Automation at Halfmeyer Ventures: who we back and why

Why automation is a focus sector

Operations still break on handoffs: email, spreadsheets, ERPs, and tribal knowledge that do not compound. We back teams that turn those seams into durable software businesses with measurable time saved, fewer exceptions, auditability where it matters, and commercial models that scale with usage or outcomes rather than headcount alone. We engage early, when product craft and operator support still change the trajectory.

We are not a late-stage industrial fund that waits for multi-million ARR before engaging. As a private venture studio headquartered in Berlin, we design, fund, and scale technology companies. Automation is one of four focus sectors alongside health tech, AI, and e-commerce. Many of the strongest automation products we see sit at the intersection of those sectors (AI-assisted workflow execution, commerce ops layers, or health-adjacent admin automation). For the broader who-we-back profile across all sectors, see our Berlin pre-seed investor guide. For related theses, see AI at Halfmeyer Ventures, e-commerce at Halfmeyer Ventures, and health tech at Halfmeyer Ventures.

What we mean by automation

In our practice, automation means software-led products where the core value is reliable execution: capturing work, deciding or routing next steps, and completing outcomes across systems with humans in the loop where needed. Strong fits include workflow orchestration and process engines, ops platforms that replace brittle manual cycles, integration layers with a clear buyer and wedge, vertical automation for a painful domain workflow, and B2B tools that make exception handling, compliance trails, or multi-system coordination repeatable.

Adjacent verticals such as logistics, cybersecurity, HR tech, legal tech, regtech, developer tools, proptech, or fintech ops can fit when software, data, or automation is the core and the path to a paying customer is explicit. We typically pass on capital-intensive hardware-only or robotics bets without a software surface, token-first or speculative crypto and Web3 models, pure services or body-shop consulting wrapped as product, and generic chatbot wrappers with no durable workflow ownership. If your company sits next to automation, explain the software surface, which workflow you own end to end, what makes the wedge defensible, 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 automation, where product craft, integration depth, 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 automation 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 operates day to day, and which process you replace, orchestrate, or compress.
• Software surface: what the product does in software, data, or automation (not only AI story or consulting delivery).
• Reliability and ownership: how you handle exceptions, audit trails, integrations, and whether you own the outcome or only suggest next steps.
• Why you win: domain depth, switching costs, data or process maps, distribution into a stack buyers already use, or unit economics that survive seat-based noise.
• Traction at your stage: users, pilots, workflows automated, 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. Automation-relevant names on that public list include Sunset and ClearStack, alongside other companies across health tech, AI, and e-commerce. 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 automation, you are in the right place.

How to pitch us for automation

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 automation 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. For broader investment criteria, see what we look for. For the cold path end to end, see how to pitch Halfmeyer.

Submit your deck

If you are raising pre-seed or seed in automation 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.