Mistral, a French artificial intelligence startup, recently announced plans to invest "several billion euros" in building its first data center in France. This move aims to fully control the core capabilities of data storage and processing. The significant decision was revealed by Arthur Mensch, the company's co-founder and CEO, ahead of the Paris AI Summit scheduled to take place from February 10th to 11th, 2025. During the event, leaders from various countries and tech elites will gather to discuss the future development roadmap for artificial intelligence.
Arthur Mensch emphasized that Mistral is committed to controlling the entire AI value chain, from hardware infrastructure to software applications, to achieve comprehensive management. This strategic layout aligns with the French government's initiative to establish a data center hub. With abundant low-carbon nuclear energy resources and ample development land, France is actively attracting global major investors.
Notably, just last week, Mistral launched its self-developed AI assistant, "Le Chat." This innovative achievement quickly received praise from French President Emmanuel Macron, who enthusiastically wrote on social media: "Vive Le Chat!" Furthermore, the French government has provided strong support to this startup through a series of new contracts, establishing collaborations with the Ministry of Armed Forces and the public employment agency, France Travail.
In terms of computing power, Mistral has received substantial assistance from Cerebras, a Silicon Valley company. As a leading player in the AI training field, Cerebras competes fiercely with Nvidia and specializes in providing efficient AI inference services.
Earlier, during the World Economic Forum (WEF), Mensch disclosed in an interview with Bloomberg that Mistral is actively preparing for its initial public offering (IPO). He clearly stated: "We have no intention of selling the company." Additionally, Mensch announced that Mistral plans to open a new office in Singapore to further strengthen its position in the rapidly growing Asia-Pacific market. The company also intends to continue expanding its business footprint in Europe and the United States, firmly advancing its mission to compete with industry giants like OpenAI.
