Guillaume HAVILAND

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

I joined the French Army in 2011 during the height of the war on terrorism, where I learned duty, accountability and resilience, as well as 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 structures and speed to adopt breakthrough military innovation at the pace required, and only private capital, through the Darwinism of markets and growth, can scale the technologies that truly strengthen 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 first-hand the gaps that still need to be filled, bringing that practical understanding to the founders I support.

Educated at the Special Military School of Saint-Cyr (MSc, 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, traveller and reader, exploring subjects from science fiction to philosophy.

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