Mistral AI’s First Data Centre in France: Everything We Know So Far
As the Global AI Summit kicks off in Paris, Mistral AI—one of France’s leading AI disruptors—has unveiled plans for its first data centre. Co-founder Arthur Mensch announced an investment of “several billion euros” in the facility, emphasizing how control over storage and processing power will be critical in the competitive AI race.
In early 2024, Mistral AI secured €600 million in funding, led by General Catalyst, boosting its valuation to €6 billion. This significant backing underscores the company’s ambitions to establish itself as a key player in AI infrastructure.
The Strategic Investment in Essonne
Mistral AI’s upcoming data centre, set to be located in Essonne, in the Île-de-France region, is part of Project Eclairion—an ultra-secure, scalable facility spanning several thousand square meters. The investment, estimated in the billions, will power the training of next-generation AI models using high-performance chips, enabling Mistral to develop more advanced generative AI systems.
Beyond performance, the data centre will help Mistral AI gain full control over its AI stack—from hardware to software—reducing reliance on US cloud giants like AWS and Microsoft. Mensch acknowledges Europe’s funding gap compared to the US but remains confident in the region’s AI talent. His vision: build high-quality AI products that attract global investment.
Aligned with Europe’s sustainability goals, Mistral’s data centre will operate on low-carbon energy sources, primarily nuclear power. The location offers proximity to Paris while ensuring ample space for expansion and collaboration with tech firms and research institutions.
Pioneering AI Innovation with Le Chat
Mistral AI recently launched Le Chat, a chatbot that outperforms ChatGPT in key areas, including:
- Superior understanding of the French language and European cultural context
- Enhanced privacy and transparency with open models
- Faster performance, generating up to 1,000 words per second
A key partnership with Cerebras Systems, backed by UAE tech giant G42, has enabled Mistral to integrate wafer-scale compute technology into Le Chat. This innovation powers Flash Answers, delivering up to 1,100 tokens per second using speculative decoding techniques.
Mensch is on a mission to demystify AI, encouraging wider adoption:
“It’s not black magic! Learning AI today is like mastering PCs 20 years ago or smartphones a decade ago. AI is here to assist, not replace, human interactions.”
Strengthening France’s AI Leadership
Mistral AI’s investment reflects France’s broader ambitions to become a leading AI and data infrastructure hub. The French government has announced €109 billion in AI investments, while Canadian fund Brookfield Asset Management plans to inject €20 billion into the country’s AI ecosystem over the next five years. Other major players, including Iliad SA, Orange SA, and Thales SA, are also ramping up AI investments.
By establishing its own infrastructure, Mistral AI is not only reinforcing its independence but also driving innovation and R&D in Europe. This move positions France as an emerging AI powerhouse, blending technological advancement with sustainability.
