Defacto Strengthens Its Governance as Growth Accelerates

Paris, 23 June 2026 — Defacto, the fintech specialising in short-term financing for SMEs, announces the appointment of Alain Demarolle and Nicolas Benhamou-Rondeau to its Supervisory Board, effective 1 July 2026.

Defacto is scaling rapidly, underpinned by mature and proven technology

These appointments come as the company has firmly established the viability of its model. Through its multichannel approach — whether direct or embedded into B2B software platforms — Defacto has financed more than 20,000 SMEs for more than €1.5 billion in four years.

The recent expansion of its product suite, including a 6-month financing product and a credit card, demonstrates that the platform is both multichannel and multi-product. This has translated into strong growth in both the customer base and business volumes since the start of the year.

Defacto already holds a distinctive competitive advantage through its unique regulatory status, as the only B2B fintech in France to hold a specialist financing institution licence from the ACPR, France's banking and insurance supervisor.

The company is also expanding beyond its own balance sheet, offering traditional financial institutions access to its technology under a white-label model. Société Générale Factoring is the first client of this offering, with further partnerships in the pipeline.

Alain Demarolle appointed Chair of the Supervisory Board

Alain Demarolle brings over 35 years of international experience in capital markets, including senior roles at Salomon Smith Barney and Bear Stearns, as well as chairmanships of leading European institutions including LCH Clearnet SA, My Money Group and iQera. Founder of Alura Capital, an investment firm specialising in financial services, he currently co-chairs the Franco-German task force on the future of digital finance, established at the initiative of the French and German Finance Ministers.

"I am thrilled to join Defacto because what I see here is a rare combination: a robust business model, a world-class technology infrastructure and a coherent European ambition."
— Alain Demarolle, Chair of Defacto's Supervisory Board

Nicolas Benhamou-Rondeau joins the Supervisory Board

Nicolas Benhamou-Rondeau is Managing Director and EMEA Head of FIG Clients Coverage at SMBC Bank EU AG. Over the course of his career he has held senior positions at Société Générale, Citibank, and AXA, where he served as Group Treasurer, before joining the executive committee of Alma to oversee financing and risk management strategy. His background gives him deep expertise in the governance and financing of financial institutions, risk management and supporting high-growth fintechs.

"Defacto has proven its ability to build a high-performing financing platform in a demanding environment. I am delighted to join the Supervisory Board at such a pivotal stage in the company's development and to contribute to strategic thinking on risk management, financing and growth."
— Nicolas Benhamou-Rondeau, Supervisory Board of Defacto

A word from Jordane Giuly, CEO

"In just a few years, we have built a technology-driven financing infrastructure that combines rapid growth with state-of-the-art AI, while maintaining a rigorous approach to risk. Alain and Nicolas bring together exactly the expertise we need: banking models, risk management, capital markets and the operational realities of a scaling business. Their experience is a genuine asset as Defacto enters its next chapter."
— Jordane Giuly, CEO & Co-founder of Defacto

About Defacto

Defacto is the short-term credit platform for SMEs. A financing institution licensed by the ACPR, it gives businesses access to short-term funding in just a few clicks: invoice financing, supplier payments, flexible credit, credit card. Founded in 2021 by Jordane Giuly, Morgan O'Hana and Marc-Henri Gires, Defacto has financed more than 20,000 SMEs for over €1.5 billion.

‍