Guillaume HAVILAND

I am a retired French Army Major with a decade of operational experience. Originally a math and computer geek, I trained as an engineer and have always been fascinated by how rapidly technology reshapes both our habits, our works and our societies.

I joined the French Army in 2011 during the height of the war on terrorism, where I learned duty, accountability, resilience, and the mechanics of power and geopolitics. Since 2015, I have led simple and ordinary men in complex and challenging situations across three continents and advised France’s highest authorities on sovereign and strategic matters.

My path to venture capital stems from a clear conclusion: governments lack the structure to adopt military breakthourgh innovation at the pace required and only private capital, through the Darwinism of markets, can scale the technologies that matter to support European Resilience.

Today, I combine military expertise with entrepreneurial insight to back European founders solving mission-critical challenges. I have integrated emerging technologies (drones, electronic warfare, and intelligence systems) into real operations and witnessed the gaps that needs to be filled. I bring that hands-on understanding to the founders I support.

Educated at the Special Military School of Saint-Cyr (MSc in Engineering, 2014) and INSEAD (MBA, 2026), I was recognised as a top performer among French officers and now serve as a mentor for the EU Defence Innovation Scheme and other structures supporting our founders.

Outside of work, I am an avid mountaineer and reader, exploring subjects from science fiction to philosophy.

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