Arthur Mensch

Since meeting Arthur Mensch, I’ve admired his ability to combine bold vision with execution. Arthur’s work as CEO of Mistral AI, one of a number of startups I have backed in the AI space, has placed him at the intersection of key trends that will make AI more accessible to billions of people—from developing small, high-performance AI models that can run locally on smartphones and other devices to demonstrating the potential reach of an open-source (or open-core) approach.

Arthur has led the company’s lightning-fast growth, releasing multiple AI models within one year of its founding in May 2023. He is a creative leader, championing a structure made up of small teams of four or five people that is designed to preserve innovation as Mistral scales. Arthur’s commitment to democratizing AI has resulted in a platform where developers can innovate freely with flexible, open-source models. His foresight in addressing gaps overlooked by others has set Mistral apart and opened up the world of country- and language-specific AI. He is dedicated to advancing model efficiency at the technology’s frontier and providing an AI alternative for everyone, everywhere.

Gil is an entrepreneur and an angel investor

Investors in Mistral AI include Salesforce, where TIME co-chair and owner Marc Benioff is CEO