French AI startup Mistral announced a €1.2 billion ($1.43 billion) investment in Sweden to develop AI data centers, advanced compute capacity, and localized AI capabilities. The initiative aims to bolster Europe’s technological sovereignty amid rising geopolitical tensions and rapid AI adoption.
Founded in 2023, Mistral has become one of Europe’s top AI companies, raising €1.7 billion in September at an €11.7 billion valuation, with contributions from ASML, Nvidia, Microsoft, DST Global, Andreessen Horowitz, and other investors. The company initially focused on large language models and has since expanded into the infrastructure needed to support AI workloads. Its Mistral Compute platform offers integrated GPUs, APIs, and managed platform-as-a-service solutions.
The Swedish investment, Mistral’s first outside France, will be carried out in partnership with EcoDataCenter, with facilities planned to open in 2027. The location benefits from cooler temperatures and low energy costs, ideal for large-scale AI compute. Arthur Mensch, Mistral CEO, said the project reinforces Europe’s strategic autonomy and lays the foundation for a European AI cloud for industries, researchers, and public institutions. The investment positions Mistral alongside other major AI infrastructure expansions in Europe, such as OpenAI’s upcoming data center in Norway.
