ASML invests $1.5 billion in OpenAIs European rival Mistral AI to accelerate future chip design

Date:
Sat, 13 Sep 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Description:
ASML takes 11% stake in Mistral AI through 1.3 billion funding round to integrate advanced AI into its chip equipment design and operations.

FULL STORY ======================================================================ASML invests 1.3 billion in French startup Mistral AI, securing an 11 percent
stake Partnership will apply AI to ASMLs research development and lithography system operations Mistral AI gains funding and a European partner as
valuation rises to 11.7 billion

ASML Holding NV has signed a strategic partnership with French startup
Mistral AI, looking to combine its chipmaking expertise with Mistrals artificial intelligence models.

The move is one of the largest collaborations between the semiconductor
sector and a European AI firm.

ASML, based in Veldhoven in the Netherlands, is the worlds only supplier of extreme ultraviolet lithography machines, critical for producing the most advanced chips. Its equipment is used by leading semiconductor companies to manufacture processors for smartphones, data centers, and AI accelerators.
1.3 billion funding

Although ASML occasionally invests in suppliers, it rarely takes direct
stakes in startups.

Mistral AI, founded in 2023 and headquartered in Paris, develops LLMs and open-source AI tools. It is viewed as the European alternative to US AI darlings such as OpenAI and Anthropic, and counts Microsoft among its
existing investors .

As part of the deal, ASML will invest 1.3 billion ($1.5 billion) in Mistrals Series C funding round, leading the raise and securing an 11 percent stake on a fully diluted basis.

The round will bring Mistrals valuation to 11.7 billion ($12.6 billion).

The partnership aims to apply AI models across ASMLs research, development, and operations.

The collaboration could improve the performance of ASMLs lithography systems and help chipmakers bring products to market faster.

The collaboration between Mistral AI and ASML aims to generate clear benefits for ASML customers through innovative products and solutions enabled by AI, and will offer potential for joint research to address future opportunities, said ASML President and Chief Executive Officer Christophe Fouquet.

We believe that this strategic partnership with Mistral AI, which goes beyond a traditional vendor-client relationship, is the best way to capture this significant opportunity. We also believe that this collaboration is value enhancing to Mistral AI.

Arthur Mensch, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Mistral AI, agreed, saying: We are proud to engage in this long-term partnership with ASML, combining our frontier AI expertise with ASMLs unmatched industrial
leadership and most sophisticated engineering capabilities. We believe this partnership will strengthen Mistral AIs proposition, position, and value in the AI market. Together, we will accelerate technological progress across the global semi-conductor and AI value chain. You might also like Here's what ASML's machine that will build your next laptop CPU looks like Could this be bigger than OpenAI? Microsoft invests billions in French startup Survey shows almost a third of AI teams now use non-Nvidia hardware



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/pro/asml-invests-usd1-5-billion-in-openais-european- rival-mistral-ai-to-accelerate-future-chip-design


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