ASML became the major shareholder of the "European OpenAI."

ASML became the major shareholder of the "European OpenAI."

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ASML invests 1.3 billion euros in Mistral AI, becoming the largest shareholder of the French AI unicorn.

On Monday, according to media reports, Dutch semiconductor equipment giant ASML will invest 1.3 billion euros (1.5 billion USD) in French artificial intelligence startup Mistral AI, becoming the largest shareholder of this AI company competing with OpenAI and Google. This deal marks a significant strategic move for Europe in the field of AI.

According to sources cited by the media on Sunday, ASML is contributing the majority of funds in Mistral AI's 1.7 billion euro funding round and will obtain a seat on the board. This will significantly enhance the Dutch company's influence in the AI value chain.

This round of financing will bring Mistral's valuation to 12 billion euros, making it the most valuable AI company in Europe. This valuation is based on its pre-funding valuation of 10 billion USD.

The cooperation between these two leading European tech companies will help reduce Europe's dependence on US AI models, while also providing ASML with data analysis and AI capabilities to improve its equipment performance.

ASML increases AI investment, Mistral's valuation surges

ASML's significant investment in Mistral AI demonstrates the global lithography leader’s strategic focus on the AI sector. By taking the main share in the 1.7 billion euro funding round, ASML will not only become Mistral's largest shareholder but will also gain a board seat, holding significant influence in corporate governance.

This 1.3 billion euro investment is of great significance to ASML. As a core supplier of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, ASML, through its investment in an AI company, can better understand and anticipate trends in AI chip technology development, providing critical insight for its future equipment R&D.

Mistral is finalizing a 2 billion euro investment that will bring its valuation to 12 billion euros. This valuation is double the 5.8 billion euros it achieved in June 2024, reflecting investor optimism about the prospects of this French AI company.

Since its founding, Mistral has raised more than 1 billion euros, with investors including Andreessen Horowitz, General Catalyst, Lightspeed Venture Partners, the French public investment bank Bpifrance, BNP Paribas, and other globally renowned organizations. This is the company's first major round of financing since June 2024.

In addition, Mistral has recently held discussions regarding hundreds of millions of euros in debt financing for its French AI cloud service "Mistral Compute," developed in cooperation with Nvidia, with French lending institutions including Bpifrance.

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