---
title: DeepSeek raises 100 billion yuan in record funding round
url: https://www.dataloco.com/en/deepseek-raises-100-billion-yuan-in-record-funding-round
published: 2026-10-24T21:20:37+00:00
language: en
section: AI
source: https://www.ithome.com/1/016/263.htm
organizations: DeepSeek, Anthropic, OpenAI, CATL, Tencent Holdings
publisher: Dataloco
---

# DeepSeek raises 100 billion yuan in record funding round

DeepSeek has raised approximately 100 billion yuan in its latest funding round, according to reports citing people familiar with the matter. This amount makes the round one of the largest in Chinese history. The company is using the capital to expand globally and compete with major artificial intelligence firms such as Anthropic and OpenAI.

During negotiations, DeepSeek raised its funding target at least twice. The goal increased from an initial 50 billion yuan to 80 billion yuan, before reaching the final figure of about 100 billion yuan. CATL and Tencent Holdings are among the primary investors in this round.

The funding is expected to pave the way for an initial public offering, which could become one of the most notable listings in the Chinese capital markets in recent years. In 2025, DeepSeek demonstrated the ability to compete with Silicon Valley giants at significantly lower model costs. This development triggered a global market decline, wiping out 1 trillion dollars in market value.

Despite this progress, DeepSeek has historically lacked the substantial financial backing of top US AI laboratories. This new funding helps narrow the gap, although the company's resources remain far behind those of Anthropic and OpenAI. Each of those two companies has raised more than 100 billion dollars. Reports also indicate that DeepSeek and its competitor Moonshot AI are both preparing for potential listings, which would mark significant milestones for the Chinese capital market.

DeepSeek is increasing its investment in building more AI data centers. The company is also developing open source models for both the Chinese and overseas markets. The firm has consistently released AI models that offer strong performance at low prices. This strategy has pressured domestic rivals and attracted customers in overseas markets, including the United States. The release of the V4.1 Flash model in September reportedly caused the stock prices of domestic competitors MiniMax and Zhipu to fall.

Across the industry, companies such as Alibaba and ByteDance are also launching low cost AI services. These firms typically open source their models to allow customers to modify them as needed. A benchmark chart published by the AI model evaluation firm Artificial Analysis has circulated widely in the industry. The chart depicts a so called DeepSeek death zone, suggesting that competitors who cannot outperform DeepSeek or offer lower prices will struggle to survive.