Question 1

What types of companies do you work with?

Accepted Answer

We specialize in serving fast-growing, under-followed companies throughout North America and Asia—both public and private—typically in the small-cap to mid-cap range. Our ideal clients are companies with market caps between $25M and $2B that are seeking to expand their institutional investor base, attract greater retail investor attention, improve their market valuation, or prepare for significant corporate events like IPOs, secondary offerings, or strategic transactions. We work across all industries, with particular expertise in technology, energy, casino gaming, mining, and industrial sectors.

Question 2

How is Strategic IR different from other IR firms?

Accepted Answer

Strategic IR delivers the '200% value proposition'—we provide bespoke, full-service investor relations with the personal attention and strategic thinking of a boutique firm, combined with the Wall Street access and institutional relationships of a larger agency. With over 20 years of experience, our founder Matthew Abenante brings deep expertise as an IRC credential holder and Fordham Masters graduate. Unlike firms that simply execute tactics, we become true strategic partners, integrating ourselves into your team to drive measurable results in shareholder engagement, institutional ownership, and market valuation.

Question 3

What does 'bespoke IR solutions' mean?

Accepted Answer

We don't believe in one-size-fits-all approaches. Every company faces unique challenges, opportunities, and market dynamics. Our bespoke solutions mean we conduct thorough analysis of your current situation, competitive positioning, and strategic objectives before designing a customized IR program. This includes tailored investor targeting, customized messaging and materials, personalized outreach strategies, and flexible service packages that align with your specific needs and budget—not a pre-packaged program we sell to everyone.

Question 4

Do you work with private companies preparing to go public?

Accepted Answer

Yes, we have extensive experience helping private companies prepare for IPOs and public market transitions. Our pre-IPO services include investor relations infrastructure development, investment story refinement, investor presentation creation, management team coaching, roadshow preparation, and building relationships with potential institutional investors. We help ensure you're fully prepared for the demands of being a public company before your first day of trading.

Question 5

What services are included in your IR programs?

Accepted Answer

Our comprehensive IR programs typically include: strategic IR planning and counsel, investor targeting and database management, proactive investor outreach and relationship management, earnings call preparation and script writing, investor presentation development and updates, press release drafting and distribution, investor website content and maintenance, conference and non-deal roadshow coordination, crisis communications support, competitive intelligence and peer analysis, shareholder composition analysis, and regular performance reporting. We customize the service mix based on your specific needs and priorities.

Question 6

How do you approach investor targeting?

Accepted Answer

We use a data-driven, highly targeted approach to identify the right investors for your company. This includes analyzing your business model, growth trajectory, and financial profile to identify institutional investors with relevant investment mandates, examining peer company shareholder bases to find investors with demonstrated interest in your sector, leveraging our proprietary database and Wall Street relationships to access decision-makers, and conducting ongoing research to identify emerging investors and changing investment themes. Quality always trumps quantity—we focus on finding the right 50-100 institutional investors rather than blasting thousands with generic outreach.

Question 7

What is your typical engagement model?

Accepted Answer

We offer flexible engagement models to suit different company needs and stages. Most clients engage us on a monthly retainer basis, which provides ongoing strategic counsel and consistent execution. Retainer engagements typically run 12-24 months initially, with the option to continue or adjust based on results and evolving needs. We also offer project-based engagements for specific initiatives like IPO preparation, activist defense, or major corporate events. For companies with budget constraints, we can structure hybrid models that combine retainer services with success-based components tied to measurable outcomes.

Question 8

How hands-on is your approach?

Accepted Answer

We're extremely hands-on and become an extension of your team. Unlike firms that operate at arm's length, we integrate deeply into your organization. This means regular communication with your CEO and CFO, participation in strategic planning discussions, attendance at board meetings when appropriate, direct coordination with your legal counsel and investment bankers, and real-time responsiveness to market events and opportunities. You'll have direct access to our senior leadership—not junior staff—and we're available whenever you need strategic guidance or tactical support.

Question 9

How much do your services cost?

Accepted Answer

Our fees vary based on company size, complexity, and scope of services required. Monthly retainers for comprehensive IR programs typically range from $8,000 to $20,000 per month for small-cap companies, with larger companies and more complex situations at the higher end. Project-based engagements are quoted individually based on scope and timeline. We're transparent about pricing and work with you to structure an engagement that delivers maximum value within your budget. Many clients find that the market cap appreciation and improved access to capital we facilitate far exceeds the investment in professional IR services.

Question 10

What kind of ROI can we expect?

Accepted Answer

While we can't guarantee specific stock price outcomes, our track record speaks for itself. Our case studies show an average trading volume increase of 320%, an average of 12 new institutional investors per engagement, and average price appreciation of 132% over engagement periods of 18-30 months. More importantly, clients consistently report improved access to capital, stronger relationships with the investment community, better valuation multiples relative to peers, and enhanced credibility with stakeholders. The real ROI comes from sustainable improvements in market perception and institutional support that compound over time.

Question 11

Do you offer performance-based pricing?

