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Exceptional Ventures
Exceptional Ventures, founded by Paolo Pio and Matt Cooper, deploys pre-seed and seed capital into companies extending what the firm calls Joyspan.
Exceptional Ventures
Former Silicon Valley software engineer Paolo Pio and Capital One Europe founder Matt Cooper launched Exceptional Ventures in 2022, combining Pio's operational experience at Cisco and venture expertise from his role as Joyance Partners' European managing director with Cooper's two decades of chairing high-growth UK companies including Tandem Bank and Octopus Capital. The firm operates from Teddington, United Kingdom, with a London base and a presence in Paris, targeting founders building scientifically validated products at the intersection of longevity and wellness. Exceptional Ventures writes first-check tickets at Pre-Seed and Seed, building a concentrated strategy across three verticals: Wellness, Risk Assessment and Early Detection, and Smarter Treatment and Care Delivery. EV Fund 1, a £12m vehicle, backed 41 companies spanning Digital Health, AgriTech & FoodTech, and Financial Wellbeing. Confirmed positions include Amatera, a developer of perennial crop-breeding technology; Roga, a digital mental health platform; and nutritional wellbeing company Berry. The firm invests across the UK, Europe, and North America, and has also reviewed opportunities in Africa, taking a selected rather than index-sampled geographic approach. The firm has grown to a team of 10 professionals, blending scientific expertise with institutional capital formation. A dedicated science advisor, a Pharma Advisor, and a Head of Platform with a pharmacology PhD reinforce the firm's clinically literate diligence process. In 2025, Exceptional Ventures launched EV Fund 2, honing the mandate toward pure-play HealthTech with a target of 50–60 companies, a marked sharpening from Fund 1's broader scope that signals conviction in software-enabled clinical outcomes. Exceptional Ventures' structural differentiator is its unbundled, specialist advisory model — venture partners, science advisors, and scouts like former Ori Biotech CEO Jason Foster and Johns Hopkins-trained neurologist Doug Kerr extend the firm's sourcing and diligence reach without the overhead of an integrated, full-time specialist team. This lets a small, London-area partnership compete for early-stage health opportunities globally.
General information
Firm type
Venture Capital
Year founded
2022
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
Europe
Country
United Kingdom
City
Teddington
Corporate office
Teddington, United Kingdom
Additional offices
London · Paris
Principals
Paolo Pio
Co-Founder and General Partner
Matt Cooper
Co-Founder and Executive Chairman
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who makes investment decisions at Exceptional Ventures?
Co-Founders Paolo Pio and Matt Cooper lead all investment decisions. Pio serves as General Partner and Managing Partner, while Cooper is Executive Chairman. Pio previously led 25 European health investments as Joyance Partners' European managing director, and Cooper's operational background includes founding Capital One Bank Europe and chairing Tandem Bank and Octopus Capital.
What is the relationship between EV Fund 1 and EV Fund 2?
EV Fund 1, a £12m vehicle launched in 2022, was fully deployed across 41 companies in HealthTech, FoodTech, and Financial Wellbeing. EV Fund 2, launched in 2025, builds on this track record but narrows the mandate to pure-play HealthTech and targets a significantly larger portfolio of 50–60 companies. The shift reflects a strategic decision to concentrate on prevention, early detection, and smarter care delivery.
How does Exceptional Ventures define 'Joyspan' and how does it inform investment decisions?
Joyspan is a trademarked term Exceptional Ventures uses to describe the years a person lives in good health, with purpose and happiness. The firm evaluates every investment through the lens of whether a product or service can measurably extend Joyspan, categorizing opportunities into three verticals: Wellness, Risk Assessment and Early Detection, and Smarter Treatment and Care Delivery.
Which geographies does Exceptional Ventures actively invest in?
The firm primarily invests in the UK, Europe, and North America. Paolo Pio's previous role saw him lead 25 investments across 9 European countries, and the team includes native Italian, Spanish, and German speakers. The firm has also reviewed opportunities in Africa and pursues selected global investments congruent with its thesis.
Does Exceptional Ventures lead rounds or mainly follow on?
Exceptional Ventures writes Pre-Seed and Seed cheques, typically as a first institutional check. The portfolio demonstrates a strategy of early, high-conviction entry rather than follow-on reserve allocation. The firm supports founders with strategy, hiring, and partnerships beyond capital deployment.
What scientific or clinical expertise does the investment team have internally?
The team includes a Head of Platform with a PhD in molecular biology and pharmacology, a formal Pharma Advisor who sits on the boards of multiple biotech companies, and a Science Advisor who is an MD, PhD and Chief Medical Officer at Generation Bio. This clinical layer supports diligence on scientifically proven innovations, a stated requirement for investment.
How is Exceptional Ventures structured for LP engagement and fundraising?
Mark Schilling, a long-standing friend and former LP, joined formally as Head of Capital Formation. He brings over twenty years of institutional fundraising experience from Marylebone Partners, Citigroup, and Lehman Brothers. Capital raising duties are separated from the investment team, with Schilling focused primarily on aligning US-based family offices, endowments, and foundations with the fund's long-duration health thesis.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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