Sign up to save tools and stay up to date with the latest in AI
bg
bg
1

Mistral’s origin story has an insuretech founder at its heart | TechCrunch

Jan 27, 2025 - techcrunch.com
Mistral, a prominent French AI startup valued at $6 billion, has gained attention for its work on foundation models in Europe. Jean-Charles Samuelian-Werve, co-founder and CEO of health insurance company Alan, has played a significant role as a co-founding advisor to Mistral. Samuelian-Werve's early recognition of the AI boom led him to pivot from creating an AI non-profit to co-founding Mistral with Arthur Mensch and others. He was instrumental in securing investment for Mistral, including from Lightspeed and Xavier Niel, who also funded Kyutai, an open-source AI research lab. Alan, which covers over 680,000 people, has integrated AI into its services, launching an AI-powered chatbot called Mo in November 2024.

Mistral and Alan maintain a close relationship, with their offices located near each other in Paris and regular strategic meetings between Samuelian-Werve and Mensch. Despite speculation about a potential sale, both have stated that Mistral is not for sale. The connection between the two companies is expected to be discussed at the upcoming AI Action Summit in Paris. Romain Dillet, a Senior Reporter at TechCrunch, has covered this story, highlighting his expertise in the European tech scene and his history of identifying significant startups and tech trends.

Key takeaways:

  • Jean-Charles Samuelian-Werve, co-founder of Alan, played a significant role in the founding and growth of Mistral, a major AI company in Europe.
  • Samuelian-Werve's early interest in AI led him to connect with key investors and advisors, contributing to Mistral's $6 billion valuation.
  • Alan, a health insurance company, has integrated AI into its services, including the launch of an AI-powered chatbot called Mo.
  • Mistral and Alan maintain a close relationship, with shared office space and regular strategic meetings between Samuelian-Werve and Mistral's co-founder Arthur Mensch.
View Full Article

Comments (0)

Be the first to comment!