Questions founders actually ask us

When you close your round: as a transaction fee. Consultations you order separately from a specific expert, hourly or as a fixed-scope package, are paid for the work itself, at a discount within Duelity HUG. We agree terms with you in writing before any work starts.

A professional pitch deck and teaser, the materials investors ask for first. A realistic financial model for the coming years. An orderly ownership structure. IP protection and the key contracts. And a strategy for approaching investors: who, when and how.

The best moment is when you have a working MVP and first feedback from users, when you plan a round within roughly six months, when preparing the pitch deck and model yourself takes too much time or isn't working, or when you have no access to investors.

Probably yes, and probably briefly. Two mistakes are the most expensive at the MVP stage: a founder equity split agreed on a handshake, and IP whose ownership can't be shown. Both are almost free to fix now and painful at seed. The same goes for a badly structured ESOP or copyright that was never transferred. Take the readiness check above. If it says you're fine, you're fine.

Usually 4–8 hours a month for meetings, plus time to prepare materials. We do most of the work (financial model, pitch deck, document review) so the founder can focus on the product and first customers.

Yes, especially at this stage. Professional preparation usually costs less than the time lost and the lower valuation that come from not being prepared. The cheapest way to deal with the typical first-round mistakes is not to make them.

Pre-seed is the stage where you validate the idea, build the MVP and get the first proof of traction, usually with your own money. Seed is the first large external round, typically PLN 500,000 to 3 million (approx. EUR 120,000–700,000), used to refine the product, win the first customers and build the team. Most importantly: at this stage investors are buying the team and the potential, not a finished business.

A badly prepared pitch, disorganised data, no clear business model, IP that isn't sorted, unrealistic financial projections and not understanding what investors look for. Notice what isn't on the list: a bad idea. Many promising companies drop out purely for lack of professional preparation.

Due diligence is a detailed review of a company by an investor or buyer: legal, financial, technological and operational. It is the moment when every potential risk decides whether the deal happens and at what price. An unprepared startup loses value, time and often the whole deal here.

Setting up the company so it is attractive to investors: refining the pitch deck, building a realistic financial model, sorting out equity and contracts, protecting intellectual property and planning how to raise capital. Above all, it's education: you'll run your next round without us.

Usually 3–6 months of intensive work together. In that time we refine product-market fit, documents and investor materials. That makes the fundraising itself shorter and less draining for the team.

Yes. At pre-seed and seed, valuation rests mainly on the team's potential, market size, traction and quality of execution. We help you build a credible story and compare it with similar deals. That's where the negotiation starts.

It's a question better answered before due diligence than during it. Ownership of output created with AI, the terms of your contracts with AI providers and your exposure to the AI Act are all things an investor's adviser will check. Usually none of it is fatal. It gets expensive when it surfaces in the data room and the negotiating leverage is on the other side.