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


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the DACH region. Here you will find news from all regions and
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and events in the German-speaking startup world.


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