The Founding Influence of Jean-Charles Samuelian-Werve on Mistral’s Success
Mistral, a French artificial intelligence company valued at $6 billion, has solidified its position as one of the leading European firms developing foundational AI models. Yet, behind its impressive trajectory lies an intriguing connection to Alan, a digital health insurance provider covering over 680,000 people across several countries. At the center of this intersection is Jean-Charles Samuelian-Werve, Alan's co-founder and CEO, who also played a pivotal role as a founding advisor to Mistral.
Samuelian-Werve's involvement with Mistral has recently gained attention, particularly following a report by Bloomberg. The report described how Samuelian-Werve’s foresight and network were instrumental in establishing Mistral and securing its initial funding. "Arthur Mensch is the public face of French AI champion Mistral, but another startup’s CEO has been critical to its $6 billion valuation," Bloomberg noted. While Samuelian-Werve has been listed as a founding advisor since Mistral’s inception, his contributions to the company’s growth had not been widely highlighted until now.
According to Bloomberg, Samuelian-Werve recognized the transformative potential of AI even before the release of ChatGPT. Initially, he explored the idea of creating an AI-focused nonprofit and approached Xavier Niel, the billionaire behind Station F and Kima Ventures, for support. However, this idea was soon abandoned after meeting Arthur Mensch and Mistral’s other co-founders. Instead, Samuelian-Werve directed his efforts toward helping launch what would become one of Europe’s most prominent AI startups.
Samuelian-Werve’s connections played a crucial role in securing early-stage investments for Mistral. He reportedly convinced Lightspeed to lead the company’s seed round and brought in several other investors. Alan’s other co-founder and CTO, Charles Gorintin, as well as former digital minister Cedric O, joined Mistral as founding advisors. Today, Mistral operates out of the same building as Alan, near Canal Saint-Martin in Paris, and Samuelian-Werve continues to meet with Mensch weekly to discuss strategy. Additionally, Alan holds a stake in Mistral.
In February 2024, Samuelian-Werve publicly expressed his long-standing interest in artificial intelligence during the announcement of Alan’s financial results. "We continue to invest in AI throughout Alan. As you may know, I’m a co-founder and board member of Mistral. But that just represents the fact that we’ve been investing for a very long time in AI at Alan — even before the generative AI buzz," he said. He further mentioned that Alan planned to unveil new AI-driven services later in the year.
One such innovation came in November 2024 when Alan introduced Mo, an AI-powered chatbot designed to provide medical advice. Unlike conventional chatbots, Mo’s responses are reviewed by a doctor within 15 minutes, ensuring accuracy and reliability.
Meanwhile, Xavier Niel pursued a separate AI venture by funding Kyutai, a French research lab focused on open-source AI development. Despite this, Niel also participated in Mistral’s seed funding, demonstrating his continued interest in the company.
Samuelian-Werve recently reiterated Mistral’s commitment to remaining independent, aligning with statements made by Mensch at the World Economic Forum in Davos. As discussions surrounding Mistral’s potential sale persist, the topic is expected to resurface during the upcoming AI Action Summit in Paris. The close ties between Mistral and Alan, along with the strategic influence of their shared advisor, remain central to the evolving narrative of both companies.
