Pietro Bezza

Who they are

Pietro Bezza is Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Connect Ventures — previously co-founded Neo Network, a media company acquired by Zodiak Media in 2007.

Person

Pietro co-founded Connect Ventures in January 2011, building it from inception as a European pre-seed and seed VC focused on backing product founders — he's been there ever since, making this a long-tenure, single-fund story. Before that, he co-founded Neo Network, a media company that was acquired by Zodiak Media in 2007, and earlier passed through advertising at D'Adda Lorenzini Vigorelli BBDO and consumer goods at Kraft Foods. He did a post-degree year at NYU Stern (1994–1995) and, notably, completed Silicon Valley Product Group's product management training in 2020 — a deliberate move to sharpen his product instincts mid-career. The arc is brand and media operator turned product-obsessed VC: every step moves closer to understanding how product compounds into defensible businesses. His Day 0 bets include TrueLayer, Typeform, Citymapper, Aikido Security, Plain, Oyster, and Dust — a portfolio that reads like a tour through B2B infrastructure, dev tools, and fintech. He writes occasionally on Medium at pietrobezza.medium.com, covering venture capital, product, and technology — practical takes, not thought-leadership filler.

Company

The freshest signal at Connect Ventures is the portfolio's Series A participation in Music.AI in 2026, indicating the firm is still active across follow-on rounds in its companies. On the leadership front, Nicole Quinn (ex-Lightspeed) and Michael Blank (ex-CAA) were named Managing Partners and Co-Heads as of October 2025, with Adam Friedman added as a venture partner — a notable restructuring of the firm's leadership layer. The most recent portfolio exit was Candy, acquired by Futureverse in April 2025. Connect Ventures has invested in 2 unicorns and 2 acquisitions across its portfolio, including MoonPay and Clubhouse. The firm positions itself as a lead investor at the pre-seed and seed stage, with a focus on B2B software, vertical SaaS, developer tools, data, and AI.

Market

Connect Ventures operates in a European early-stage VC market that has grown more competitive — mega-funds like a16z and Insight Partners have expanded into seed, while purpose-built European seed firms crowd the same deal flow. Financing conditions tightened through 2024–2025, pushing investors to prioritize sustainable growth over rapid expansion, which suits a firm that leads rounds and takes board seats. Geopolitical dynamics and regulatory scrutiny are reshaping capital flows across emerging markets, while AI-driven investment and IPO reopenings are creating new exit windows — both trends directly relevant to Connect Ventures' portfolio in fintech, dev tools, and AI.

Network

The claims don't surface named co-investors or collaborators beyond Connect Ventures' own leadership changes. Pietro holds board seats at TrueLayer, Typeform (via Day 0 involvement), Aikido Security, Plain, and Oyster — his network is largely built through these portfolio relationships. Nicole Quinn and Michael Blank are now his co-leads at the firm.

Nicole Quinn· Managing Partner, Connect Ventures (ex-Lightspeed)
Michael Blank· Managing Partner, Connect Ventures (ex-CAA)
Adam Friedman· Venture Partner, Connect Ventures

How they likely show up

Long tenure co-founding and running Connect Ventures since 2011 → thinks in fund cycles and portfolio arcs, not quarter-to-quarter deal flow.
Day 0 investor and board member across TrueLayer, Typeform, Aikido Security, Plain, and Oyster → goes deep with founders early and stays close; not a passive cap-table name.
Took SVPG product management training in 2020 despite being a decade into VC → actively invests in sharpening his craft; responds well to rigorous product thinking.
Arc from Kraft Foods and ad agency through media founder to product VC → has operator instincts underneath the investor lens; likely evaluates companies through a brand-and-distribution lens as much as a technical one.
Occasional Medium writer on VC, product, and technology → thoughtful but not prolific; prefers depth over volume in public output.
Focus explicitly on 'product founders' rather than technical or sales-led founders → has a specific worldview about what makes a company durable; will probe how product thinking shows up in your org.

Conversation tips

→ Reference a specific portfolio company — Plain, Oyster, or Aikido Security — and ask about the Day 0 thesis behind it; he's done the work to back these early and will have a real answer.
→ Bring a product point of view, not just a market size argument — his fund's identity is 'product VC' and he took SVPG training to live that; surface-level TAM slides will land flat.
→ His Medium writing is occasional but considered — if you've read a specific post, mention it; he'll know you actually looked.
→ Don't treat Neo Network as ancient history — the experience of building and selling a media company shapes how he thinks about founder-market fit; it's a useful thread to pull.
→ He's based in London and invests across Europe — if you have a European angle or a founder story with a cross-border dynamic, lead with it.

Toolbox

Openers

Open on Plain — he was a Day 0 investor and board member at the customer support infrastructure startup; it's a pointed early bet on B2B developer tooling and a good window into what 'product founder' means to him in practice.
Reference his SVPG product management training in 2020 — a managing partner going back to school a decade into running a fund is a specific, deliberate move worth asking about.
Lead with the Music.AI Series A participation in 2026 — it signals where Connect Ventures sees AI intersecting with creative and media, a thread that connects back to his Neo Network days.

Discovery questions

What does 'product founder' mean to you in practice — how do you distinguish that from a strong technical or sales-led founder when you're writing the first check?
You were Day 0 in Citymapper, Typeform, TrueLayer, and Dust — very different categories. Is there a single product thesis that connects those bets, or is each one its own conviction?
With Nicole Quinn and Michael Blank now co-leading the firm, how has the partnership structure at Connect Ventures changed in terms of how you divide portfolio responsibility and new deal work?

Avoid

Don't open with generic seed-stage VC talking points about founder support or value-add — he has a specific, named identity as a 'product VC' and will want to hear that you understand what that means before you get his attention.

Make it yours