ASML Invests €1.3B in Mistral AI, Becomes Top Shareholder

ASML Holding NV (AS:ASML), the world’s leading supplier of advanced lithography equipment, has announced a €1.3 billion ($1.5 billion) investment in French startup Mistral AI. The deal, part of Mistral’s Series C funding round, secures ASML an 11% stake, making it the largest shareholder. This fundraising values Mistral at around €10 billion ($11.7 billion), positioning it as Europe’s most valuable AI company.

Alongside the investment, ASML has formed a strategic partnership with Mistral to integrate artificial intelligence models into its product portfolio and research operations. The collaboration aims to accelerate innovation in semiconductor technology, a field where AI-driven demand is reshaping the industry. ASML CFO Roger Dassen will also join Mistral’s strategic committee, strengthening ties between the two firms.

Mistral AI, founded in 2023 by Arthur Mensch (ex-Google DeepMind) and former Meta researchers Timothee Lacroix and Guillaume Lample, has quickly emerged as a leading European competitor to U.S. AI giants like OpenAI and Google. The company attracted global attention after raising $6 billion in its Series B round in 2024, with NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA) among its key backers.

For ASML, which supplies cutting-edge chipmaking tools to TSMC (NYSE:TSM) and Intel (NASDAQ:INTC), the move highlights its strategy to harness AI not only in chip design but also across manufacturing processes. With the AI boom driving massive semiconductor demand, this partnership strengthens Europe’s technological ecosystem and positions both companies at the forefront of next-generation innovation.

By aligning with Mistral, ASML reinforces its role as a global semiconductor leader while supporting Europe’s ambition to develop its own AI powerhouse capable of rivaling Silicon Valley.