French AI Startup Mistral AI Raises $415 Million and Opens Up Platform
Mistral AI, a French startup aiming to rival OpenAI, has secured a massive $415 million in funding and launched its commercial platform. This comes only six months after their $112 million seed round, demonstrating the incredible investor interest in the company’s open-source approach to generative AI.
Mistral AI Key points:
- Funding:
- $415 million raised in Series A round led by Andreessen Horowitz.
- Investors include Lightspeed Venture Partners, Salesforce, BNP Paribas, and others.
- Open-source models:
- Mistral 7B released as a free download with 7 billion parameters.
- New Mixtral 8x7B model combines 45 billion parameters with routing technology for efficient processing.
- Both models released under Apache 2.0 license.
- Commercial platform:
- Launched in beta, offering access to Mistral AI’s models through paid APIs.
- Includes Mistral-small (8x7B) and Mistral-medium models.
- Medium model offers superior performance but is only available through the API.
What makes Mistral AI unique?
- Open-source focus: Mistral AI emphasizes open access to its models, promoting transparency and collaboration.
- EU AI Act: They actively participated in shaping the EU’s AI regulations, advocating for exemption for foundational models.
- Multiple model options: They offer a range of models, from the free, downloadable ones to the more advanced, paid options.
What’s next for Mistral AI?
With their impressive funding and platform launch, Mistral AI is poised to become a major player in the AI landscape. Their open-source approach and commitment to responsible development make them a company to watch.
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