We surround ourselves with
exceptional people

Meet the Core team

Paolo Pio

Co-Founder and General Partner

Silicon Valley Software Engineer turned Technology Executive turned Venture Capitalist, Paolo is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Exceptional Ventures. Prior to this, Paolo was the Managing Director for Europe at Joyance Partners, a US VC firm investing in health and happiness start-ups, where he led 25 investments across 9 countries and built a team of 8.

Paolo started his career at Cisco in Silicon Valley as Software Engineer, then Product Manager, then moved to Switzerland to lead Business Development across EMEAR and APAC.

Paolo graduated Summa Cum Laude from his MS Engineering in Turin, and received his Executive MBA from London Business School where he won the AQR award for academic excellence in asset management.

Matt Cooper

Co-Founder and  Executive Chairman

Experienced CEO and Chairman. Over the past two decades, Matt has been a very active angel investor, and has chaired and sat on the Boards of numerous high-profile, high-growth U.K. start-ups, including co-founding and Chairing Tandem Bank, and serving as Chairman for ClearlySo Ltd and IGF Invoice Finance Ltd.

In addition to co-founding Exceptional Ventures, which he chairs, Matt is currently Chairman of Octopus Capital and Cudoni. He sits on the Boards of VouchedFor, and Restless. Matt was part of the founding team of CapitalOne Bank in the US. He was also responsible for founding and running CapitalOne Bank (Europe) Plc, the company’s businesses outside of America.

Originally from New Jersey, Matt graduated first in his class in Chemistry from Princeton University in 1988.

Michella Botto

Investment Manager

Michella has six years of experience working in commercial and marketing teams.

Originally from Peru, she moved to Madrid in 2018 to work as Senior Product Manager at L’Oréal leading skincare, haircare and makeup categories in the FMCG division. In 2021, she moved to London to pursue a Masters in Strategic Entrepreneurship and Innovation at King’s College.

Michella comes from a family of entrepreneurs and she is still supporting them in their latest venture, a dialysis clinic in Miami.

Michella has a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering and graduated in the top ten percentile of her class.

Anna Fortuny-Gomez, PhD

Communication and Community Manager

Anna is a pharmacologist by training, a community connector by heart, and a coffee aficionado by choice. Anna holds a PhD in molecular biology and pharmacology, focusing on cardiovascular disease and chronic pain.

With a track record of publishing in prestigious journals and speaking at national and international conferences, Anna has won awards for her discoveries. What truly drives her is forming genuine connections and trust with the community to create a positive impact on people’s lives and our planet. Having worked with diverse Spanish and UK startups focusing on early-stage drug discovery and strategic marketing, Anna brings a wealth of experience and expertise to Exceptional Ventures.

When she is not immersed in the intersection of innovation and community, you can find her lifting weights or striking a pose in a yoga studio. Anna is always on the lookout for quirky cafes and pubs to enjoy a good book and a drink.

Katharina

Investment Associate

Meet Katharina, our newest associate. Originally from Germany and now based in Paris, Katharina began her career in venture capital, focusing on Europe’s healthcare sector. She worked with the corporate venture arm of Orthomol, a leader in the German supplement market, leading investments in health startups and advising family office investments through “Die Höhle der Löwen,” the German “Shark Tank.” Before her career in investing, she co-founded a construction tech company in Paris, guiding product development, sales, and fundraising.

Katharina holds a Master’s in Entrepreneurship and Innovation from the University of Luxembourg. Speaking five languages, she is passionate about health and wellness, with an active commitment to CrossFit and sports in general.

Alex Söderman

Finance Director

Meet Alex, our Finance Director, who is responsible for managing all financial functions including accounting, reporting, treasury, and forecasting. With over a decade of experience in fast-growing start-ups, Alex is an expert in financial management, strategic planning, and business leadership. He also ensures regulatory compliance and keeps up with the latest technology in the finance industry.

In addition to his role with us, Alex also serves as the Investment Director for Zebulon Capital and provides Fractional FD and advisory services through his consulting business for start-ups at various stages.

Mark Schilling

Head of Capital Formation

Meet Mark, our Head of Capital Formation at Exceptional Ventures. He leads our efforts to develop and maintain strategic relationships with institutional investors, family offices, endowments, and foundations. With over two decades of experience across leading global financial institutions and alternative investment firms, Mark is an expert in capital raising, investor relations, and strategic commercialization of investment offerings.

