DeepSeek Plans 50 Billion Yuan Maiden Funding Round
The Chinese AI startup aims to raise approximately $7.4 billion in a round that could value the company at up to 400 billion yuan. Major investors including Tencent and CATL are expected to participate as the firm shifts its strategy to develop more advanced AI agents.
DeepSeek is set to raise approximately 50 billion yuan ($7.4 billion) in a maiden funding round that values the startup at up to $59 billion. The capital injection marks a shift for the China national champion, which previously relied on internal funding from founder Liang Wenfeng. This move signals a transition from low-cost chatbot models toward more resource-intensive AI agents.
### Domestic Giants Anchor the Round Founder Liang Wenfeng has committed 20 billion yuan of his own capital to the round, people familiar with the matter said. Tech conglomerate TENCENT HOLDINGS LTD is considering a 10 billion yuan investment, while battery leader CONTEMPORARY AMPEREX TECHN-A is looking at 5 billion yuan. These contributions would make them the largest external backers in a group of fewer than 10 investors.
