The Globe and Mail reports in its Tuesday edition that Canadian artificial intelligence start-up Cohere is expanding in Europe, increasing competition with local firms like France's Mistral. A Reuters dispatch to The Globe reports that Cohere, valued at $6.8-billion (U.S.), opened an office in Paris to tap into Europe's growing AI demand. The move aligns with French President Emmanuel Macron's efforts to establish France as a European AI hub and strengthen digital sovereignty. Chief executive officer Aidan Gomez said, "Previously, when we've looked at our global revenue, Europe had been slower to take off, but we're starting to see renewed momentum, in particular this year." Smaller AI firms are striving to rival U.S.-based giants such as OpenAI, Microsoft and Meta, which dominate the industry. Both Cohere and European AI champion Mistral are targeting business clients with an emphasis on data security and sovereignty. Mistral, valued this month at $11.7-billion (U.S.), declined to comment on Cohere's offering in Europe. Founded in 2019, Cohere partners with major global companies like LG, Fujitsu, and Oracle. Mr. Gomez expressed confidence in France's tech ecosystem, dismissing recent political unrest as a concern.