Amid rising global competition in artificial intelligence, Samsung is reportedly in discussions to invest hundreds of millions of euros in French AI startup Mistral as part of a new fundraising round that could value the company at around €20 billion. According to a report, Samsung’s investment could reach nearly €1 billion, while Swedish investor EQT’s Scaleup Europe Fund is also in talks to participate in the funding round.
The reported discussions come as Samsung continues to strengthen its AI strategy. In April, the company said it would consider investments and acquisitions to accelerate the development and commercialisation of robotics while partnering with local companies for technology innovation. Samsung has not commented on the report, while Mistral has declined to comment.
The fundraising discussions follow Microsoft’s announcement of a multi-billion-dollar investment in Mistral’s AI computing infrastructure across Europe. The partnership will also expand the availability of Mistral’s AI technology through Microsoft’s cloud and software platforms.
Mistral has positioned itself as a European alternative to major U.S. AI companies and already supplies AI technology to the French military. The company has gained attention as European governments push for greater technological independence and reduced reliance on U.S.-based AI providers.
Despite its rapid growth, Mistral’s valuation remains significantly lower than leading U.S. AI companies such as Anthropic. Interest in sovereign AI has also increased after the U.S. temporarily paused foreign access to 2 advanced AI models developed by Anthropic, prompting many countries to strengthen their own AI ecosystems.
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