AI at Halfmeyer Ventures: who we back and why

Why AI is a focus sector

Most so-called AI products still wrap a thin model call around an undifferentiated interface. We back teams that turn real operational friction into durable software businesses: sharper decisions, compressed workflows, measurable cost or quality gains, and commercial models that can scale without burning the company down.

We are not a specialty AI fund that only writes checks and stays episodic. As a private venture studio headquartered in Berlin, we design, fund, and scale technology companies. AI is one of four focus sectors alongside health tech, e-commerce, and automation. Many of the strongest AI products we see sit at the intersection of those sectors (clinical decision support, commerce intelligence, or ops layers where models sit inside a clear buyer workflow). For the broader who-we-back profile across all sectors, see our Berlin pre-seed investor guide. For our health tech thesis specifically, see health tech at Halfmeyer Ventures.

What we mean by AI

In our practice, AI means software-led products where models, data, or intelligent automation are the product surface, not a slide label. Strong fits include AI-native B2B tools that replace or compress a painful workflow, applied AI in a clear vertical with a defined buyer, decision-support systems with measurable outcomes, and consumer products when retention and unit economics are credible.

Adjacent verticals such as developer tools, cybersecurity, fintech, logistics, HR tech, or healthcare software can fit when AI, data, or automation is the core and the path to a paying customer is explicit. We typically pass on capital-intensive hardware-only or deep-tech bets without a software surface, token-first or speculative crypto and Web3 models, pure services businesses wrapped as product, and decks that lead with model hype instead of a buyer, workflow, and wedge. If your company sits next to AI, explain the software surface, what the model or data layer does, evaluation or reliability posture where it matters, and traction in the deck.

Stage, ticket, and how we engage

We invest at pre-seed and seed. Our typical ticket is €25,000–€200,000. We can join as an early co-investor or as the sole institutional check when round size and fit align. Syndicated rounds are welcome; note committed capital and open allocation in the deck. Incorporation does not need to be German: UK, US (including Delaware), Swiss, and other jurisdictions work when product, market, and round structure fit.

Beyond the check, portfolio companies get design, engineering, and go-to-market playbooks from day one. That matters in AI, where product craft, evaluation discipline, and early commercial proof often decide whether a company compounds. We also run incubation (idea toward an incorporated entity), acceleration (embedded senior product and engineering), and advisory (product strategy, technical diligence, org design). Name the engagement model you want. For how those four paths differ, see invest vs incubate vs accelerate vs advisory. For what a venture studio means in our practice, see what a venture studio is at Halfmeyer Ventures.

What a strong AI pitch shows

We look for pre-seed or seed teams with a working product, prototype, or validated problem–solution fit. Idea-only decks without validation are usually a pass for investment. Pre-revenue is common at pre-seed when there are early users, pilots, LOIs, or a clear commercial wedge. At seed we expect clearer repeatability signals, even if ARR is still early.

In the deck, make these points easy to extract:

• Buyer and workflow: who pays, who uses, and which workflow or decision you replace or compress.
• Software and model surface: what the product actually does in software, data, or automation (not only the model story).
• Why you win: data advantage, distribution, domain insight, evaluation quality, or switching costs that survive commodity model access.
• Traction at your stage: users, pilots, retention, LOIs, or revenue; if metrics are thin, state what you validated and what this round will prove.
• Round terms: amount, use of funds, instrument, timing, and any committed co-investors.

Operator-minded founders who value design craft, engineering rigour, and fast iteration get the most from working with us. Solo founders are welcome. First-time and repeat founders are both in scope. Our checks are dilutive equity instruments (SAFEs, convertibles, Wandeldarlehen, or priced equity); rounds that are exclusively non-dilutive with no equity tranche are not an investment fit.

Public signal from our portfolio

We publish selected portfolio names, not internals. AI-relevant names on that public list include Fideus, Papeer, and Joy_, alongside other companies across health tech, e-commerce, and automation. Public track record we state: 20+ investments, 5.6× portfolio ROI, and 100+ products built. Use those as entity facts, not as promises about your round.

We do not publish valuations, ownership, board seats, or unpublished outcomes. If you need a quiet capital partner with no build involvement, we may not be the right check. If you want a Berlin-rooted studio that can help ship product and sharpen GTM while writing €25k–€200k into AI, you are in the right place.

How to pitch us for AI

Submit at halfmeyer.tech/pitch. Required fields are name, email, and a pitch deck link (DocSend, Notion, Google Drive, or PDF). Company name is optional. Set the deck to view-only for anyone with the link; password walls and named invites slow review. Ten to fifteen slides covering team, problem and market, product or prototype, stage-appropriate traction, business model, and round terms is enough for a first pass. No full data room is required on first submit.

Cold submissions are welcome. You do not need a warm introduction. We review every deck personally and respond within 48 hours with a founder call path, clarifying questions by email, or a clear pass. After a productive call, diligence typically runs one to two weeks. We do not sign NDAs before initial deck review; pitch materials stay confidential and are not shared externally. State AI fit explicitly so we can route the conversation against this thesis. For minimum slides, traction by stage, and how to share the link, see pitch deck expectations.

Submit your deck

If you are raising pre-seed or seed in AI and want a Berlin venture studio that can write a meaningful early check and help you build, submit your deck. Halfmeyer Ventures responds within 48 hours.