Welcome to a new episode of the EUVC Podcast, where we bring you the people and perspectives shaping European venture.
This week, Andreas Munk Holm sits down with Paolo Pio, co-founder and Managing Partner at Exceptional Ventures — a mission-driven early-stage fund investing in the future of human health, fitness, nutrition, and longevity.
Paolo shares how a personal obsession with sleep, metabolism, and fitness evolved into a structured thesis for investing in businesses and technologies that help us live better, longer — and how Exceptional Ventures plans to back over 200 founders across three funds to deliver returns that match the mission.
🎯 This Episode’s Themes:
Why health, fitness, and prevention are ripe for VC investment
How personalized, continuous monitoring unlocks true wellness
The 4-pillared thesis: prevention, early detection, smarter care & delivery
Lessons from Fund I: 3,600 companies reviewed → 37 investments
The case for “high-volume VC” in Europe: why more bets matter
From sleep hygiene to nanobots: the future of health innovation
Community, LPs, and morning workouts at SuperVenture
Here’s what’s covered:
01:00 | The Mission: Improving the human joy path through health & longevity
03:00 | Why Now: Obesity, metabolic health & the need for smarter prevention
05:00 | The Four Pillars: Sleep, exercise, early detection & delivery innovation
08:00 | Exceptional’s Model: Fund I learnings, Fund II targets, Fund III ambitions
10:00 | The Volume Bet: Why Europe needs funds backing 50+ startups per cycle
12:00 | Sourcing & Screening: From 3,600 companies to 37 portfolio bets
15:00 | Backing Founders on the Edge: From glucose monitoring to rural US clinics
18:00 | The Big Vision: 200+ founders backed, 30,000+ community members
21:00 | Big LP Names & Co-Investors: How the wider venture stack leans in
24:00 | Why Community Matters: The morning workouts, the events, the energy
27:00 | Longevity & Fund IV: Why the best is still ahead
📺 Watch the episode here or stream it on Spotify or Apple Podcasts—now with chapters for easy navigation 🎧
✍️ Show Notes
A Personal Mission Turned Thesis
Paolo and co-founder Matt built Exceptional Ventures on a simple conviction: human joy and health go hand-in-hand. From sleep to nutrition to the next-gen care stack, they’re betting big that prevention beats treatment.
Why Volume Wins
Exceptional bucked Europe’s old-school low-volume model by doing 37 deals in Fund I — and plans 50–60 in Fund II, with 90+ in Fund III. More shots on goal, more founders backed, more shots at generational winners.
Prevention to Nanobots: Where the Thesis Goes Next
Continuous monitoring, personalized metabolic insights, and smarter delivery are just the beginning. Expect telemedicine, AI, and even brain-computer interfaces to play a role.
Morning Workouts & Mission-Driven LPs
Exceptional’s community isn’t just LPs and founders — it’s a global tribe obsessed with living well. From SuperVenture workouts to Italian Tech Week, the vibe is different — and so is the ambition.
💡 Investor Takeaway
Europe needs bigger swings at category-defining health & longevity startups — and Exceptional Ventures is showing how mission and volume can go hand in hand.
Dario combines deep institutional, operational, and investment expertise, investing in early-stage companies and funds. Recognized as a "40 Rising Star under 40" by VCJ, he actively contributes to the industry.
Before founding LTV Capital, Dario co-led fund investments at Anthemis Group, a top fintech investor, where he developed early-stage fintech plays with BBVA and pioneered a media-financial services fund. His background also includes spearheading international expansion at emerging markets fintech JUMO and contributing to the creation of ROAM, now Africa's largest classifieds group.
Academically, he holds a Master of Business Science in Finance from the University of Cape Town; his dissertation on "Tencent Holdings Limited" is widely downloaded and cited.
Outside of work, Dario is a former 125cc motorcycle racing champion who now advises the Finetwork Mir Racing Team, supporting young talent in motorsports. He is driven by a passion for empowering others and fostering change in the emerging manager VC ecosystem.
↓ Register below to attend on July 15th↓
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