Samsung is in advanced talks to invest as much as €1 billion in French AI laboratory Mistral, according to reports from the Financial Times. The investment would be part of a broader funding round valuing the Paris-based company at approximately €20 billion—nearly doubling the €11.7 billion valuation that semiconductor equipment maker ASML anchored earlier this year.
The potential stake represents one of the largest investments by a major tech conglomerate in a European AI startup and signals intensifying competition for access to leading artificial intelligence research. Mistral, founded by former Google DeepMind and Meta researchers, has quickly established itself as Europe’s primary contender in the global AI race through its series of open-weight and proprietary models.
Samsung’s interest in Mistral extends beyond financial returns. The Korean electronics giant has been aggressively expanding its AI infrastructure capabilities, from chip manufacturing to consumer devices. Partnering with Mistral would provide Samsung with cutting-edge AI technology potentially integrated into its smartphones, appliances, and enterprise services.
The investment would build on Samsung’s existing venture capital relationship with Mistral, through which the company’s venture arm has previously backed the French startup. The new commitment would substantially increase that footprint and mark one of the largest foreign investments in a European AI company to date.
If completed, the deal would position Mistral among Europe’s most valuable private AI companies, alongside Anthropic and OpenAI in valuation terms. The investment would also deepen the strategic ties between French AI ambition and Korean technology manufacturing—a combination that could reshape competitive dynamics in the global AI landscape.
The news comes amid heightened M&A activity in the AI sector, with major corporations seeking strategic stakes in promising labs. Mistral has attracted interest from multiple suitors following its rapid rise from startup to European AI champion in under three years.