without wasting time or capital. Good governance is a hallmark of investor-ready leadership, and we work closely with founders and investors to design effective advisory boards, recruit expert board members, and create board structures that align with long-term growth strategy and capital efficiency.
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We de-risk U.S. expansion through clear GTM, organizational design, and founder support
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We accelerate traction and strengthen investor confidence
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We’ve been brought in by funds who understand the cost of getting the U.S. wrong
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Want to explore how we support portfolio companies?
Who We Work With
Catalysta is a fit for:
Series A/B+ stage companies preparing for their first U.S. market entry
European B2B tech founders with product-market fit and VC funding
Teams ready to make U.S. expansion a strategic priority
Founders who want experienced guidance, not theory or slide decks
We take on a limited number of clients per quarter to ensure focus and high-touch support.
Meet the Founders
We are a multilingual, multicultural team with extensive hands-on experience working with top companies across the U.S., Asia, Latin America, and Europe. This diversity gives us a deep understanding of market-specific challenges and cultural nuances, helping us navigate complex environments effectively. Our unique blend of global expertise and local insight allows us to spot opportunities others miss and execute with precision.
Partner
Philip Guarino
With 25+ years of C-suite experience in more than 50 countries, Philip has worked as an executive, entrepreneur, consultant & advisor across multiple industries. He has been instrumental in building and scaling new businesses and across geographies, working with C-level executives to define & execute strategies that drive growth and transformation.
Philip Guarino
A Harvard and Wharton-educated strategist, serial entrepreneur, and board-level advisor with 25+ years’ experience working across 50+ markets. Philip has founded multiple ventures, served as a trusted advisor to high-growth tech companies in SaaS, AI, and the future-of-work, and is a board member of Harvard Alumni Entrepreneurs, a global network of 20,000+ founders and investors. He also hosts the *HAE Invites* podcast, where he interviews top global founders and investors.
Renee Hartmann
A global brand strategist, serial entrepreneur, and co-author of a best-selling book on Chinese consumers. Named a Top Retail Expert by RETHINK Retail, Renee brings 25+ years of experience helping scale-ups and global brands enter new markets, localize with confidence, and innovate for the future. She has founded and grown companies internationally, and advised retail, technology, and consumer ventures on how to build enduring, global-ready businesses.
Together, we bring cross-sector experience, long-term perspective, founder empathy, and cross-cultural fluency to the table.
Social Proof
"Catalysta helped us land our first U.S. client in under 90 days. Their strategic clarity and network made all the difference."
— Series A SaaS Founder, Berlin
"They challenge you like co-founders. Smart, fast, and no fluff."
— COO, Fintech Scale-Up
Podcast
🎙️ Scaleup Stories: Europe
Conversations with Europe’s most ambitious founders on growth, expansion, and crossing the Atlantic. Hosted by Catalysta.
Partner
Philip Guarino
With 25+ years of C-suite experience in more than 50 countries, Philip has worked as an executive, entrepreneur, consultant & advisor across multiple industries. He has been instrumental in building and scaling new businesses and across geographies, working with C-level executives to define & execute strategies that drive growth and transformation.
Partner
Renee Hartmann
An American living in Portugal, Renee brings 25+ years of experience in the consumer brand and retail sector, advising start-ups and scale-ups on strategic growth, branding, marketing, go to market, and expansion. She helps leading companies to expand globally, build enduring brands, adopt new technology, and innovate for the future.