In addition to his role with us, Mark also serves as Head of Strategic Relationships at Marylebone Partners LLP in London. There, he manages capital raising efforts across multiple funds and investment vehicles, having sourced and secured over $320 million in new investments. He focuses on commercializing the firm’s core strategies to meet diverse investor preferences while maintaining strong relationships with family offices, pensions, endowments, foundations, and other institutional investors.

Previously, Mark was Managing Director and Board Member at Higher Park Ltd / Ivaldi Capital LLP, where he raised $1.25 billion while overseeing risk management, portfolio manager selection, and firm strategy. Earlier in his career, he held senior leadership roles at Pirum Systems, The Bank of Nova Scotia, Citigroup Global Markets, Lehman Brothers, Credit Suisse First Boston, and Deutsche Bank Securities. His experience spans sales, trading, client service, risk management, and relationship development across Prime Services and Global Custody businesses.

Mark holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from the University of Buffalo in New York. He is known for his ability to craft tailored capital solutions that align with diverse investor needs, and for his deep network across the global institutional investment community.

Paolo Pio

Co-Founder and General Partner

Silicon Valley Software Engineer turned Technology Executive turned Venture Capitalist, Paolo is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Exceptional Ventures. Prior to this, Paolo was the Managing Director for Europe at Joyance Partners, a US VC firm investing in health and happiness start-ups, where he led 25 investments across 9 countries and built a team of 8.

Paolo started his career at Cisco in Silicon Valley as Software Engineer, then Product Manager, then moved to Switzerland to lead Business Development across EMEAR and APAC.

Paolo graduated Summa Cum Laude from his MS Engineering in Turin, and received his Executive MBA from London Business School where he won the AQR award for academic excellence in asset management.

Matt Cooper

Co-Founder and  Executive Chairman

Experienced CEO and Chairman. Over the past two decades, Matt has been a very active angel investor, and has chaired and sat on the Boards of numerous high-profile, high-growth U.K. start-ups, including co-founding and Chairing Tandem Bank, and serving as Chairman for ClearlySo Ltd and IGF Invoice Finance Ltd.

In addition to co-founding Exceptional Ventures, which he chairs, Matt is currently Chairman of Octopus Capital and Cudoni. He sits on the Boards of VouchedFor, and Restless. Matt was part of the founding team of CapitalOne Bank in the US. He was also responsible for founding and running CapitalOne Bank (Europe) Plc, the company’s businesses outside of America.

Originally from New Jersey, Matt graduated first in his class in Chemistry from Princeton University in 1988.

Michella Botto

Investment Manager

Michella has six years of experience working in commercial and marketing teams.

Originally from Peru, she moved to Madrid in 2018 to work as Senior Product Manager at L’Oréal leading skincare, haircare and makeup categories in the FMCG division. In 2021, she moved to London to pursue a Masters in Strategic Entrepreneurship and Innovation at King’s College.

Michella comes from a family of entrepreneurs and she is still supporting them in their latest venture, a dialysis clinic in Miami.

Michella has a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering and graduated in the top ten percentile of her class.

Anna Fortuny-Gomez, PhD

Communication and Community Manager

Anna is a pharmacologist by training, a community connector by heart, and a coffee aficionado by choice. Anna holds a PhD in molecular biology and pharmacology, focusing on cardiovascular disease and chronic pain.

With a track record of publishing in prestigious journals and speaking at national and international conferences, Anna has won awards for her discoveries. What truly drives her is forming genuine connections and trust with the community to create a positive impact on people’s lives and our planet. Having worked with diverse Spanish and UK startups focusing on early-stage drug discovery and strategic marketing, Anna brings a wealth of experience and expertise to Exceptional Ventures.

When she is not immersed in the intersection of innovation and community, you can find her lifting weights or striking a pose in a yoga studio. Anna is always on the lookout for quirky cafes and pubs to enjoy a good book and a drink.

Katharina

Investment Associate

Meet Katharina, our newest associate. Originally from Germany and now based in Paris, Katharina began her career in venture capital, focusing on Europe’s healthcare sector. She worked with the corporate venture arm of Orthomol, a leader in the German supplement market, leading investments in health startups and advising family office investments through “Die Höhle der Löwen,” the German “Shark Tank.” Before her career in investing, she co-founded a construction tech company in Paris, guiding product development, sales, and fundraising.

Katharina holds a Master’s in Entrepreneurship and Innovation from the University of Luxembourg. Speaking five languages, she is passionate about health and wellness, with an active commitment to CrossFit and sports in general.

