Discover High-Quality Leads in Seconds with Openmart
What Is Openmart?
Openmart, founded in 2023 by Kathryn Wu and Richard He, is an AI-driven platform designed to revolutionize the way sales professionals query business data. Positioned as an alternative to ZoomInfo, Openmart aims to help startups and businesses easily discover highly targeted local business leads. By leveraging millions of unstructured data points from websites, reviews, and social media, Openmart provides a more efficient and cost-effective solution for finding and filtering small and medium-sized business (SMB) leads.
Who Are the Founders of Openmart?
Richard He: The AI Innovator
Richard He is a seasoned software engineer with a background in developing large language models (LLM) and AI agents. Before co-founding Openmart, he was a senior software engineer at Cruise and a founding engineer at Graft, an LLM infrastructure startup backed by GV and NEA. Richard's notable contributions include his work on Langchain and the creation of the AI agent "Chrome-GPT," which gained significant attention on GitHub.
Kathryn Wu: The Growth Strategist
Kathryn Wu brings a wealth of experience in growth and go-to-market (GTM) strategies. She studied computer science at UC Berkeley and has led various growth teams at Pinterest. As the first product manager at Databento, Kathryn played a pivotal role in expanding the team from 8 to 35 members and scaling revenue from zero to one. Her impactful contributions earned her a spot on the Women in Fintech Power list in 2022.
What Challenges Does Openmart Address?
Difficulty in Finding SMB Leads
One of the primary challenges identified by Kathryn and Richard during their interactions with sales teams from various startups is the difficulty in finding SMB leads. Traditional methods involve searching through platforms like Google Maps, Yelp, and Yellow Pages, which is often time-consuming and inefficient. Additionally, companies like ZoomInfo charge exorbitant fees, making it inaccessible for many startups.
Inefficiency in Filtering Leads
Even after obtaining a list of leads, sales teams often spend days manually researching each lead to determine its relevance. This inefficiency in filtering leads hampers productivity and delays the sales process. Openmart addresses this by automating the filtering process, allowing sales teams to focus on high-quality leads.
How Does Openmart Provide a Solution?
Advanced Search Capabilities
Openmart offers a comprehensive database of over 1 million SMBs and retailers. Sales professionals can use the platform to search for businesses where competitors are selling their products, review store locators, and identify potential leads. For instance, a sales director at an aesthetic device startup can use Openmart to find places selling older versions of aesthetic devices, making it easier to target potential customers for upgrades.
AI-Driven Lead Generation
By leveraging AI, Openmart can provide a list of high-quality retailers and SMB leads in seconds, significantly reducing the time spent on manual research. The platform's AI agent can even provide detailed insights, such as whether a bar has a jukebox, helping sales teams tailor their pitches more effectively.
What Makes Openmart Stand Out?
Cost-Effective Alternative
Unlike ZoomInfo, which can cost upwards of $50,000 a year for an account, Openmart offers a more affordable solution without compromising on the quality of data. This makes it an attractive option for startups and small businesses with limited budgets.
User-Friendly Interface
Openmart's intuitive interface makes it easy for sales professionals to navigate the platform and extract the information they need. The AI-powered search and filtering capabilities enhance user experience by providing quick and accurate results.
Active Founders with Proven Track Records
The active involvement of Kathryn and Richard in the day-to-day operations of Openmart ensures that the platform continuously evolves to meet the needs of its users. Their combined expertise in AI development and growth strategies positions Openmart for sustained success and innovation.
How Did Kathryn and Richard's Journey Lead to Openmart?
Meeting at Pinterest
Kathryn and Richard first crossed paths at Pinterest in 2019, where they both worked on high-growth SaaS startups. Their mutual passion for innovation and problem-solving laid the foundation for their strong professional relationship.
Joining Seed-Stage Startups
After their stint at Pinterest, both Kathryn and Richard joined seed-stage startups, further honing their skills and gaining valuable insights into the challenges faced by sales teams. Richard's work on LLM and AI agents before the advent of ChatGPT, and Kathryn's success in driving revenue growth, provided them with the perfect blend of technical and strategic expertise.
What Are Openmart's Key Features?
Extensive Database
Openmart's database comprises over 1 million SMBs and retailers, making it one of the most comprehensive resources for sales professionals. The platform aggregates data from various sources, including websites, reviews, and social media, to provide a holistic view of potential leads.
AI-Powered Insights
The AI agent integrated into Openmart offers detailed insights into each lead, helping sales teams make informed decisions. For example, the AI can determine specific attributes of a business, such as the presence of certain equipment or services, enabling more targeted sales strategies.
Customizable Search Filters
Openmart allows users to customize their search filters based on specific criteria, such as location, industry, and business size. This customization ensures that sales teams can quickly identify leads that match their ideal customer profile.
What Are the Future Plans for Openmart?
Expanding the Database
Kathryn and Richard plan to continuously expand Openmart's database to include more SMBs and retailers from different regions and industries. This expansion will enhance the platform's value proposition and attract a broader user base.
Enhancing AI Capabilities
Future updates to Openmart will focus on enhancing the AI capabilities to provide even more accurate and actionable insights. This includes improving the natural language processing (NLP) algorithms and incorporating machine learning techniques to predict lead quality and sales potential.
Building Strategic Partnerships
To further accelerate growth, Openmart aims to build strategic partnerships with industry leaders and technology providers. These partnerships will help integrate additional data sources into the platform and offer users even more comprehensive insights.
Why Should Businesses Choose Openmart?
Efficiency and Accuracy
Openmart streamlines the lead generation process by automating the search and filtering tasks, allowing sales teams to focus on engaging with high-quality leads. The platform's AI-driven insights ensure that businesses can make data-informed decisions quickly and accurately.
Affordability
By offering a cost-effective alternative to traditional lead generation platforms like ZoomInfo, Openmart makes advanced sales tools accessible to startups and small businesses. This affordability democratizes access to valuable business data, enabling more companies to compete effectively in the market.
Continuous Improvement
The active involvement of Kathryn and Richard in the development and growth of Openmart ensures that the platform remains at the forefront of innovation. Their commitment to continuous improvement and user feedback drives the platform's evolution, making it a reliable and valuable tool for sales professionals.
How Can Sales Professionals Get Started with Openmart?
Sales professionals interested in leveraging Openmart's capabilities can sign up for the platform through the official website. The onboarding process is designed to be quick and straightforward, allowing users to start discovering high-quality leads within minutes.
In conclusion, Openmart stands out as a game-changer in the realm of lead generation, offering a powerful, AI-driven alternative to traditional platforms like ZoomInfo. With its extensive database, advanced AI capabilities, and user-friendly interface, Openmart empowers sales professionals to efficiently and effectively identify and engage with high-quality leads, driving business growth and success.