Samsung mulls major investment in AI startup Mistral at €20 billion valuation

Based in Paris, Mistral is one of the hottest AI startups in Europe. It's routinely talked about with the same reverence as some of the other leading AI startups, many of which are based in the United States.

Earlier reports have suggested that there's something cooking between Samsung and Mistral. A new report suggests that Samsung may soon invest a significant sum in Mistral at a €20 billion valuation for the startup.

Mistral AI CEO Arthur Mensch made a visit to Samsung's Hwaseong campus in South Korea earlier this year. He met with the company's top executives during his trip, including semiconductor business head Jun Young-hyun and Jay Y. Lee, the organization's top boss.

That visit may have revolved around semiconductors, including memory chips and the manufacturing of custom AI chips. If Mistral was to ever design one, it would need a foundry partner to make them.

The collaboration might end up being more than that. The Financial Times reports that Samsung is in discussions to invest in Mistral. It would become a part of the fund raising round that could value the AI startup at €20 billion. Samsung's likely investment in Mistral could be €1 billion.

An investment at this scale would provide Samsung with a significant stake in one of the leading AI startups in the region. There hasn't been a confirmation of the deal from either Mistral or Samsung as yet, though.