Incorporation and jurisdiction at Halfmeyer Ventures

The short answer

Founders often ask whether a Berlin investor requires a German GmbH (or another EU entity) before they can pitch. For Halfmeyer Ventures, the answer is no. Incorporation in Germany or the EU is not a hard filter for investment review.

• German or EU entity: not required to submit or to engage.
• Jurisdictions we back: UK, US (including Delaware), Switzerland, and other jurisdictions when product, market, and round structure fit.
• What we need in the deck: current incorporation, jurisdiction, and any planned entity flip, stated clearly so we can assess closing mechanics on the founder call.

This is our investment posture, not legal or tax advice on which entity you should form. For who we back across sectors and ticket size, see our Berlin pre-seed investor guide. For stage proof, see what pre-seed means.

Jurisdictions we back

We are headquartered in Berlin and back founders across Europe and beyond. Product, market, and round structure matter more than a German registered office. A UK company, a US company (including Delaware), a Swiss company, or another clean jurisdiction can fit when the software-led product, traction at your stage, and the round you are raising align with our €25,000–€200,000 pre-seed and seed check.

We still expect the same investment bar everywhere: a working product, prototype, or validated problem–solution fit for investment; software-led companies in health tech, AI, e-commerce, or automation (or an adjacent vertical where software, data, or automation is the core); and founders who want capital plus studio support. Jurisdiction alone does not unlock a check, and a German entity alone does not create fit. For the full criteria set, see what we look for.

What to state in the deck

Clarity on entity structure helps us respond within the 48-hour window and decide whether closing mechanics look workable. In your first-pass deck, include:

• Incorporation status: whether you already have a legal entity, and under which name.
• Jurisdiction: country and entity type as you use them in practice (for example UK Ltd, Delaware C-corp, Swiss AG/GmbH, German GmbH/UG).
• Planned entity flip (if any): if you expect to change holding structure before or after this round, say so briefly and why.
• Round structure: amount, use of funds, timing, and proposed instrument (SAFE, convertible, Wandeldarlehen, or priced equity) so jurisdiction and instrument sit in one place.
• Co-investors (if any): committed capital and open allocation, especially when other investors have their own entity preferences.

You do not need a full legal data room on first submit. Ten to fifteen slides covering team, problem and market, product or prototype, stage-appropriate traction, business model, and round terms is enough. Set the link to view-only for anyone with the link. For slide mechanics, see pitch deck expectations. For lead and co-invest posture, see co-investment at Halfmeyer.

Entity flips and planned changes

Many founders raise first in one jurisdiction and later consider a holding flip for a later round, a new market, or co-investor preference. If a flip is already on your roadmap, name it in the deck. We do not require you to flip into a German entity to pitch us, and we do not prescribe which jurisdiction you should choose. We need enough clarity to see whether the current structure and any planned change fit product, market, and the round you are closing now.

If you are still incorporating, say that. Idea-only decks without a working product, prototype, or validated problem–solution fit are usually a pass for investment; advisory and incubation can start earlier. Incorporation timing and stage proof are related but not the same filter. For how we define stage labels, return to what pre-seed means.

How this fits our investment bar

Incorporation jurisdiction is one practical line, not the thesis. We still look for software-led companies in our focus sectors, stage-appropriate proof, and cases where operator network, capital, and GTM playbooks compound from day one. We invest €25,000–€200,000 at pre-seed and seed from Berlin. Public track record we state: 20+ investments, 5.6× portfolio ROI, and 100+ products built.

We do not give legal, tax, or securities advice on this page. Entity choice, notarization, grant eligibility, and flip timing are decisions for you and your counsel. Our job here is to state whether a non-German or non-EU entity can still pitch Halfmeyer Ventures with a fair shot at review: yes, when product, market, and round structure fit. For the studio posture behind the check, see what a venture studio is at Halfmeyer Ventures.

How to pitch from any jurisdiction

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. Cold submissions are welcome; you do not need a warm introduction, a German registered office, or an EU entity to unlock the form. State sector fit, incorporation and jurisdiction, and whether you want investment, incubation, acceleration, or advisory. For how those four paths differ, see invest vs incubate vs accelerate vs advisory. For the cold path end to end, see how to pitch Halfmeyer. We review every deck personally and respond within 48 hours.

Submit your deck

If you are raising pre-seed or seed from any supported jurisdiction and want a Berlin venture studio that pairs a €25k–€200k check with design, engineering, and GTM support, submit your deck. Halfmeyer Ventures responds within 48 hours.