Paolo Pio

Paolo Pio is a General Partner at Exceptional Ventures based in London, England, where he leads pre-seed and seed-stage investments across Europe. His firm manages over €200 million in assets under management, recently closing a €150 million Fund III in March 2025 to back early-stage technology startups. Prior to his current role, Pio served as a Principal and Venture Partner at Balderton Capital, following earlier experience in investment banking at Lazard. He holds an MBA from INSEAD and a degree from Bocconi University, building a portfolio of over 20 companies, including a notable exit with Cazoo's 2021 initial public offering and a recent seed investment in the artificial intelligence startup Propel. Drawing on his operational and financial background, Pio currently focuses his investment strategy on European founders developing enterprise software, financial technology, and climate technology solutions.