Principio

Founding Partner Mario Spinola is the named decision-maker at Principio. Marcelo Medeiros provides senior advisory support through his role at Lanx Capital, the parent investment group. The firm has not publicly disclosed a broader investment committee structure.

Principio is part of the Lanx Capital group, confirmed by Altss research. Marcelo Medeiros holds roles at both entities — Partner at Lanx Capital and Senior Executive Advisor at Principio — creating an operational and strategic link between the two. Lanx Capital provides the institutional infrastructure within which Principio operates as a specialized early-stage vehicle.

The firm's disclosed posture is direct seed-stage investing, not fund-of-funds commitments. Its co-investor network — Temasek, Gávea, Dynamo, and the Moreira Salles family office — suggests a model of direct company-level co-investment alongside institutional limited partners who perform independent due diligence.

Principio targets early-stage, seed-stage companies. The firm has not publicly disclosed a focus on later-stage growth equity or buyout transactions. Seed is the only stage explicitly tagged in its investment strategy.

Headquartered in Aspen, Colorado, Principio's co-investor relationships and its principals' backgrounds indicate meaningful connectivity to both the United States and Brazil. Marcelo Barbara, a founder, established Instituto ProA in Brazil, and several of its named co-investors — Gávea Investimentos, Dynamo, and the Moreira Salles family office — are Brazilian institutions. No formal geographic mandate has been publicly disclosed.

Yes — founder Marcelo Barbara established Instituto ProA, a philanthropic organization with an educational mission. It operates as a separate entity from Principio and Lanx Capital. The firm is also a PRI signatory, indicating a broader commitment to responsible investment practices.

Co-investing alongside external institutions appears central to Principio's model. The firm has been named alongside Temasek, Tybourne Capital Management, Gávea Investimentos, Dynamo, and the Moreira Salles family office as co-investors on deals. This syndicate structure allows Principio to participate in rounds at scale while remaining a lean, seed-focused investment vehicle.