K2MATCH

Catalyst Program

🚀 Introducing the Catalyst program: helping startups fast-track growth & investment readiness

At K2Match, we know that founders often need more than just a platform to connect with investors.

They need:

  • Consistent Guidance

  • Accountability

  • Right preparation to stand out.

We help founders focus on what truly moves the needle

Too many founders lose time on the wrong things, enter investor conversations unprepared, or miss opportunities because they didn’t have the right guidance.

A proven path to strategy, funding, and growth

That’s why we’ve launched the Catalyst program — a 6-month journey designed to help startups sharpen their growth strategies, get investment-ready or improve their deal rate, and secure the right connections faster.

What does the Catalyst program include exactly?

The program is very hands-on and individually tailored — it’s not a mass program. Startups get bi-weekly check-ins (40 minutes every 2 weeks) with our experienced leadership team. In these sessions, we track progress, provide guidance, and make sure founders keep momentum.

It’s not just calls, though. Between sessions, startups receive practical homework, templates, and actionable feedback to work on critical areas like their ideal customer profile (ICP), go-to-market roadmap, traction metrics, and pitch refinement.

We also keep their updates documented so we can connect them with the most relevant investors at the right time and fast-track them into our exclusive investor events, such as Monaco.

FAQ

  • The Catalyst Program is designed for early-stage startups (pre-seed, seed, Series A) that are:

    ·      Preparing to raise investment.

    ·      Looking to accelerate their go-to-market execution.

    ·      Seeking structured guidance, accountability, and visibility with investors.

    If you are ready for honest, practical feedback and want to fast-track investor readiness, this program is for you.

  • Three main reasons: focus, visibility, and access.

    ·      Focus: Startups often lose momentum because they get stuck in daily operations. Catalyst provides consistent support, keeps them on track, and ensures they leave each session with tangible next steps.

    ·      Visibility: Investor profiles stay updated in real-time, allowing us to make tailored introductions at the right stage. We match startups with investors when they are ready, ensuring higher-quality and more meaningful connections during fundraising!

    ·      Access: Participation doesn’t stop at investors. We actively look for opportunities to connect startups with corporates, government bodies, and other ecosystem stakeholders who can help them grow.

    And there’s another important benefit: if we spot a critical weak spot — for example in financial planning, tech, or operations — we’ll point it out directly. If desired, we can also connect startups to topic experts for additional, specialized coaching.

  • The Catalyst program runs on a rolling basis. Startups can join at any time, and the program lasts for 6 months from the start date.

  • The sessions are run by K2Match’s experienced leadership team, including myself as the lead. Our team combines backgrounds as founders, investors, and growth experts, giving startups a broad perspective on their business and fundraising journey. You will get direct, practical guidance from people who have sat on both sides of the table.

  • The Catalyst program has a flat fee of €490 per startup for 6 months, which is added on top of the standard K2Match platform fee. It’s founder-friendly pricing that reflects our mission: to help startups not only connect with investors, but also succeed with them.

Rita is a 2x founder, angel investor, and startup mentor with deep expertise in growth strategies, go-to-market execution, and early-stage sales. She has worked hands-on with 20+ startups in operational leadership roles and guided 150+ founders across the globe through incubators, accelerators, and international startup programs.

With a background as startup founder, Programs Managing Director at Startup Wise Guys and in digital venture building at BCG, Rita brings a unique mix of entrepreneurial and corporate experience. Her passion lies in helping founders design scalable growth engines, sharpen their positioning, and achieve investor readiness.

As a founders’ coach, Rita is known for being direct and results-driven, pushing teams to move faster and think sharper. She is not afraid to get involved on the operational level — from refining ICPs to hands-on growth activities — ensuring founders don’t just build strategy but actually execute on it.

👉 If you are serious about becoming investment-ready and want to get into the right rooms faster:

About Rita Katona

Catalyst Program Lead