Brussels, 26 February 2026 – Announced in October 2025 at Bpifrance’s European Defence Week, the Defence Angels European Network (DAEN) officially launched its operations during a high-level kick-off meeting gathering strategic partners and leaders from Business Angels communities across 16 countries (Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Ukraine).
DAEN is the first pan-European Business Angels network, dedicated to strengthening investment in early-stage defence and security technologies. It aims to promote a bottom-up, citizen-led approach to financing European defence and contribute to shaping its technological future and sovereignty.
In a rapidly evolving geopolitical landscape, DAEN will facilitate cross-border investments, accelerating access to capital for early-stage European defence startups while fostering closer cooperation between investors, industry and public institutions.
The network is also designed to accompany existing Business Angel networks wishing to invest in this field, notably through co-investment opportunities and shared expertise, as well as to complement European defence innovation frameworks. Beyond investment, founders will benefit from the network’s support in navigating regulatory, export-control, and procurement environments specific to the sector.
DAEN’s newly elected Board of Directors reflects the diversity of Europe, both in its geographical scope and the profiles of its members, combining strategic leadership and operational capability. It is composed of leading figures of the European Business Angels community:
- Guy GOUREVITCH, from France, President of DAEN
- Tiina LAISI-PUHELOINEN, from Finland
- Lisa BENNEWITZ, from Germany
- Francesca NATALI, from Italy
- Viktorija TRIMBEL, from Lithuania
- Jacek BLONSKI, from Poland
- Sergio RODRIGUES, from Portugal
- Vasile TIPLE, from Romania
- Olha AFANASYEVA, from Ukraine
Responsible for overseeing DAEN’s strategy and operations, the nine Directors will be able to count on the support and expertise of the Association’s Advisory Board, on which are sitting its four main stakeholders – the two European Business Angels federations (BAE and EBAN), Défense Angels and Bpifrance – represented by:
- Reginald VOSSEN, from Belgium, President of BAE
- Petr SIMA, from Czechia, Co-Chair of EBAN’s Space & Defence Committee
- Michel BEHAR, from France, Vice-President of Défense Angels
- Gilles LE COCGUEN, from France, Director of EuroQuity at Bpifrance
With its governance fully established, DAEN enters its operational phase. The network will now focus on consolidating its European footprint, strengthening partnerships with BA networks across Europe as well as institutional and industrial stakeholders, and preparing its first coordinated, cross-border investments with the goal of investing in more than 100 startups by 2030, through a community of more than 1000 Business Angels.
“The establishment of DAEN represents a decisive step toward a more integrated and agile European investment landscape in defence technologies. By fostering cross-border cooperation among investors, DAEN seeks to become the reference for Business Angels willing to invest in Europe’s sovereign, strategic capabilities.” – Guy GOUREVITCH, President of DAEN.
About DAEN:
The Defence Angels European Network is an independent, non-profit initiative bringing together Business Angels, entrepreneurs, and innovation leaders across Europe. Supported by the two European federations of Business Angels, Bpifrance and more than 20 national or regional BA networks, it aims to provide funding and support to European startups developing key technologies for Europe’s defence and security, through pan-European cooperation, cross-border investments, and shared expertise.
Press Contact
Emmanuel ANKRI, Managing Director of DAEN