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DeepSeek could hit $45B valuation from its first investment round
DeepSeek is looking to raise its first venture capital round, and its potential valuation has increased from $20 billion to $45 billion according to reports. The lab gained recognition for its cost-effective large language model, which competes with top U.S. models. Founder Liang Wenfeng's decision to seek investment comes as competitors target its talent, necessitating a strategic move to secure funding and offer shares to employees. The investment round may include significant players such as China Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund, with cloud giants Tencent and Alibaba considering participation.
ExperimentConfidence: HighShort term horizon
Published 6 May 2026, 18:44 UTC1 min read
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Summary
TL;DR
- DeepSeek's valuation could rise to $45 billion in its first VC round.
- The lab became notable for its cost-efficient large language model.
- Founder Liang Wenfeng controls nearly 90% of the company.
- Funding is aimed at retaining talent amid rising competitors.
- The investment may include participation from major industry players.
Interesting facts
- DeepSeek’s model was trained on significantly less computing power compared to U.S. counterparts.
- The lab remains open weight, with versions available on Hugging Face.