Financing defense companies with popular savings: this was the idea brought by senators a year ago, during the vote of a law aimed at stinging part of the booklet A to this industry. This text was finally dismissed by the government, but the subject returns to the front of the stage with the creation of Souvtech Invest. This platform, created by a handful of defense and finance specialists, is based on the architecture of entrepreneurs, an actor in crowdfunding (crowdfunding) since 2016.
It aims to connect investors and start-ups, SMEs and ETIs of the industrial and technological defense database (BitD), a set that covers these companies contributing to design and produce equipment for the armies. A fabric of small innovative actors, hidden behind the listed behemoths that are Thales, Safran or Dassault Aviation. “It is an unknown sector, which suffers from a financing deficit, when it needs massive investments to follow the developments in terms of innovation and for reindustrialize The country in a context of return of crises in the world, “said Pierre-Elie Frossard, one of the co-founders, who also hopes to help improve the armed nation link.
Risky placement
Two first files have been accessible since the end of January: the manufacturer of EHP2 drone engines and the company Novadditive, specialized in 3D printing of ceramic parts, used in particular in space. In these two cases, the investment offered is in equity, for a profitability target of 15 % annualized over a period of four to five years. But the platform will also be able to finance more established actors seeking to raise debt to support their expansion. The proposed interest rate should then be around 10 %. The only activity excluded from the platform: manufacturers of lethal weapons such as shells, missiles or small caliber weapons. “From an ethical point of view, it’s more delicate,” recognizes Pierre-Elie Frossard.
Souvtech Invest is open to individuals from a few hundred euros, an amount allowing to invest in a measured and diversified way in this risky placement. She also established partnerships with two Business Angels networks, Defense Angels and Aerospace Angels, and targets the wealth management advisers to raise larger amounts. Five new files are currently being studied to complete the offer.