Audacia appoints Guillaume des Courtis as Partner, with a role on the Straton fund

A specific role on the Straton fund dedicated to defence

Audacia announced on September 17, 2026 the arrival of Guillaume des Courtis (40 years old) as Partner within its Capital Development division. He joins the investment team with a specific role on Straton, Audacia's fund dedicated to financing SMEs and mid-market companies in the French defence industrial and technological base (BITD).

His appointment is based on his experience in direct investment and co-investment in private equity, support for SMEs and mid-market companies and corporate governance, as well as his knowledge of the defence environment, acquired in particular within the French Navy.

More than fifteen years in investment and finance

A graduate of EDHEC Business School, Guillaume des Courtis began his career in 2008 in M&A and private equity at Société Générale, before joining Jaccar Holdings' teams in Vietnam. He then joined the French Navy as an aspirant officer, and after training at the Naval Academy, served in French Polynesia. From 2011 to 2016, he worked at Eight Advisory on more than 35 Transaction Services and Corporate Restructuring operations, before joining EPI as head of investments.

Since 2019, he was director in charge of unlisted activities at Pergam, an independent asset management company managing 1 billion euros in assets, where he was a member of the executive committee and led an investment team of three people. Olivier de Panafieu, chief executive officer of Audacia, indicates that Guillaume des Courtis will have "a key role in the deployment of Straton and in supporting strategic companies" in the defence industrial and technological base.