DeepSeek Nears Completion of ~$12 Billion Fundraising, with Tencent and CATL Potentially Participating

Odaily News: DeepSeek is nearing the completion of a new funding round, with the scale expected to reach at least 80 billion yuan (approximately $12 billion), significantly exceeding the company's previous fundraising target of about 50 billion yuan. Sources familiar with the matter revealed that Tencent Holdings and CATL have committed to contributing larger amounts in this funding round, and the related financing transaction is expected to be completed soon. Due to a significant increase in market demand and investment interest following the release of DeepSeek's latest AI model, this funding round has exceeded expectations, with the final amount potentially approaching 100 billion yuan.

Previously, DeepSeek sought to raise approximately 50 billion yuan, but investor interest in its AI technological progress drove the funding scale to expand further. DeepSeek had already attracted attention from institutions including Tencent and CATL, and has been using financing to expand computing infrastructure, AI model research and development, and team building. Bloomberg Línea

According to reports, DeepSeek plans to conduct an initial public offering (IPO) in early 2027, and this large-scale fundraising will provide financial support for its pre-listing development. DeepSeek has gained global attention with its low-cost, high-performance AI models, and is currently increasing investment in next-generation AI technology and computing resources. (Bloomberg)