Mistral, a French artificial intelligence company, is expanding its presence in Europe by opening a new hub in Munich, Germany. This facility will focus on AI research and its application in industry. The inauguration took place at the Deutsches Museum, one of the world's largest science and technology museums, and was attended by Karsten Wildberger, who previously led Ceconomy, an electronics retail group, and now heads Germany's ministry for digital and state modernization, established in 2025. The choice of Munich reflects Mistral's intent to collaborate closely with major German industrial players, including SAP, Siemens Energy, and BMW. Mistral and BMW announced their partnership in May of last year at Mistral's "AI Now Summit" in Paris. As part of BMW's "Large Industry Model" (LIM) initiative, Mistral will help develop AI models using engineering data to tackle complex tasks like crash simulations. Beyond strengthening ties with industrial clients in Germany, Mistral plans to use the Munich hub as a key recruitment center for researchers, engineers, and professionals in applied AI. The company is actively hiring in the Munich area to enhance its expertise in AI applications related to physics and industry. Mistral has also partnered with the Technical University of Munich (TUM) to use TUM's wind tunnels in developing digital twins for automotive aerodynamics. Mistral already operates offices in London, Singapore, and Palo Alto, in addition to its Paris headquarters near Montmartre. The Munich hub is part of Mistral's broader strategy to establish itself as a major player in industrial AI. "It is from our new hub in Germany that we are building the future," said Arthur Mensch, Mistral's co-founder and CEO. "The German industrial sector is the backbone of the European economy, and we are addressing the engineering challenges that will shape the next decade of industrial AI here." The opening of the Munich office followed a significant fundraising round of 3 billion euros, led by the South Korean tech giant Samsung, with contributions from ASML and Nvidia. Shortly after, Mistral announced the acquisition of the startup Pimento to enhance its conversational AI platform, Vibe (formerly Le Chat).