Almabase Case Study
Almabase partnered with CIENCE to run orchestrated outbound email campaigns targeting U.S. educational institutions with small advancement teams. CIENCE delivered over 19,000 emails and achieved an 8%+ response rate — more than triple the 1-3% industry average. The campaign generated qualified meetings that converted to closed deals for Almabase's alumni management software.
Last updated: April 2026 — Information Technology & Services case study featuring Almabase's results with CIENCE.
From Kalyan Varma, Co-Founder & CEO: "They have produced consistent results for us over the last few months. I would recommend it to any company trying to do outreach at a reasonably high volume – at least 100 people per week."
Outbound Email Marketing
How CIENCE Conducts Orchestrated Outbound Campaigns For Almabase
About Almabase
Almabase is an all-in-one alumni management software for schools.
It helps build an online community for alumni to increase engagement and drive more donations. Instead of having separate tools for email marketing, event registrations, alumni directory, and an alumni website, Almabase is a one-stop, alumni management software.
With seamless integrations to most alumni databases, Almabase is easy to add to systems without disturbing current processes. Hundreds of advancement teams are using Almabase’s alumni management software to improve engagement and drive more donations.
Almabase creates an exclusive space for alumni to find, connect, and network with each other for professional and social reasons. Imagine the good old directory being supercharged with real-time information of alumni from Facebook and LinkedIn. Almabase lets alumni management easily create events of any type in no time – reunions, homecomings, or chapter meet-ups.
Kalyan Varma
Co-Founder & CEO
Industry
Information Technology & Services
Website
Challenges & Scope
ICP: U.S. educational institutions with advancement teams of fewer than 10 people
Product: One software to manage an entire alumni program
CIENCE Technologies coordinates the outbound marketing efforts for Almabase, conducting cold-email campaigns.
Why CIENCE
“I would recommend it to any company trying to do outreach at a reasonably high volume.” – Kalyan Varma, Co-Founder & CEO.
Almabase initially chose to work with CIENCE because they offered a competitive price for outbound sales efforts.CIENCE conducted orchestrated outbound campaigns linked to HubSpot, Almabase’s marketing automation platform, so qualified prospects could schedule meetings directly with their sales team.
“They provided the service we needed at a price that we were comfortable paying_,_” says Kalyan Varma. “Our account manager and SDR do a weekly review with stats from the last week, some sample conversations, etc. This is extremely helpful to stay on top of what’s happening.”
Results
Almabase and CIENCE first partnered in October 2018. Almabase was looking for supplemental sales development assistance at the right price. “Most US-based SDR agencies are at least 3x the cost,” says Varma.
CIENCE delivered over 19,000 emails and received a response rate of over 8%, well over the industry average of 1-3%. Almabase saw an increase in meetings with qualified leads that ultimately resulted in closed deals.
Varma declares, “They have produced consistent results for us over the last few months. I would recommend it to any company trying to do outreach at a reasonably high volume – at least 100 people per week.”
Frequently Asked Questions
What results did Almabase achieve with CIENCE’s outbound email campaigns?
CIENCE delivered over 19,000 emails on behalf of Almabase and achieved a response rate of over 8%, compared to the industry average of 1-3%. The campaign generated an increase in meetings with qualified leads that ultimately resulted in closed deals for Almabase’s alumni management software platform.
Why did Almabase choose CIENCE for outbound sales development?
Almabase selected CIENCE primarily because of its competitive pricing relative to other U.S.-based SDR agencies, which Almabase’s Co-Founder Kalyan Varma noted were typically at least three times the cost. CIENCE also offered HubSpot integration, allowing qualified prospects to schedule meetings directly with the Almabase sales team.
What was the scope of CIENCE’s work for Almabase?
CIENCE conducted orchestrated outbound cold-email campaigns targeting U.S. educational institutions with advancement teams of fewer than 10 people. The engagement included weekly reviews with the account manager and SDR covering performance stats and sample conversations, providing Almabase with ongoing visibility into campaign activity.
How does CIENCE’s outbound email service compare to industry benchmarks for campaigns like Almabase’s?
The standard industry response rate for cold outbound email is 1-3%. CIENCE’s campaign for Almabase exceeded 8%, delivering more than double the upper end of the typical benchmark. This performance level supported Almabase’s goal of reaching at least 100 new prospects per week through a cost-effective outbound model.
CIENCE SDR Services Are Now Pass-Through
Since this case study was published, CIENCE's SDR model has changed significantly. SDR services are now offered through the SDR Marketplace — a transparent, no-markup model. There's no management fee on top of SDR compensation. Organizations can hire and onboard vetted SDRs through CIENCE, then take full ownership of those reps at any time without fees or lock-in. SDRs are set up in the graph8 Platform ($499/month) from day one, so the full automation stack is already in place when they start.
Learn how the SDR Marketplace works →The full graph8 Platform — everything in one subscription:
graph8 Platform — $499/mo
Voice AI, Live Dialer, Campaign Builder, Intent Signals, Visitor ID, 250M+ contacts, and 10+ apps. Unlimited users. No contracts.
See the platform →SDR Marketplace
Hire vetted SDRs with no markup on compensation. CIENCE handles sourcing and platform setup. Your org takes full ownership — no fees.
Learn about SDR Marketplace →GTM Pods
SDRs + graph8 automation as a complete outbound package. Campaign strategy, sequencing, enrichment, and dialer — fully operational from day one.
See GTM Pods →CIENCE Data Research
Custom contact research for specific ICPs and personas — with 99.9% effective accuracy. Now powered by graph8's 250M+ verified contact database.
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