Samsung negotiates up to €1 billion investment in French AI startup Mistral

Samsung Electronics is in advanced talks to place an investment of up to €1 billion in Mistral AI, a French generative‑AI company that was valued at roughly €200 million in its latest funding round and could soon reach a €20 billion valuation. The potential deal, reported by the Financial Times, would be one of Samsung’s largest direct investments in Europe’s AI sector and may involve other investors such as EQT Scale‑up Europe Fund.

If the investment proceeds, Samsung could expand the partnership beyond capital to supply high‑bandwidth memory (HBM) and server‑grade DRAM for Mistral’s data‑centre projects. Mistral, founded three years ago, counts European defence agencies among its customers and is positioned as a strategic alternative to U.S. AI providers, aligning with Europe’s push for technological sovereignty.

Both parties have declined to comment, and no official confirmation of the transaction has been made. The negotiations come as other major tech firms, including Microsoft, deepen ties with Mistral, underscoring the growing geopolitical importance of AI infrastructure.