Alex Söderman

Finance Director

Meet Alex, our Finance Director, who is responsible for managing all financial functions including accounting, reporting, treasury, and forecasting. With over a decade of experience in fast-growing start-ups, Alex is an expert in financial management, strategic planning, and business leadership. He also ensures regulatory compliance and keeps up with the latest technology in the finance industry.

In addition to his role with us, Alex also serves as the Investment Director for Zebulon Capital and provides Fractional FD and advisory services through his consulting business for start-ups at various stages.

Mark Schilling

Head of Capital Formation

Meet Mark, our Head of Capital Formation at Exceptional Ventures. He leads our efforts to develop and maintain strategic relationships with institutional investors, family offices, endowments, and foundations. With over two decades of experience across leading global financial institutions and alternative investment firms, Mark is an expert in capital raising, investor relations, and strategic commercialization of investment offerings.

In addition to his role with us, Mark also serves as Head of Strategic Relationships at Marylebone Partners LLP in London. There, he manages capital raising efforts across multiple funds and investment vehicles, having sourced and secured over $320 million in new investments. He focuses on commercializing the firm’s core strategies to meet diverse investor preferences while maintaining strong relationships with family offices, pensions, endowments, foundations, and other institutional investors.

Previously, Mark was Managing Director and Board Member at Higher Park Ltd / Ivaldi Capital LLP, where he raised $1.25 billion while overseeing risk management, portfolio manager selection, and firm strategy. Earlier in his career, he held senior leadership roles at Pirum Systems, The Bank of Nova Scotia, Citigroup Global Markets, Lehman Brothers, Credit Suisse First Boston, and Deutsche Bank Securities. His experience spans sales, trading, client service, risk management, and relationship development across Prime Services and Global Custody businesses.

Mark holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from the University of Buffalo in New York. He is known for his ability to craft tailored capital solutions that align with diverse investor needs, and for his deep network across the global institutional investment community.

Venture partners advisors

Doug Kerr

Science Advisor

Doug is the Chief Medical Officer at Generation Bio, a Cambridge US-based public company revolutionising gene therapy. Doug was one of the founders of the company and has been with Generation Bio from the early seed stage to IPO and beyond for the last 5+ years.

Doug received his medical degree (MD) from Jefferson Medical College, as well as his doctorate (PhD) in biochemistry and molecular biology. He served as professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Neurology and Neuroscience, focusing on spinal cord and motor neuron diseases.

Since 2005, Doug has been in the Boston/Cambridge area at several biotechnology companies and he led the team that developed Spinraza, a novel therapy with dramatic effectiveness treating infants and children with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Doug also got an MBA, specialising in entrepreneurship and innovation, and has utilised that knowledge as he has nucleated and serves on the Board of several companies over the last five years, including Disarm Therapeutics, FAZE Medicines and Triplet Therapeutics.

Stefano Gurciullo

DeepTech and AI Advisor

Stefano is Managing Partner at Tau Capital, a global, growth investment firm that backs deep science and technology entrepreneurs poised to scale in areas such as in techbio, climate, food, robotics, and artificial intelligence. Previously, Stefano was a Venture Partner at XAnge and Joyance, and Partner at Redstone. At Redstone, he established the firm’s deep tech investment unit, managed its industrial tech fund, and led the development of its data-driven intelligence platform.

He also co-founded Sigma Squared, a global non-profit community for young, high impact entrepreneurs. Stefano holds a PhD in complex systems science from University College London.

Matilde Giglio

Scout at EV

Meet Matilde, a Scout at Exceptional Ventures. She is responsible for identifying and supporting high-potential early-stage startups, with a sharp eye for transformational ideas and founders. With deep experience as an entrepreneur, investor, and venture builder, Matilde brings a global perspective and a founder-first approach to venture scouting, particularly in healthcare and technology.

In addition to her role with us, Matilde is Co-Founder of Even, a company transforming India’s healthcare landscape by delivering affordable, high-quality health coverage. Since founding Even in 2020, she has raised $50 million from prominent investors including Khosla Ventures and Founders Fund, scaled operations to over 250 employees, and forged strategic partnerships to offer cashless consultations, diagnostics, and primary care to millions.

Matilde is also an active angel investor, with over 25 investments globally across healthcare and fintech at pre-seed, seed, and Series A stages. She has collaborated with leading funds such as Sequoia, Accel, Founders Fund, and Khosla Ventures, while providing strategic support and growth opportunities to early-stage founders.

