15 Billion: DeepSeek Closes Massive Round Despite US Ban

DeepSeek just closed one of the largest funding rounds in Chinese history, raising approximately $15 billion.

The move comes at a critical juncture for the Hangzhou-based startup. Just two days before this news broke, the United States ordered all federal civilian agencies to remove DeepSeek’s artificial intelligence technology from their systems. The directive was driven by security concerns that had been building for months. Despite this significant regulatory headwind, the company has moved forward with its capital expansion.

Bloomberg reported that the new capital injection totals about 100 billion yuan. This round signals strong confidence from major players in the Chinese tech and industrial sectors. Potential investors in the deal include CATL, a leading Chinese battery manufacturer, and Tencent, the giant behind the WeChat messaging platform. The participation of these household names suggests that domestic support for DeepSeek remains robust even as international friction increases.

This is not the first time DeepSeek has attracted major investment. In June of this year, the company raised more than $7 billion. At that time, its valuation stood at $50 billion. The momentum did not slow down in the following month. Reports indicated that in July, the startup was seeking an additional $1.5 billion. That potential round would have valued the company at roughly $71 billion. These figures place DeepSeek among the most valuable private AI companies in the world.

The company has also been preparing for a public listing. Sources suggest DeepSeek is planning a potential initial public offering in China as early as next year. The new funds are expected to accelerate the lab's spending on AI infrastructure. It is also investing in open models for both domestic and international markets. This expansion strategy could intensify competition among its domestic rivals, forcing them to match DeepSeek’s pace of innovation and deployment.

DeepSeek’s rise has been a defining moment in the global AI race. The startup gained worldwide attention in early 2025. It released a free-to-use, open-weight reasoning model known as RI. This release challenged the dominance of established U.S. AI firms. The company was founded in 2023 by Liang Wenfeng. He previously co-founded High-Flyer, a Chinese quantitative hedge fund. High-Flyer helped finance DeepSeek’s early development. According to corporate ownership data analyzed by WireScreen, Liang retains an estimated 81.6% stake in the company's Chinese operating entity following the earlier funding round.

DeepSeek is part of a broader wave of investment in Chinese AI. Investors are pouring billions into the sector to compete globally. In May, Moonshot AI, the developer of Kimi, secured $2 billion at a $20 billion valuation. Earlier this month, Manus AI raised more than $500 million. The trend is visible in public markets as well. Zhipu AI and MiniMax both went public in Hong Kong in January. As of today, their market capitalizations stand at roughly $29 billion and $7.2 billion, respectively. These numbers reflect the scale of capital flowing into the region’s tech ecosystem.

The timing of this $15 billion raise is significant. It demonstrates that the U.S. ban on federal use of the technology has not yet derailed the company’s financial trajectory. Investors appear willing to back DeepSeek’s long-term vision despite the geopolitical hurdles. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the new funding round.