Deep Pockets for DeepSeek? Post Reports $12B-Plus Raise

AI company DeepSeek is set to raise at least $12 billion, according to a BenchLM_AI post citing a Bloomberg report. The post names CATL and Tencent among the largest committers and says demand has exceeded the round’s original target. It expects the financing to close in October, ahead of a possible STAR Market IPO. The money has not been reported as received.

Another post says the financing discussions put more than valuation under the microscope: investors are also weighing DeepSeek’s ability to deliver its API and its Ascend infrastructure. For a company associated with open-weight AI, the reported fundraise makes the question of what it can deliver as consequential as what investors might pay.