asml bets big on ai: $1.5 billion stake in mistral ai
new york, Monday, 8 September 2025.
asml is making a significant move into the artificial intelligence arena. The semiconductor equipment giant will become the largest shareholder in mistral ai. This investment of $1.5 billion values the french startup at nearly $12 billion. asml secures a board seat. The deal positions mistral ai as europe’s most valuable ai company. The investment aims to strengthen european tech sovereignty in the ai sector.
Strategic implications for asml
The investment provides ASML with a strategic foothold in the rapidly expanding AI sector [2]. ASML could leverage Mistral AI’s data analytics and AI capabilities to improve its own operations [2]. This move signals ASML’s intent to diversify beyond its core business of semiconductor manufacturing equipment [3]. The company’s technological leadership may be strengthened through the integration of AI solutions developed by Mistral AI [2]. ASML’s stock (NASDAQ: ASML) is viewed by some analysts as a strong buy, despite being down more than 30% from its all-time high in July 2024 [5].
market position and order book
ASML’s investment occurs during a period when its sales to major economies have been affected by export restrictions [5]. Despite these restrictions, ASML generated €7.7 billion in sales in Q2 2025 [5]. The company anticipates sales between €7.4 billion and €7.9 billion for Q3 2025 [5]. The investment in Mistral AI could potentially open new revenue streams for ASML, offsetting some of the impact from export limitations [2][5]. Furthermore, the partnership could enhance ASML’s competitive edge by incorporating AI into its product offerings [2].
valuation and financial details
Mistral AI’s pre-money valuation in this Series C funding round is €10 billion ($11.7 billion) [2]. ASML’s €1.3 billion ($1.5 billion) investment is part of Mistral AI’s €1.7 billion (~$2 billion) fundraise [1][2]. Mistral AI was valued at over $6 billion after its Series B funding round in 2024 [2]. Reports in August 2025 indicated Mistral AI was in talks to raise $1 billion at a $10 billion valuation, while other reports suggested a $14 billion valuation [2]. Bank of America advised ASML on its investment in Mistral [2].