French President Emmanuel Macron has welcomed a major funding breakthrough for French artificial intelligence company Mistral AI, describing the development as an important step toward strengthening Europe’s position in the global AI industry.

Mistral AI has secured €3 billion in Series D funding, lifting the company’s post-money valuation to more than €21 billion. The company says the transaction represents the largest equity fundraising ever completed by a European technology company.

Macron congratulated Mistral following the announcement and highlighted the company’s ability to build strategic relationships with major industrial groups. In his message, he pointed to Mistral’s partnerships with companies such as ASML and Samsung as evidence that European technology firms can work with global industrial leaders to develop stronger AI capabilities.

Samsung Takes a Leading Role

Samsung Electronics is leading the latest investment round alongside the Scaleup Europe Fund, managed by EQT, and existing investor PSG Equity. Other investors participating in the round include BlackRock-managed funds, Luxembourg, ASML and Nvidia.

The investment marks a significant expansion of Samsung’s relationship with Mistral. The South Korean technology giant’s involvement also connects the AI company more closely with the semiconductor industry, an area that is becoming increasingly important as demand for computing power grows.

Mistral previously attracted major backing from ASML, the Dutch semiconductor equipment manufacturer. The latest Samsung-led round gives the French company support from two major industrial technology players.

Money to Expand AI Research and Computing

Mistral plans to use the new capital to accelerate frontier AI research, increase computing capacity and expand its infrastructure. The company also intends to strengthen its commercial operations and international presence.

The French AI developer says its strategy is built around open-weight AI models, infrastructure and products that allow organizations to retain greater control over their data and AI systems. It currently operates across 20 countries and says more than 125 enterprises use its technology.

The company is also investing heavily in data-centre infrastructure across Europe. Its expansion reflects a broader effort to reduce dependence on external computing infrastructure while increasing the amount of computing capacity available for training increasingly sophisticated AI models.

Macron’s Vision for European AI

Macron’s reaction places the Mistral announcement within a broader European ambition to develop competitive AI capabilities rather than relying entirely on American or Asian technology companies.

His message emphasized the idea of creating a distinct European approach to artificial intelligence by combining the strengths of European companies with international industrial partners. The French president has repeatedly promoted technological sovereignty as an important part of Europe’s economic and strategic future.

Mistral’s rapid rise has made it one of Europe’s most closely watched AI companies. Its valuation has climbed sharply from €11.7 billion following its previous major funding round to more than €21 billion.

Europe Seeks a Stronger Position in Global AI Race

The new investment comes at a time when European governments and businesses are trying to close the gap with much larger AI companies in the United States.

Mistral remains considerably smaller than leading American AI firms, but its latest fundraising demonstrates that substantial private and strategic capital is available for Europe’s AI sector. The participation of Samsung, ASML and European investment institutions also shows how AI development is increasingly connected with advanced manufacturing, semiconductors and infrastructure.

For Mistral, the challenge now will be to turn its huge financial backing into stronger AI models, useful commercial products and computing infrastructure capable of competing internationally.

Macron’s enthusiastic response suggests that the company’s progress is being viewed not simply as a business success, but as part of Europe’s wider effort to establish itself as a significant force in the global artificial intelligence landscape.