Previously, she co-founded Compass News, a venture-backed journalism startup that leveraged machine learning to deliver quality news, raising $1.5 million and striking B2B deals with top publishers.

Matilde holds a Master of Science with Distinction from the London School of Economics, where her dissertation was published as Best Dissertation of 2015, and a Bachelor's Degree in Economics from Luiss Guido Carli University with top honors. She is passionate about scaling meaningful solutions and championing founders who are building the future.

Simone Cimminelli

Venture Partner

Simone is a Venture Partner at Exceptional Ventures and a prolific angel investor, with plans to overtake Matt as the most prolific angel investor someday. He has invested in roughly 30 startups to date, ranging from pre-seed to series A.

Simone has a very entrepreneurial background and early in his career has led three major turnaround projects in the hospitality, financial services, and technology sectors. Currently, he is the Chairman of his family office and a Board member of K.F.T.C., an industrial company with over 5000 employees worldwide. In 2012, he helped the company float on the Korean stock exchange.

Simone is originally from Turin and graduated in business administration from ESCP Europe with a triple degree obtained in London, Turin, and Paris.

Mithi Thaya

Science Advisor at EV

Meet Mithi, our Science Advisor at Exceptional Ventures. He supports our portfolio companies and investment decisions with deep scientific and commercial insight, helping translate groundbreaking research into impactful businesses. With a career spanning biotechnology, healthcare, and venture building, Mithi brings a disciplined, evidence-driven approach that prioritizes scientifically validated advancements over hype.

In addition to his role with us, Mithi is Co-Founder and Board Member of a University of Cambridge drug development spinout pioneering a first-in-class treatment based on over a decade of mitochondrial biology and cardiovascular medicine research. Backed by $8.5 million in funding, this yet-to-be-announced company reflects his commitment to early commercialization of cutting-edge science. He has also been recognized by Clarivate as one of the world’s most influential researchers and featured in the BBC’s Everything About Mitochondria.

Mithi serves on the Board of Advisors at HerculesAI, an AI company backed by $40 million from NFX, Thomson Reuters Ventures, and others, helping automate complex workflows in legal, financial services, and healthcare. He is also an investor and advisor at Lindus Health, a clinical research platform revolutionizing trial efficiency, which has raised over $80 million from leading investors including Peter Thiel and Balderton.

Previously, Mithi was Co-Founder and CEO of Harper, a bioinformatics company using AI to improve mental and condition-specific health outcomes, supported by research from the University of Oxford and $6.5 million in seed funding. He also served as Co-Founder, COO, and CFO of Hart Dairy, introducing regenerative, carbon-sequestering agriculture at scale in the U.S. with $60 million in funding, following scientific research into peptides linked to dairy intolerance. Earlier in his career, he worked as an Investment Director in private equity in New York, leading the development of companies and roll-up strategies across technology, healthcare, financial services, and other sectors.

Mithi holds an MPhil in Bioscience from the University of Cambridge (Jesus College), where he researched the cellular biology of ageing and therapeutic compounds. He is fluent in English, French, Tamil, and Spanish, and is passionate about aligning operator and investor incentives while advancing science that delivers real-world impact.

Doug Kerr

Science Advisor

Doug is the Chief Medical Officer at Generation Bio, a Cambridge US-based public company revolutionising gene therapy. Doug was one of the founders of the company and has been with Generation Bio from the early seed stage to IPO and beyond for the last 5+ years.

Doug received his medical degree (MD) from Jefferson Medical College, as well as his doctorate (PhD) in biochemistry and molecular biology. He served as professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Neurology and Neuroscience, focusing on spinal cord and motor neuron diseases.

Since 2005, Doug has been in the Boston/Cambridge area at several biotechnology companies and he led the team that developed Spinraza, a novel therapy with dramatic effectiveness treating infants and children with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Doug also got an MBA, specialising in entrepreneurship and innovation, and has utilised that knowledge as he has nucleated and serves on the Board of several companies over the last five years, including Disarm Therapeutics, FAZE Medicines and Triplet Therapeutics.

Stefano Gurciullo

DeepTech and AI Advisor

Stefano is Managing Partner at Tau Capital, a global, growth investment firm that backs deep science and technology entrepreneurs poised to scale in areas such as in techbio, climate, food, robotics, and artificial intelligence. Previously, Stefano was a Venture Partner at XAnge and Joyance, and Partner at Redstone. At Redstone, he established the firm’s deep tech investment unit, managed its industrial tech fund, and led the development of its data-driven intelligence platform.

