Apple Considers Acquiring Mistral and Perplexity

Apple has internally discussed the possibility of acquiring French AI startup Mistral and Perplexity, according to a report by The Information. Apple has lagged behind competitors such as Google and Samsung in the deployment of AI features in its devices. Last month, CEO Tim Cook indicated that Apple was open to larger AI-related acquisitions to accelerate its roadmap, marking a shift from its traditionally conservative M&A approach. Reuters could not immediately verify the report, and Apple, Mistral, and Perplexity did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Nvidia-backed Mistral was valued at over $6 billion following its Series B funding round last year, and the Financial Times reported this month that the French company is in talks to raise $1 billion at a valuation of $10 billion. Executives at the iPhone maker have reportedly held internal discussions about potentially bidding for Nvidia and Jeff Bezos-backed Perplexity, as reported by Bloomberg News earlier this year.