Samsung is in talks to invest in Mistral AI, a French start-up developing artificial intelligence models. According to the *Financial Times*, the South Korean conglomerate may allocate around €1 billion for this purpose. The deal would form part of a larger funding round that could value Mistral at around €20 billion. Scaleup Europe, a fund owned by EQT, is also considering participating in the funding.
For the time being, it is not certain that the investment will go ahead. Reuters has not independently confirmed the FT’s reports, and neither Samsung nor Mistral has issued an official comment. The final amount and terms of the deal may therefore still change.
However, the potential valuation highlights the rapid rise in the French company’s prominence. In September 2025, Mistral raised €1.7 billion at a valuation of €11.7 billion. If the current talks are successful, the start-up’s value will rise by around 70 per cent in less than a year.
For Samsung, the investment would be more than just a capital outlay. The group is a major supplier of semiconductors and memory used in AI infrastructure. Closer cooperation with Mistral could combine the Korean company’s hardware capabilities with European software. Samsung has already supported the start-up through its venture capital fund.
News of the talks emerged the day after Mistral announced an expanded partnership with Microsoft. The US firm has pledged to spend billions on the French company’s European computing infrastructure. Its models are also set to be more widely available across Microsoft’s services, including via Azure and enterprise-focused tools.
Mistral is increasingly positioning itself as a European alternative to the largest US AI providers. The company’s growth is part of the European debate on greater control over data, infrastructure and key technologies. Even with a valuation of €20 billion, it will remain smaller than its leading US competitors, but it could become a significant player in the European artificial intelligence market.
