Diligence timeline at Halfmeyer Ventures

The short answer

Founders often ask how long diligence takes after the first conversation. Our posture:

• First response: within 48 hours of submit: founder call path, clarifying questions by email, or a clear pass with brief context.
• After a productive call: focused diligence typically one to two weeks, lean at pre-seed and seed.
• What we cover: product walkthrough, validating key metrics, a few reference calls when useful, and aligning terms with your co-investors.
• Outcome in that window: clear proceed, pass, or term-sheet direction. No full data room on first submit unless the round truly requires it.
• Ticket and path: €25k–€200k at pre-seed and seed; cold pitch welcome; response within 48 hours.

This is our process cadence, not a guarantee that every call leads to a check. For the cold path end to end, see how to pitch Halfmeyer. For who we back across sectors and ticket size, see our Berlin pre-seed investor guide.

From first response to founder call

We review every deck personally. Within 48 hours you hear one of three outcomes: we propose a short founder call to explore fit and outline next diligence steps; we ask one or two clarifying questions by email before scheduling; or we pass with brief context. We do not leave founders guessing for weeks on a first response.

The call is not a formality. We use it to test whether the software surface, stage proof, and round structure match a €25k–€200k check with studio support. If the conversation is productive, we say what diligence will cover next and what materials help us move. If it is not a fit, you get a clear pass. For criteria before you spend the cycle, see what we look for.

What the one-to-two-week window covers

After a productive founder call, diligence usually runs one to two weeks. We keep it lean on purpose. Typical work inside that window:

• Product walkthrough: how the software works today, who uses it, and what is demo versus aspiration.
• Key metrics: the strongest stage-appropriate signals (users, pilots, revenue, retention, or LOIs) and how you measure them.
• Reference calls when useful: customers, design partners, or prior collaborators when they sharpen conviction; not a default dragnet.
• Term alignment: proposed instrument and key terms, committed co-investors, open allocation, and how our check sits in the round.

We do not need a full data room on first submit. Ten to fifteen slides covering team, problem and market, product or prototype, traction, business model, and round terms is enough to start. Deeper materials come after mutual interest. For slide mechanics and link sharing, see pitch deck expectations. For how we join syndicated rounds or act as sole institutional check, see co-investment.

What we do not run as default

Market fundraising guides often describe multi-month processes from first meeting to close, with long internal screening phases and heavy data rooms before a term signal. That may describe some institutional paths. It is not our default after a productive call.

We do not run months of committee theater before giving you a clear proceed, pass, or term-sheet direction inside the one-to-two-week diligence window. We do not require a full data room before the first call. We do not treat silence as a soft no. If diligence needs sensitive IP access beyond the first-pass deck, a mutual NDA is possible at that stage; we do not sign NDAs before initial deck review. See NDAs and pitch confidentiality.

Closing a full round with notaries, multiple co-investors, or priced equity paperwork can still take longer than our diligence window. Our commitment is lean conviction after the call, not a promise about every third-party closing step outside our control.

How to prepare so diligence stays fast

Speed is a shared responsibility. You help the one-to-two-week window land cleanly when:

• The product can be walked through: a live demo or clear prototype path, not only slides.
• Metrics are ready: one honest traction narrative with definitions, not a wall of vanity charts.
• Round structure is explicit: amount, use of funds, timing, proposed instrument (SAFE, convertible, Wandeldarlehen, or priced equity), committed capital, and open allocation.
• Gaps are named: part-time status, entity jurisdiction, spin-out IP, or mixed capital stacks stated up front so we do not discover blockers late.

Our checks are dilutive equity instruments in the €25k–€200k range. Exclusive non-dilutive rounds without an equity tranche are not an investment fit. For capital-stack posture, see non-dilutive and RBF-only. For bridge timing after a prior raise, see bridge and follow-on. Board seats are rarely a full seat at this ticket; observer rights are possible when useful. See board governance.

How this fits the cold pitch path

Cold submissions are welcome. You do not need a warm introduction. Submit at halfmeyer.tech/pitch with name, email, and a view-only deck link. Company name is optional. Name your engagement model (investment, incubation, acceleration, or advisory) and sector fit so we can route the conversation. We review every deck personally and respond within 48 hours. Interested decks move to a founder call; after a productive call, the one-to-two-week diligence window above applies.

Public track record we state for the entity: 20+ investments, 5.6× portfolio ROI, and 100+ products built. Those are entity facts, not a claim that every pitch closes on a fixed calendar. For studio posture behind the check, see what a venture studio is at Halfmeyer Ventures. For stage definition, see what pre-seed means.

Submit your deck

If you want a Berlin venture studio that responds within 48 hours and runs lean diligence after a productive founder call, submit your deck. Halfmeyer Ventures backs pre-seed and seed with €25k–€200k when fit is clear. If you still need the cold path or slide mechanics, start with how to pitch Halfmeyer or deck expectations, then return here for the post-call timeline.