Industry sources reported on April 5, 2026 that executives from Samsung Electronics and French AI startup Mistral AI discussed potential cooperation in the AI memory sector.
Arthur Mensch, co-founder and CEO of Mistral AI, meets with Jeon Young-hyun (also known as Jun Young-hyun), vice chairman and head of Samsung’s Device Solutions (DS) division, at Samsung’s Hwaseong campus in Gyeonggi province on Thursday (April 2 or 3, 2026). The main focus of the meeting was on the AI chip supply chain, advanced memory technologies, and broader semiconductor collaboration to support Mistral’s growing AI infrastructure.
Mensch’s visit to South Korea coincided with French President Emmanuel Macron’s state visit to Seoul, where he held talks with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung. Mensch also attended a state banquet hosted by President Lee, during which he met Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong (Jay Y. Lee).
Mistral AI, often described as the European answer to OpenAI, is actively engaged in securing a steady supply of high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and other semiconductors to power its large language models—including Mistral Large—and expand its AI infrastructure amid tough global chip market conditions. Samsung, as a leading manufacturer of memory chips, is being seen as a key potential partner.
These discussions come on the heels of AMD CEO Lisa Su’s visit to South Korea in March 2026; During that trip, he met with Samsung executives, government officials and representatives of Korean AI startup Upstage, with the aim of strengthening AI partnerships. An industry source said it appears Mistral is following the same path to ensure reliable supply of chips.
The government of South Korea is actively promoting AI cooperation. During Su’s visit, he met with Im Moon-young (Vice Chairman of the National AI Strategy Committee) and Ha Jung-woo (Secretary to the President for AI Policy), and discussed ways to establish South Korea as one of the world’s top three AI powers through open ecosystems and industrial synergy.
Mistral’s approach with Samsung reflects the intensifying global race for AI hardware. Due to the increasing demand for high-performance memory, European AI companies are expanding their suppliers to sources beyond the traditional leading suppliers of the US and Asia. No formal agreement has been announced yet, but high-level meetings indicate there is strong interest in establishing deeper connections between Samsung’s semiconductor expertise and Mistral’s AI ambitions.
The development underscores South Korea’s strategic efforts to become a superpower in the AI field and promote international cooperation in critical technologies.
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