Sources: DeepSeek closed a ~$7.4B round at a $50B+ valuation under an unusual structure requiring investors to put capital into an LP run by CEO Liang Wenfeng
Chinese AI lab DeepSeek has closed its first funding round that raised more than 50 billion yuan ($7.4 billion) under an unusual deal structure …
The Information
Related Coverage
- The Information: DeepSeek raises $7.4bn at $50bn-plus valuation Silicon Republic · Suhasini Srinivasaragavan
- China's DeepSeek closes over $7 billion funding with unusual deal structure, the Information reports Reuters · Abu Sultan
- DeepSeek closes $7bn-plus round with an unusual structure The Next Web · Cristian Dina
- DeepSeek takes outside money for the first time at a $50 billion valuation The Decoder · Jonathan Kemper
- DeepSeek Becomes China's Most Valuable AI Startup After $7.4 Billion Fundraise Wall Street Journal
- The $7bn opportunity: Why DeepSeek still dominates the AI market Capacity · Amber Jackson
- DeepSeek raises $7.4B at $50B valuation in first-ever external funding round Tech Funding News · Abhinaya Prabhu
- DeepSeek Secures $7.4 Billion at Over $50 Billion Valuation in Landmark AI Funding Round China Money Network
- DeepSeek Reportedly Now Most Valuable Chinese AI Startup Company The Daily Caller · Ireland Owens
- DeepSeek Closes $7.4 Billion Round: State Fund Gets Votes, Other Investors Get None Tech Times · Jerry Owens
- AI Builds Some Pyramids Bloomberg · Matt Levine
- DeepSeek Completes First Round of Funding with Liang Wenfeng's $20 Billion Dominant Stake China Money Network
Discussion
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@jacquesthibs
Jacques
on x
This is about maintaining founder control (none of the other investors except for a China fund have voting rights). Wenfeng also invested ~2.85B in the round. Good decision. You can't have paper hand, non-visionaries deciding the fate of the company for short-term gains.
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@zephyr_z9
@zephyr_z9
on x
Wenfeng has deep pockets
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@jingyanghk
Jing Yang
on x
With the exception of the national AI fund/国智投, all other investors are putting their capital in a limited partnership managed by DeepSeek CEO Liang, instead of into DeepSeek directly. Investors also must lock up shares for 5 yrs and cant have voting rights. 👇 [image]
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@amir
Amir Efrati
on x
👀 first outside investors in DeepSeek agreed to a 5-year share lockup & other terms guaranteeing founder maintains total control the only investor not subject to the terms: China's National Artificial Intelligence Industry Investment Fund [image]