$15 Billion: DeepSeek Secures Massive Funding Amid US Scrutiny

A fresh wave of capital has flowed into China’s artificial intelligence sector just as regulatory friction with the United States intensified.

According to reports from Bloomberg, DeepSeek has raised approximately $15 billion, a sum equivalent to roughly 100 billion yuan. This infusion of cash represents one of the most substantial funding events in the history of China’s tech industry. The timing of the deal is notable, as it closed only two days after the U.S. government directed federal civilian agencies to remove DeepSeek’s AI technology from their systems citing security risks.

The reported investor group for this round includes major Chinese conglomerates. Tencent, the corporation behind the widely used messaging platform WeChat, is among those participating. Additionally, CATL, a dominant player in the global battery manufacturing market, is also listed as a potential investor. These partnerships suggest a strategy to secure both technological and financial backing from established domestic giants.

This latest raise builds on a rapid trajectory of capital accumulation for the startup. In June of this year, DeepSeek secured more than $7 billion in funding at a valuation of $50 billion. By July, reports indicated the company was seeking an additional $1.5 billion at a higher valuation of approximately $71 billion. These financial moves have been accompanied by speculation regarding a potential initial public offering in China as early as next year, signaling the company’s intent to tap into public markets after its private rounds.

Despite the headwinds from American restrictions, the Hangzhou-based firm is accelerating its expansion plans. The company is increasing its expenditure on AI infrastructure and developing open models aimed at both domestic and international customers. Analysts suggest that this aggressive spending could further heighten competition among its domestic rivals, forcing other Chinese AI labs to match its pace of development.

DeepSeek’s financial surge is part of a broader trend of global investors committing billions to AI ventures to maintain a competitive edge in the international race. In May, Moonshot AI, the developer of the Kimi model, raised $2 billion at a $20 billion valuation. Earlier this month, Manus AI secured over $500 million. Furthermore, Zhipu AI and MiniMax, both of which listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange in January, currently hold market capitalizations of roughly $29 billion and $7.2 billion, respectively.

Founded in 2023 by Liang Wenfeng, DeepSeek emerged from the financial ecosystem of High-Flyer, a quantitative hedge fund that Wenfeng co-founded and which helped finance the startup’s early stages. The company captured global attention in early 2025 with the release of its free, open-weight R1 reasoning model, which challenged the prevailing dominance of U.S. AI providers. According to corporate ownership data analyzed by WireScreen, Liang retains an estimated 81.6% stake in the company’s Chinese operating entity following its previous funding rounds.

As of this writing, DeepSeek has not issued an immediate response to requests for comment regarding the new funding round.