Accepted Answer

We can incorporate performance-based components into our fee structure for the right situations. However, we believe the foundation should always be a retainer that ensures we can provide consistent, high-quality strategic counsel regardless of short-term market fluctuations. Performance components might be tied to measurable outcomes like new institutional investor additions, trading volume improvements, successful capital raises, or achievement of specific IR program milestones. We're happy to discuss creative fee structures that align our incentives with your success.

Question 12

Is there a minimum engagement period?

Accepted Answer

We typically recommend a minimum 12-month engagement for comprehensive IR programs. Effective investor relations is a marathon, not a sprint—building institutional relationships, shifting market perception, and achieving sustainable results takes time. That said, we understand different situations have different timelines. For project-based work like IPO preparation or specific event support, engagements can be shorter. We're flexible and focused on delivering value, not locking clients into long-term contracts that don't serve their interests.

Question 13

What does the onboarding process look like?

Accepted Answer

Our onboarding is thorough and strategic. Week 1: We conduct deep-dive sessions with your management team, review all relevant materials, and begin competitive analysis. Week 2-3: We develop your customized IR strategy, refine your investment thesis, and create initial investor targeting lists. Week 4: We present our strategic plan, finalize messaging and materials, and begin initial investor outreach. Throughout this process, we're learning your business, understanding your goals, and building the foundation for a successful long-term partnership. Most clients are impressed by how quickly we get up to speed and begin delivering value.

Question 14

How quickly will we see results?

Accepted Answer

You'll see activity and progress immediately—updated materials, strategic plans, and investor outreach begin within the first month. However, meaningful market results typically emerge over 6-12 months as relationships develop, awareness builds, and institutional investors complete their research and investment processes. Early wins might include increased inbound investor interest, improved earnings call participation, or successful investor meetings. Longer-term results like new institutional positions, improved trading volume, and valuation re-rating typically manifest over 12-24 months. We provide regular reporting so you can track progress against objectives throughout the engagement.

Question 15

How much time will this require from our management team?

Accepted Answer

We're designed to be efficient with your time while maximizing impact. Initial onboarding requires more involvement—typically 10-15 hours over the first month for deep-dive sessions, material review, and strategy development. Ongoing, expect 3-5 hours per month for regular check-ins, earnings preparation, and investor meeting participation. We handle the heavy lifting of research, outreach, coordination, and execution. When investor meetings are scheduled, we prepare you thoroughly with briefing materials and attend meetings with you. Our goal is to multiply your effectiveness, not add to your burden.

Question 16

What happens at the end of an engagement?

Accepted Answer

We hope our engagements evolve into long-term partnerships, but we understand situations change. At the end of a contracted period, we provide a comprehensive review of results achieved, progress against objectives, and recommendations for next steps. If you choose to continue, we refine the strategy and service mix based on learnings and evolving needs. If you decide to transition IR in-house or to another provider, we ensure a smooth handoff with complete documentation, database transfers, and knowledge transfer. Many clients who initially engage us for specific projects end up retaining us for ongoing strategic counsel because of the value we deliver.

Question 17

Can you guarantee our stock price will increase?

Accepted Answer

No reputable IR firm can or should guarantee stock price outcomes—too many factors beyond IR influence stock prices, including overall market conditions, sector trends, company performance, and macroeconomic factors. What we can commit to is executing a best-in-class IR program that maximizes your visibility, builds institutional relationships, improves your market positioning, and creates the conditions for valuation improvement. Our track record shows that companies with professional IR programs consistently outperform those without, but we focus on controllable inputs and measurable IR metrics rather than making unrealistic promises about stock price.

Question 18

What metrics do you use to measure success?

Accepted Answer

We track both quantitative and qualitative metrics. Quantitative: number of institutional investor meetings, new institutional positions added, trading volume trends, earnings call participation, website traffic and engagement, and media/analyst coverage. Qualitative: quality of investor feedback, strength of institutional relationships, management team confidence and capability, market perception shifts, and competitive positioning improvements. We provide regular reporting on these metrics and work with you to establish clear, measurable objectives at the start of the engagement. Success looks different for every company, so we customize our measurement approach to your specific goals.

Question 19

What if we're not satisfied with the results?

Accepted Answer

Client satisfaction is our top priority. We maintain open communication throughout the engagement and address concerns immediately when they arise. If you're not satisfied, we first want to understand why and what we can do differently. Often, adjustments to strategy, service mix, or communication can get things back on track. If fundamental misalignment exists, we're willing to discuss early termination options—we'd rather part ways professionally than continue an engagement that's not working. That said, dissatisfaction is rare because we're selective about clients we take on, set realistic expectations upfront, and deliver on our commitments.

Question 20

Do you have references or case studies we can review?

Accepted Answer

Yes, we have extensive case studies demonstrating our track record across different industries and company situations. Due to confidentiality agreements, many details are anonymized, but we can share specific results and outcomes. We're also happy to provide references from current and former clients who can speak to their experience working with us. During the proposal process, we typically share 3-5 relevant case studies and can arrange reference calls with clients in similar situations to yours. Our Success Stories page on this website provides detailed examples of results we've achieved.

Frequently Asked Questions

Getting Started

Services & Approach

Pricing & Investment

Process & Timeline

Results & Expectations

Still Have Questions?

Get IR Insights Delivered