DeepSeek doubles funding target to $15B in China AI push

DeepSeek, the Chinese AI startup behind the V4 model series, is reportedly negotiating to increase its latest funding round to $15 billion, according to sources cited by CNBC and msn.com. The new target would surpass the $12 billion figure previously reported by Bloomberg and DigiTimes earlier this month, which had already drawn attention for its scale.

The round has reportedly attracted interest from a range of investors, including potential state-backed funds and corporate entities. Earlier coverage had identified Tencent and battery maker CATL as participants, though the final composition and amount remain unconfirmed.

The size of the raise, if realized, would reflect the high stakes in China’s AI sector, where startups face pressure to compete with global peers while navigating constraints on advanced hardware. DeepSeek’s models are priced competitively, with V4-Flash starting at $0.14 per million tokens, but achieving profitability at scale remains a challenge for many in the space.

With speculation about an eventual IPO, the coming months may reveal whether the company can translate capital into long-term growth—or if the funding surge reflects broader ambitions rather than near-term viability.

Sources: msn.com