BilAI researchers strengthen Europe’s AI – Brandstetter and Hochreiter on the Emmi AI acquisition

21.05.2026

Emmi CEO Johannes Brandstetter and BilAI Director Sepp Hochreiter use their statements to highlight why strong research environments and Broad AI are crucial for Europe’s deep-tech success.

The acquisition of Austrian AI company Emmi AI by French AI leader Mistral AI is one of the most notable AI deals in Europe to date and shows that research-driven deep-tech companies from Austria can compete on a global level. Emmi AI is known for physics-informed AI models that make industrial applications more efficient and precise.

With Emmi AI CEO and BilAI Key Researcher Johannes Brandstetter and AI pioneer and BilAI Research Director Sepp Hochreiter, two central researchers from the BilAI Cluster are directly involved in this development. From BilAI’s perspective, the focus is on Broad AI – combining symbolic and sub-symbolic methods – and on building research environments where excellent ideas can grow into market-ready technologies and companies.

Sepp Hochreiter, BilAI Research Director

“The success and acquisition of Emmi AI make one thing very clear: Europe can build globally relevant deep-tech companies when top-level research is tightly connected to real-world applications. The BilAI Cluster is designed exactly for this — to turn excellent AI research into scalable technologies and new companies by developing Broad AI at the intersection of symbolic and sub-symbolic methods. Strong research environments like BilAI are a key asset for Europe to actively shape the next wave of AI rather than just react to it.”

Johannes Brandstetter, CEO of Emmi AI and BilAI Key Researcher

“The acquisition of Emmi AI highlights the international relevance of AI innovation from Austria. Developments like this emerge where a strong research environment meets technological implementation. As a researcher in the BilAI Cluster, I see how advanced AI research directly drives market innovation and technology transfer, bridging the gap between academic fundamental research and successful commercialization.”

Read the full JKU news here: JKU News – Strategic collaboration: Mistral AI acquires Emmi AI