ASML Emerges As Largest Shareholder In Nvidia-Backed Mistral AI With $1.5 Billion Investment: Report

The leading Dutch chipmaker, ASML ASML, is reportedly set to become the primary shareholder of Nvidia NVDA-backed French AI startup Mistral AI after leading its latest funding round.ASML Invests Billions In Mistral AI To Boost European AI PowerASML is putting 1.3 billion euros ($1.5 billion) into Mistral AI's 1.7 billion euro (~$2 billion) funding round, according to Reuters. This major investment will position ASML as Mistral AI's largest shareholder, based on a pre-money valuation of 10 billion euros ($11.7 billion) in the latest Series C funding round.Check out the current price of ASML stock here.Mistral AI, often touted as France’s and Europe’s AI champion, is a key competitor to U.S. giants such as OpenAI and Google GOOG GOOGL. The investment from ASML could potentially reduce Europe’s dependence on U.S. and Chinese AI models.ASML, Mistral AI did not immediately respond to Benzinga’s request for comment.ASML, renowned for its lithography equipment crucial to advanced chip manufacturing, leverages AI to boost the efficiency of its tools. Integrating Mistral's data analytics and AI expertise could further enhance ASML's equipment and drive the creation of new products.India Focus Amid China Jitters, As Global LLM Market Heats UpThis investment comes at a time when ASML is also exploring opportunities in India amid geopolitical risks that threaten its business in China. The move to invest in Mistral AI aligns with ASML’s strategy to strengthen its position in the global tech landscape.Earlier this year, Mistral AI secured a massive funding boost of $1 billion, positioning it as a formidable global contender in the large language model (LLM) space. The global LLM market size was estimated at $5.6174 billion in 2024 and projected to reach $35.4344 billion by 2030, reflecting the immense potential of Mistral AI’s AI capabilities.Last Week, the Jeff-Bezos backed Anthropic witnessed a significant surge in its valuation. The company's worth has more than doubled, now standing at $183 billion post-money, following a $13 billion fundraise.Benzinga's Edge Rankings place ASML in the 89th percentile for quality and the 93rd percentile for growth, reflecting its strong performance in both areas. Check the detailed report here. READ NEXT: Nvidia’s Empire Just Took A Hit – Broadcom’s $10 Billion Deal Is The Plot Twist Image via Shutterstock