DeepSeek pushes forward with a $10 billion financing plan, prioritizing research on artificial intelligence rather than commercialization.

According to media reports citing informed sources, senior management of DeepSeek has informed potential investors in the ongoing $10 billion financing that the company will prioritize groundbreaking artificial intelligence research rather than short-term commercialization. The sources said that company founder Liang Wenfeng has promised at least once during an investor meeting to continue developing open-source AI models while pursuing the larger goal of achieving Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), and has made it clear that the main goal is to drive technological advancement rather than commercialization. Currently, DeepSeek has attracted strong interest from numerous investors. The sources said that DeepSeek is in the final stage of financing negotiations, and its valuation prior to investment could be around $45 billion. They also mentioned that potential investors include the National Artificial Intelligence Industry Investment Fund, which was set up by China to promote strategic AI projects. The sources also indicated that TENCENT (00700), IDG Capital, and Monolith Capital are close to confirming their participation. However, discussions are still ongoing, and the specific investment amount and final list of participants may change. If finalized, DeepSeek's financing amount is expected to set a record for the highest financing amount for a Chinese technology startup. One source mentioned that the National AI fund is in talks to invest around 10 billion RMB, demonstrating the government's level of importance attached to this startup. It is reported that Liang Wenfeng personally may contribute around 2 billion RMB in this round of financing. DeepSeek was founded by the quantitative hedge fund Zhejiang Jiuzhang Asset Management Co., Ltd. (formerly known as Hangzhou Magic Square Technology Co., Ltd.) in 2023. Following the emergence of OpenClaw, this startup is expanding into the field of AI intelligence agents.