Samsung Reportedly Considers Investment in Mistral AI at €20 Billion Valuation

 

Photo Credit: REUTERS

South Korea’s Samsung Electronics is in talks to invest hundreds of millions of euros in artificial intelligence startup Mistral as part of a funding round that could value the Paris-based group at roughly €20 billion ($22.81 billion), the Financial Times reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter.

Samsung, which previously backed the startup through its venture capital arm, could invest about €1 billion ($1.14 billion) in the new fundraising cycle, according to one of the sources cited by the Financial Times. Swedish investment firm EQT is also in discussions to back the funding round through its Scaleup Europe Fund, the report added.

Reuters reported that it could not immediately verify the details of the Financial Times report. Representatives for Samsung, Mistral, and EQT did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The reported discussions follow Microsoft's announcement on Tuesday that it plans an expanded partnership featuring a "multibillion-dollar commitment" toward Mistral’s AI computing infrastructure in Europe. That deal is also structured to expand the distribution of the French startup’s technology through Microsoft's Azure cloud platforms.

Mistral supplies artificial intelligence models to European organizations, including the French military, and has presented itself as a European alternative to major U.S. technology conglomerates as governments in the region push for greater technological independence.

According to Reuters, interest in sovereign AI capacity has grown across Europe following a U.S. regulatory decision last month that paused foreign access to advanced models from San Francisco-based Anthropic. Despite its rapid valuation growth, Mistral’s market capitalization remains smaller than major U.S. peers such as Anthropic.

Separately, Samsung stated publicly in April that it would consider strategic investments and acquisitions where necessary to accelerate development and commercialization in robotics while partnering with local companies for technology development.

Reporting Basis & Source Attribution

• Primary Source: Reuters report based on an exclusive report by the Financial Times (Reporting by Preetika Parashuraman in Bengaluru; Editing by Janane Venkatraman).

• Original Report Referenced by Reuters: Financial Times reporting citing people familiar with the ongoing discussions.

• Secondary Sourcing: Official statements by Microsoft regarding infrastructure agreements, and public corporate disclosures from Samsung Electronics.