Acquisition Rumors by Apple: Élysée Contacted Mistral

Faced with rumors linking Apple to a potential acquisition of Mistral, the Élysée and the French embassy in the United States contacted the startup, which stated that no discussions had taken place at its highest level. At the same time, Apple launched Siri AI on iPhone, relying on Google's Gemini technology, without availability in the European Union. Mistral, for its part, has ramped up fundraising efforts in 2025.

The State verified the rumors and Mistral denied at the top level

According to two advisors cited by Politico, the rumors of a possible acquisition of Mistral by Apple caused panic at the highest levels of the French government. In response, the French embassy in the United States and the Élysée contacted Mistral to verify this information. The startup indicated that no discussions had taken place at the highest level of the company. Neither Apple nor Mistral has publicly confirmed these acquisition reports.

Apple launches Siri AI with Gemini, without availability in the EU

Apple has launched Siri AI on iPhone, relying on Gemini technology provided by Google. The assistant is not available in the European Union. Before this partnership, Apple reportedly considered acquiring a startup to develop this new Siri, and Mistral was among the names mentioned.

Mistral secures €1.7 billion with ASML, then €3 billion led by Samsung

In September 2025, Mistral reported a funding round of €1.7 billion, led by ASML, a Dutch company that holds a near-exclusive position in the market for advanced chip production equipment. More recently, the startup finalized a Series D round amounting to €3 billion under the leadership of Samsung, bringing its valuation to €21 billion. Following the circulation of rumors in August 2025, Mistral continued to expand its operations and raise funds. Thanks to Mistral, France is among the few nations capable of designing its own artificial intelligence models.