Source: techcrunch.com/2026/10/22/deepseek-reportedly-raises-15b-days-after-us-restrictions
Bloomberg reports that DeepSeek, the Hangzhou-based AI lab, has raised about $15 billion, or about 100 billion yuan. Potential investors named in the report include battery maker CATL and Tencent, the company behind WeChat, among others.
The reported round follows a June raise of more than $7 billion at a $50 billion valuation. DeepSeek was also reportedly seeking another $1.5 billion at a valuation of around $71 billion in July, with a possible IPO in China as early as next year. The company is reportedly expanding spending on AI infrastructure and open models for domestic and international markets.
DeepSeek did not immediately respond to a TechCrunch request for comment. The founder, Liang Wenfeng, still holds an estimated 81.6% stake in the Chinese operating entity, according to ownership data analyzed by WireScreen.
Why it matters if you build agents
Developers who depend on DeepSeek's open-weight models should watch how the US federal restrictions develop, since they bear directly on government use of the technology. Larger funding and more spending on open models could mean faster releases and more competition among Chinese model providers. All figures here are reports, not confirmed by the company, so treat them as provisional until DeepSeek comments.
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