Digital sovereignty: ASML reportedly wants to make a big investment in Mistral

ASML wants to acquire a 1.3 billion euro stake in the French AI company Mistral AI and become the largest shareholder; the Dutch manufacturer of lithography systems for semiconductor production is even to be given a seat on the supervisory board. At least that is what the news agency Reuters reports, citing insiders. The move would strengthen Europe’s digital sovereignty and ensure that Mistral AI becomes the most valuable AI company in Europe, according to the report. The deal would tie two leading European tech groups together. Neither Mistral AI nor ASML were willing to comment on the report.

Total value of 10 billion or more targeted

According to Reuters, ASML’s investment is to take place as part of Mistral’s next financing round. The AI company wants to raise 1.7 billion euros and would then reach a total value of 10 billion euros. The majority of the sum would therefore come from ASML. Just last week, Bloomberg reported that Mistral is even working on reaching a total valuation of 12 billion euros through external financing. The company was only founded in 2023 and was valued at almost 6 billion euros in the most recent financing round last year.

ASML manufactures lithography systems for the production of semiconductors, and its customers include all well-known chip manufacturers such as TSMC, Samsung, Intel, GlobalFoundries, and UMC, as well as Chinese manufacturers such as SMIC. The Dutch company is the only one in the world to manufacture equipment that uses extreme ultraviolet (EUV) exposure, which is one of the reasons why it has become one of the most valuable and strategically important companies in Europe. Reuters does not write anymore about the background to the allegedly planned investment in Mistral. The news agency only adds that the Dutch group was advised by Bank of America and could become more efficient with AI tools.

(mho)