[Exclusive] "Europe's OpenAI" Lands in Korea... Mistral AI Posts Job Openings in Seoul [Global AI Battleground Korea] ①

Recruiting Talent in Korea and Singapore to Expand in the Asian Market

French artificial intelligence (AI) startup Mistral AI, often referred to as the "OpenAI of Europe," is preparing to enter the Korean market. Mistral AI has posted job openings in Seoul and is seeking experienced professionals to be responsible for AI service sales to domestic companies.

According to the IT industry on June 17, Mistral AI recently began recruiting for the position of "Senior AI Deployment Strategist" to work in Seoul. This senior-level role is responsible for business-to-business (B2B) sales, AI adoption consulting, and post-sales support. The position is offered in a hybrid format, combining work-from-home with in-office attendance.

Mistral AI logo. Screenshot of Mistral AI homepage

The requirements specify more than eight years of experience in IT, tech companies, or related consulting fields. Candidates must also have hands-on experience developing AI solutions or communicating with executives at large enterprises. The hiring process consists of seven stages, including four rounds of interviews—one of which is an in-depth interview—and a pre-assignment.

Mistral AI, which currently does not have any branch offices in Asia, is positioning Singapore and Korea as strategic footholds for entering the Asia-Pacific market. The company is also hiring for various roles in Singapore, including AI business strategists. Notably, the HR manager position requires experience managing HR in Asian countries such as Singapore, Korea, Australia, India, and Japan.

Mistral AI was founded in 2023 by former members of Google DeepMind and Meta. The company develops generative AI and, at the launch of its large language model (LLM) "Mistral Large," demonstrated performance on par with OpenAI's GPT-4, earning it the moniker "OpenAI of Europe." Mistral AI has also worked to build an AI ecosystem by launching an AI chatbot service, "Mistral Vibe" (formerly Le Chat).

Samsung Electronics Chairman Jay Y. Lee and Artur Mensh, Chairman of Mistral AI, are conversing at a welcoming luncheon hosted by President Lee Jae-myung for French President Emmanuel Macron's state visit at the Blue House on April 3. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Mistral AI is also regarded as a company advancing Europe's sovereign AI in a global AI market dominated by the United States and China. In 2024, the company received investment worth 600 million euros (approximately 1 trillion won) from firms such as Samsung and NVIDIA. In September last year, it also secured 1.7 billion euros (about 2.98 trillion won) in funding from Dutch semiconductor lithography equipment manufacturer ASML. Within just two years of its founding, Mistral AI has been recognized with a corporate valuation approaching 20 trillion won.

Mistral AI has been preparing for its entry into Korea by meeting key government officials and representatives of domestic companies. Artur Mensh, CEO of Mistral AI, and other executives visited Korea in April, coinciding with French President Emmanuel Macron's state visit. During this period, CEO Mensh met with Ha Jungwoo, then Senior Presidential Secretary for the Future of AI at the Blue House, and Im Moonyoung, then Vice Chair of the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy Committee, to discuss public-private AI cooperation models. On May 29, Mensh also held talks with Ryu Jemyung, Second Vice Minister of Science and ICT, who was in Paris to attend the G7 Digital and Technology Ministers' Meeting, discussing AI industry cooperation and talent exchange.

Among business leaders, Mensh met Jeon Younghyun, President and Head of Device Solutions (DS) Division at Samsung Electronics and Vice Chairman; Kim Sunghoon, CEO of Upstage; and Choi Sunghwan, President of SK Networks. At the luncheon hosted by President Lee Jaemyung for President Macron, Mensh also met with Jay Y. Lee, Chairman of Samsung Electronics, and Choi Sooyoun, CEO of Naver.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.