French startup ZML releases free LLM inference software for multi-chip AI deployment

Inference—the step where an AI system produces an answer to a prompt—has become the dominant cost and performance bottleneck in AI deployment, even surpassing model training in importance. ZML is entering a crowded market that includes competitors like Baseten (valued at $13 billion（約2.1兆円）), Inferact (from the creators of open-source project vLLM), and RadixArk (the commercial entity behind SGLang). However, Morin's ambition extends beyond competing with vLLM and SGLang on narrow tasks; he frames ZML's mission as co-designing silicon with chipmakers and giving enterprises genuine optionality in their hardware mix.

The startup's ability to move quickly despite a small team of 20 people reflects both its founder's track record and healthy venture backing—a validation that angel investors and prominent founders see value in addressing vendor lock-in. Notably, the cap table includes Docker and Dagger founder Solomon Hykes, executives from Hugging Face (Clément Delangue and Julien Chaumond), and Yann LeCun, suggesting confidence that Europe can develop competitive AI infrastructure from home. By launching as a free product rather than immediately charging, ZML is prioritizing market adoption and understanding usage before monetizing—a deliberate strategy Morin articulated to avoid alienating early users.