ASML Pumps $1.5B into Europe’s Rising AI Star, Mistral
Dutch semiconductor equipment titan, ASML, has made a record-breaking €1.3 billion ($1.5 billion) investment in French AI startup, Mistral AI. This move not only makes ASML the largest shareholder of Mistral with an 11% stake, but also marks a significant milestone in Mistral’s €1.7 billion Series C funding round. The investment catapults the valuation of the two-year-old company to a staggering €11.7 billion.
This landmark deal positions Mistral as Europe’s most valuable AI company and signifies a strategic thrust towards European technological independence. ASML, renowned for producing essential lithography equipment for advanced chip manufacturing, plans to incorporate Mistral’s AI prowess into its product range. This integration aims to boost semiconductor development processes.
The alliance unites two tech leaders within the same value chain – ASML’s sophisticated chip-making machinery and Mistral’s cutting-edge AI models. ASML CFO Roger Dassen is set to join Mistral’s strategic committee. The collaboration’s primary goal is to expedite AI-driven breakthroughs in semiconductor manufacturing and lessen Europe’s reliance on US and Chinese AI ecosystems.
For more details on this strategic partnership, visit the official ASML press release.