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DeepSeek Closes Record $7 Billion-Plus Funding with Unusual Deal Structure

By Jing Yang, Qianer Liu and Juro Osawa · Jun 15, 2026 9:55pm PDT · 3 comments

Chinese AI lab DeepSeek has closed its first funding round that raised more than 50 billion yuan ($7.4 billion) under an unusual deal structure, according to two people with direct knowledge of the matter. The funding round, which values the large-language model developer at more than $50 billion, requires investors to put their capital... Chinese AI lab DeepSeek has closed its first funding round that raised more than 50 billion yuan...

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Chinese EV Battery Giant CATL Plans to Invest in DeepSeek

By Juro Osawa and Qianer Liu · May 22, 2026 4:56am PDT

Chinese battery giant Contemporary Amperex Technology, better known as CATL, is planning to invest in Chinese AI developer DeepSeek’s fundraising, according to two people with direct knowledge of the matter. CATL’s planned investment comes as it is aggressively stepping up its efforts to sell power equipment to AI data centers. DeepSeek’s... Chinese battery giant Contemporary Amperex Technology, better known as CATL, is planning to...

DeepSeek To Raise More than $7 Billion as Startup Plots Revenue Efforts

By The Information Staff · May 8, 2026 4:40am PDT

Liang Wenfeng, billionaire founder and CEO of DeepSeek, is planning to write the biggest check for the startup’s first-ever funding round, which the company now hopes will raise up to 50 billion yuan ($7.35 billion), according to two people with direct knowledge of the talks. That would make it the biggest funding round by a Chinese AI company... Liang Wenfeng, billionaire founder and CEO of DeepSeek, is planning to write the biggest check...

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Tencent, Alibaba in Talks to Invest in DeepSeek at $20 Billion-Plus Valuation

By The Information Staff · Apr 22, 2026 4:17am PDT

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Tencent, Alibaba in Talks to Invest in DeepSeek at $20 Billion-Plus Valuation

By The Information Staff · Apr 22, 2026 4:17am PDT

Chinese tech giants Tencent Holdings and Alibaba Group are in talks to invest in DeepSeek, the AI upstart that recently started fundraising for the first time, according to four people with knowledge of the conversations. DeepSeek, owned by Chinese hedge fund High-Flyer Capital Management, is now seeking to raise funding at a valuation of more... Chinese tech giants Tencent Holdings and Alibaba Group are in talks to invest in DeepSeek, the AI...

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China’s DeepSeek is Raising Money for First Time, At $10 Billion-Plus Valuation

By Qianer Liu, Jing Yang and Juro Osawa · Apr 17, 2026 7:36am PDT

DeepSeek is in talks to raise outside capital for the first time, seeking to beef up its financial war chest so it can better compete in the costly battle to develop leading AI models, according to five people familiar with the matter. DeepSeek is owned by Chinese hedge fund High-Flyer Capital Management, which has financed the startup so far.... DeepSeek is in talks to raise outside capital for the first time, seeking to beef up its...

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DeepSeek’s New AI Model Will Be a Victory for Huawei

By Qianer Liu · Apr 3, 2026 6:00am PDT

When DeepSeek introduces its next-generation model, likely in the next few weeks, it will mark a milestone in China’s yearslong quest for semiconductor self-sufficiency. That’s because the new model, called V4, will be able to run on the latest chips designed by Huawei Technologies. And in preparation for V4’s launch, Chinese tech giants,... When DeepSeek introduces its next-generation model, likely in the next few weeks, it will mark a...

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DeepSeek To Release Next Flagship AI Model With Strong Coding Ability

By The Information Staff · Jan 9, 2026 5:11am PST

Chinese AI startup DeepSeek is expected to launch its next-generation AI model that features strong coding capabilities in the coming weeks, according to two people with direct knowledge of the plan. The new model, V4, is a successor to the V3 model DeepSeek released in December 2024. Initial tests done by DeepSeek employees based on the company... Chinese AI startup DeepSeek is expected to launch its next-generation AI model that features...

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DeepSeek is Using Banned Nvidia Chips in Race to Build Next Model

By The Information Staff · Dec 10, 2025 4:00am PST · 5 comments

Art by Mike Sullivan

DeepSeek is Using Banned Nvidia Chips in Race to Build Next Model

By The Information Staff · Dec 10, 2025 4:00am PST · 5 comments

DeepSeek, the Chinese AI startup, has been developing its next major model using several thousand Nvidia’s state-of-the-art Blackwell chips which the U.S. has forbidden from being exported to China, according to six people with knowledge of the matter. The chips DeepSeek is using were smuggled into China, the people said, through a convoluted... DeepSeek, the Chinese AI startup, has been developing its next major model using several thousand...