Recently, sources have revealed that ASML, the Dutch semiconductor equipment giant, will become the largest shareholder of the French artificial intelligence startup Mistral AI. This move aims to strengthen Europe's technological sovereignty and provide strong financial support for Mistral AI's future development.
ASML will conduct a funding round for Mistral AI, with an amount as high as 1.7 billion euros (approximately 2 billion US dollars), of which ASML will invest 1.3 billion euros (about 1.5 billion US dollars). This funding will increase Mistral AI's valuation to 10 billion euros (about 11.7 billion US dollars) after the financing, making it the most valuable artificial intelligence company in Europe. At the same time, ASML is expected to have a seat on Mistral AI's board of directors.
Image source note: The image was generated by AI, and the image licensing service provider is Midjourney
Mistral AI has been considered a leader in the AI field in France and throughout Europe since its establishment, with competitors including OpenAI and Google in the United States. This investment will enable ASML to build a closer relationship with Mistral AI, further reducing Europe's reliance on American artificial intelligence models. ASML's lithography equipment is crucial for advanced chip manufacturing, and the company also uses artificial intelligence technology to improve equipment efficiency. Through collaboration with Mistral AI, ASML will have the opportunity to further enhance the performance of its equipment and develop more products, creating a win-win situation.
It is worth noting that Mistral AI was founded in 2023, and its founding team includes Arthur Mensch, a former researcher at DeepMind, and Timothée Lacroix and Guillaume Lample, former researchers at Meta. Mistral AI has previously received investments from NVIDIA and achieved a valuation of over 6 billion US dollars in its B-round financing last year.
This funding not only demonstrates ASML's confidence in Mistral AI but also injects new vitality into the development of the European AI industry. In the future, as this investment takes effect, the collaboration between Mistral AI and ASML may lead to Europe's rise in global technological competition.