He also co-founded Sigma Squared, a global non-profit community for young, high impact entrepreneurs. Stefano holds a PhD in complex systems science from University College London.

Matilde Giglio

Scout at EV

Meet Matilde, a Scout at Exceptional Ventures. She is responsible for identifying and supporting high-potential early-stage startups, with a sharp eye for transformational ideas and founders. With deep experience as an entrepreneur, investor, and venture builder, Matilde brings a global perspective and a founder-first approach to venture scouting, particularly in healthcare and technology.

In addition to her role with us, Matilde is Co-Founder of Even, a company transforming India’s healthcare landscape by delivering affordable, high-quality health coverage. Since founding Even in 2020, she has raised $50 million from prominent investors including Khosla Ventures and Founders Fund, scaled operations to over 250 employees, and forged strategic partnerships to offer cashless consultations, diagnostics, and primary care to millions.

Matilde is also an active angel investor, with over 25 investments globally across healthcare and fintech at pre-seed, seed, and Series A stages. She has collaborated with leading funds such as Sequoia, Accel, Founders Fund, and Khosla Ventures, while providing strategic support and growth opportunities to early-stage founders.

Previously, she co-founded Compass News, a venture-backed journalism startup that leveraged machine learning to deliver quality news, raising $1.5 million and striking B2B deals with top publishers.

Matilde holds a Master of Science with Distinction from the London School of Economics, where her dissertation was published as Best Dissertation of 2015, and a Bachelor's Degree in Economics from Luiss Guido Carli University with top honors. She is passionate about scaling meaningful solutions and championing founders who are building the future.

Simone Cimminelli

Venture Partner

Simone is a Venture Partner at Exceptional Ventures and a prolific angel investor, with plans to overtake Matt as the most prolific angel investor someday. He has invested in roughly 30 startups to date, ranging from pre-seed to series A.

Simone has a very entrepreneurial background and early in his career has led three major turnaround projects in the hospitality, financial services, and technology sectors. Currently, he is the Chairman of his family office and a Board member of K.F.T.C., an industrial company with over 5000 employees worldwide. In 2012, he helped the company float on the Korean stock exchange.

Simone is originally from Turin and graduated in business administration from ESCP Europe with a triple degree obtained in London, Turin, and Paris.

Mithi Thaya

Science Advisor at EV

Meet Mithi, our Science Advisor at Exceptional Ventures. He supports our portfolio companies and investment decisions with deep scientific and commercial insight, helping translate groundbreaking research into impactful businesses. With a career spanning biotechnology, healthcare, and venture building, Mithi brings a disciplined, evidence-driven approach that prioritizes scientifically validated advancements over hype.

In addition to his role with us, Mithi is Co-Founder and Board Member of a University of Cambridge drug development spinout pioneering a first-in-class treatment based on over a decade of mitochondrial biology and cardiovascular medicine research. Backed by $8.5 million in funding, this yet-to-be-announced company reflects his commitment to early commercialization of cutting-edge science. He has also been recognized by Clarivate as one of the world’s most influential researchers and featured in the BBC’s Everything About Mitochondria.

Mithi serves on the Board of Advisors at HerculesAI, an AI company backed by $40 million from NFX, Thomson Reuters Ventures, and others, helping automate complex workflows in legal, financial services, and healthcare. He is also an investor and advisor at Lindus Health, a clinical research platform revolutionizing trial efficiency, which has raised over $80 million from leading investors including Peter Thiel and Balderton.

Previously, Mithi was Co-Founder and CEO of Harper, a bioinformatics company using AI to improve mental and condition-specific health outcomes, supported by research from the University of Oxford and $6.5 million in seed funding. He also served as Co-Founder, COO, and CFO of Hart Dairy, introducing regenerative, carbon-sequestering agriculture at scale in the U.S. with $60 million in funding, following scientific research into peptides linked to dairy intolerance. Earlier in his career, he worked as an Investment Director in private equity in New York, leading the development of companies and roll-up strategies across technology, healthcare, financial services, and other sectors.

Mithi holds an MPhil in Bioscience from the University of Cambridge (Jesus College), where he researched the cellular biology of ageing and therapeutic compounds. He is fluent in English, French, Tamil, and Spanish, and is passionate about aligning operator and investor incentives while advancing science that delivers real-world impact.