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Apple Explores Potential AI Deals With Mistral and Perplexity

By  |  August 26, 2025

Apple has reportedly held internal discussions about acquiring French artificial intelligence firm Mistral and U.S.-based Perplexity, according to a report from The Information on Tuesday that cited people familiar with the matter.

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    The potential moves come as Apple faces mounting pressure to catch up with competitors such as Google and Samsung, who have been quicker to integrate AI features into their devices. Per Reuters, Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook signaled last month that the company is now open to larger AI-focused acquisitions to accelerate its strategy, marking a notable shift from its historically cautious approach to mergers and acquisitions.

    Nvidia-backed Mistral, which specializes in open-weight AI models, was valued at more than $6 billion after a Series B funding round last year. Earlier this month, the Financial Times reported that the Paris-based startup was in talks to raise $1 billion at a valuation of $10 billion. Per Reuters, the company did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the latest acquisition reports.

    Read more: Perplexity AI Pledges Payouts to Publishers Through New Browser Program

    Executives at Apple have also considered a potential bid for Perplexity, the AI search startup supported by Nvidia and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Bloomberg News reported earlier this year. According to Reuters, Apple, Mistral, and Perplexity declined to comment when contacted.

    The discussions underscore Apple’s effort to strengthen its AI capabilities at a time when rivals are rapidly scaling their own platforms. While no deal has been finalized, any acquisition would represent one of the company’s largest recent bets on artificial intelligence.

    Source: Reuters