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.