🔥 Case Study · Hammerhead
300%+ Growth in a Year,
Then a Successful
Exit.
Hammerhead, the VC-backed startup behind the Karoo cycling computer, needed to win a global category dominated by giants. We ran worldwide Meta ad campaigns that grew the business over 300% in a single year — building the scalable growth engine that helped carry Hammerhead to a successful sale and exit.
"First Spark is like a creative director meets CFO. They took over our creative production and media buying strategy and 10x'd our business in 2 years."
Todd Steinberg, Komuso
🔥 Case Study · Hammerhead
300%+ Growth in a Year,
Then a Successful
Exit.
Hammerhead, the VC-backed startup behind the Karoo cycling computer, needed to win a global category dominated by giants. We ran worldwide Meta ad campaigns that grew the business over 300% in a single year — building the scalable growth engine that helped carry Hammerhead to a successful sale and exit.
"First Spark is like a creative director meets CFO. They took over our creative production and media buying strategy and 10x'd our business in 2 years."
Todd Steinberg, Komuso
🔥 Case Study · Hammerhead
300%+ Growth in a Year,
Then a Successful
Exit.
Hammerhead, the VC-backed startup behind the Karoo cycling computer, needed to win a global category dominated by giants. We ran worldwide Meta ad campaigns that grew the business over 300% in a single year — building the scalable growth engine that helped carry Hammerhead to a successful sale and exit.
"First Spark is like a creative director meets CFO. They took over our creative production and media buying strategy and 10x'd our business in 2 years."
Todd Steinberg, Komuso
The Challenge
Great Product. A Category to Win.
The Karoo was an award-winning cycling computer — but a great product alone doesn't win a global market held by giants. As a VC-backed startup, Hammerhead needed to scale demand worldwide, fast, and profitably.
A startup racing to scale
As a VC-backed company, Hammerhead needed real, fast, fundable growth — not just awareness. Every dollar of ad spend had to build a scalable engine investors and acquirers could believe in.
A category owned by giants
The cycling-computer market was dominated by entrenched incumbents. To win, Hammerhead had to reach serious cyclists worldwide and convert them to a challenger brand.
A considered, premium purchase
The Karoo is a high-consideration, premium-priced device. Selling it at scale meant creative that could earn trust and drive demand across very different global markets.
The Strategy
Worldwide Meta Campaigns Built to Scale Fast
Winning a global category means going where the riders are. We built and scaled worldwide Meta campaigns with performance creative tuned to serious cyclists — turning paid social into a growth engine that could carry a startup to exit.
01
Worldwide Meta ad campaigns
We took Hammerhead beyond its home market with worldwide Meta (Facebook & Instagram) campaigns — reaching road, gravel, and MTB cyclists across global markets and building demand for the Karoo everywhere the sport is ridden.
02
Performance creative for a premium purchase
We engineered creative built to sell a considered, high-AOV device — hooks, motivators, and proof tuned to what serious cyclists actually care about, so paid social could convert at scale.
03
A growth engine built to scale — and sell
We scaled spend profitably into a predictable acquisition engine, driving 300%+ year-over-year growth and strengthening the trajectory that helped carry Hammerhead to a successful acquisition.
The Results
300%+ Growth — and a Successful Exit
300%+
year-over-year business growth, driven by worldwide Meta ad campaigns.
Source: First Spark Digital × Hammerhead, worldwide Meta campaigns, one-year growth.
Worldwide demand
Global Meta campaigns put the Karoo on handlebars around the world — expanding the brand well beyond its home market into a truly international audience of cyclists.
A fundable growth engine
Predictable, scalable paid acquisition gave the startup a growth story with real momentum — the kind of trajectory that attracts investment and acquisition interest.
A successful exit
The growth we drove helped carry Hammerhead to a successful sale — the startup was acquired, delivering the outcome every VC-backed founder is working toward.
Ready to Ignite Growth?
Don't Let Your Growth
Fizzle Out
Schedule your free Marketing Roadmap and Diagnostic Spark audit today and discover how The First Spark Growth System can propel your business to new heights.
Let's Build Your Growth Engine
Whether you're a DTC brand pushing toward 8-figures and looking to grow profitable pipeline, we'll create a custom roadmap that delivers real business results.
Ready to Ignite Growth?
Don't Let Your Growth
Fizzle Out
Schedule your free Marketing Roadmap and Diagnostic Spark audit today and discover how The First Spark Growth System can propel your business to new heights.
Let's Build Your Growth Engine
Whether you're a DTC brand pushing toward 8-figures and looking to grow profitable pipeline, we'll create a custom roadmap that delivers real business results.
Ready to Ignite Growth?
Don't Let Your Growth
Fizzle Out
Schedule your free Marketing Roadmap and Diagnostic Spark audit today and discover how The First Spark Growth System can propel your business to new heights.
Let's Build Your Growth Engine
Whether you're a DTC brand pushing toward 8-figures and looking to grow profitable pipeline, we'll create a custom roadmap that delivers real business results.