Startup Insider Building AI Sales from Scratch: Work in Progress – with Gianna Lengyel, Head of Business Development at Mistral AI
In this episode of Work in Progress, hosts Paula Wehmeyer, Partner at General Catalyst, and Helena Meyer-Schönherr, Managing Director at Ten More In, sit down with Gianna Maria Lengyel, Head of Business Development at Mistral AI, one of Europe’s fastest-growing foundation model companies.
Gianna shares how she went from consulting and fintech to joining Mistral as one of the first non-technical hires, where she built the company’s sales motion from the ground up. She discusses the challenges of selling large language models (LLMs) to both enterprise and tech-savvy startups, and why working in AI sales today requires both structure and adaptability. The conversation also explores the influence of France’s pro-startup policies, how Mistral launched its chatbot Le Chat, and what it takes to drive revenue in a deep tech environment.
Key Topics:
- How Gianna transitioned from consulting to leading business development in AI
- What selling foundation models looks like – and how it differs from SaaS
- Building Mistral’s go-to-market function from zero to global
- Inside the launch of Le Chat and a €100M enterprise AI deal
- How France’s startup ecosystem supports deep tech growth
- Structuring sales teams and qualifying complex AI use cases
- Career lessons from startup chaos, customer obsession, and process management
- Why your first career might not be your last – and what to learn from each stage
A deep dive into AI, sales, and startup strategy – with honest insights from someone shaping one of Europe’s most important tech companies.
About Gianna
Gianna Maria Lengyel is Head of Business Development at Mistral AI, one of Europe’s leading foundation model companies, where she joined as one of the first non-technical employees. Based in Paris, she leads go-to-market efforts for commercial clients, helping scale AI adoption across industries.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gianna-maria-lengyel/
About Helena Meyer-Schönherr & Ten More In
Helena Meyer-Schönherr is an experienced leader in venture building, organizational strategy, and scaling high-growth startups. As Managing Director at Ten More In, she focuses on launching and growing new ventures, leveraging her expertise in company building and strategic development.
Ten More In is a leadership platform for women founded in 2022 by Lea-Sophie Cramer and Lia Grünhage. The company's core mission is to ensure future leadership levels reflect gender representation proportionally across economic, political, and social domains.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helena-meyer-sch%C3%B6nherr-41160955/
Website: https://www.tenmorein.com/
About Paula Hübner Wehmeyer & General Catalyst
Paula invests in technology companies that enable or rethink large industries. Paula's focus is on startups in the areas of commerce tech, i.e. digital support for trade, as well as purchasing and logistics. Previously, Paula was a consultant in the Berlin office of McKinsey, where she supported well-known consumer goods and retail companies in matters relating to e-commerce, purchasing, and internal process optimization.
General Catalyst is a US-based venture capital firm that makes early-stage and growth-stage investments. The firm has invested in global companies including Airbnb, Kayak, Datalogix, Datto, Livongo, Gusto, Buildkite, Warby Parker, Oscar, Deliveroo, Lemonade, Stripe and Snap.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulasophiehuebner/
Website: https://www.generalcatalyst.com/
About Startup Insider
Startup Insider is the industry portal for the startup scene in the DACH region. Here you will find news from all regions and industries, as well as an overview of the most important players and events in the German-speaking startup world.
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