Who conducted this study and why should I trust the results?

This study was conducted by Mint in partnership with Les Echos, France's leading business publication. Les Echos has been covering French business and economic news for over 100 years and is the authoritative source for Next40 analysis. The methodology was reviewed to ensure journalistic standards and objectivity.

How was this study produced?

The study was conducted between June and July 2025. We analyzed 4,500 AI responses across 4 major models (ChatGPT 4o, Gemini Flash 2.0, Mistral Medium, Perplexity Sonar Pro). For each Next40 company, we ran 100 specific queries: 25 queries per model testing both visibility and perception using industry-relevant prompts. Over 25,000 unique sources were consulted by the AI models, spanning 3,000 unique domains.

What does the Visibility Score measure?

The Visibility Score represents how often each company was mentioned in AI responses to relevant industry queries. We calculated this as the number of mentions divided by 100 total queries (0-100%). For example, if a company appeared in 95 out of 100 AI responses about their industry, they scored 95% visibility.

What does the Perception Score measure?

The Perception Score analyzes sentiment in AI responses about each company. We asked direct questions about companies (like "What do you think of X?" or "What are the pros and cons of Y?") and categorized responses as positive, neutral, or negative using our analysis system. The score represents: (positive responses - negative responses) / total responses, similar to a Net Promoter Score approach.

What does the Content Score measure?

The Content Score evaluates how well each company's website content is optimized for AI extraction across 11 parameters in 3 categories: Technical (structured data, clean HTML), Content Structure (freshness, headings, meta descriptions), and Content Depth (citing sources, comparison content, in-depth guides). We analyzed 100 random pages per company and scored them on their AI-readiness.

How is the Overall Score calculated?

The Overall Score is our proprietary "Mint Global Score" that combines Visibility, Perception, and Content scores with weighted importance based on their impact on AI search performance. Companies with higher overall scores are more likely to be recommended when customers ask AI for solutions in their industry.

What is GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)?

GEO is the practice of becoming visible in AI-powered search engines like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity to generate more business through AI recommendations of your products and services. Unlike traditional SEO that focuses on Google rankings, GEO ensures your company appears when customers ask AI for solutions in your industry. Mint is the leader and most advanced platform for GEO optimization.

Mint is the leading platform for Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). We help companies become visible in AI search by providing analysis, optimization tools, and strategic guidance to ensure your brand appears when customers ask ChatGPT, Gemini, and other AI models for recommendations in your industry.

Can Mint help me improve my AI visibility?

Yes. Mint provides a complete 3-step approach: 1. Place the sensors: We test your current brand visibility using calibrated prompts that force AI to cite recommended brands without directly asking (e.g., "What solution do you recommend for managing accounting?"). This critical step requires careful calibration to ask the right questions. 2. Understand the sources: LLMs rely on sources we classify into three categories: your own assets (website, social media) that you control; influence content (blogs, comparison sites, specialized media) where you can take action; and competitor sources that are out of reach but useful for positioning. This analysis identifies the right action levers. 3. Take action: Optimize your content on two levels: technically (structure, readability, crawlability for LLMs) and strategically (create or publish content in the right influence zones, with writing designed for AI). Mint provides tools and guidance for all these steps.

Exclusive study by

July 2025

Is your company visible in AI Search?

See how France's top 40 startups (Next40) rank when customers ask ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Mistral Medium for recommendations—and discover what's costing you visibility.

About This Study

Mint — in partnership with Les Echos, France's premier business and economics publication — analyzed 4,500 AI-generated answers across ChatGPT-4o, Gemini Flash 2.0, Mistral Medium, and Perplexity Sonar Pro. Our goal: determine if (and how) each Next40 company shows up when users search for solutions in their respective industries.

As pioneers in Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), we're uncovering how AI models now shape brand discovery — and which companies are winning or losing in this silent battle for attention.

Study conducted by: Les Echos x Mint • Timeframe: July 2025 • Coverage: All 40 Next40 companies

Key Study Findings

Our analysis reveals critical gaps between visibility and trust across B2B and B2C companies

B2C Brands

69%

Visibility

47%

Positive Sentiment

B2C brands are widely cited — but often misunderstood or mistrusted by AI.

→

Dominating the conversation ≠ winning trust.

B2B Brands

44%

Visibility

64%

Positive Sentiment

B2B brands are well perceived — but rarely mentioned in AI results.

→

Trusted… but too often invisible.

The Reality

SEO ≠ AI Visibility

Google ranks. AI chooses.

LLMs reward answers, not websites.

→

Optimize to be quoted, not just crawled.

When your customers ask AI for recommendations, are you even in the conversation?

Complete Next40 AI Search Rankings 2025


1	Q Qonto	🇫🇷 FR	95%	58%	63%	72%
2	E Ekwateur	🇫🇷 FR	88%	58%	62%	69%
3	B Back Market	🇫🇷 FR	93%	50%	59%	67%
4	D Doctolib	🇫🇷 FR	99%	58%	43%	67%
5	L Le Hibou	🇫🇷 FR	100%	42%	54%	65%
6	M Malt	🇫🇷 FR	100%	58%	38%	65%
7	S Spendesk	🇫🇷 FR	68%	68%	47%	61%
8	M Mistral AI	🇬🇧 Global	72%	58%	45%	58%
9	B BlaBlaCar	🇫🇷 FR	100%	8%	29%	46%
10	L Ledger	🇬🇧 Global	36%	42%	53%	44%
11	M Mistertemp'	🇫🇷 FR	18%	67%	42%	42%
12	A Agryco	🇫🇷 FR	17%	50%	51%	39%
13	G Gojob	🇫🇷 FR	16%	42%	50%	36%
14	C ClubFunding	🇫🇷 FR	32%	25%	28%	28%
15	V Vestiaire Collective	🇬🇧 Global	98%	25%	N/A	N/A

See Your AI Search Potential

Unlock a clear, actionable path to higher visibility across all major AI platforms

What You Need to Do Now

Understand what LLMs say — and why

Identify where your brand shows up, how it's perceived, and which sources influence AI answers.

Fix what you control

Improve your site's structure, content clarity, and extractability for AI agents.

Own your category

Publish expert content across high-authority platforms to become the best possible answer in your space.

What Mint Delivers

AI visibility & perception audit across top models (ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, etc.)

Source intelligence: which domains influence answers in your industry

Concrete content-level optimizations to improve AI extractability

Strategic roadmap to own your core topic in AI search

Monitoring tools to track progress and model evolution

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about our Next40 AI Search Study