DeepSeek Adds Strict Rule in Maiden Funding for Investors
During an online meeting with future backers, Wenfeng told investors in its first-ever funding round that they must follow a strict rule regarding talent preservation. Anyone who invests in the AI company must formally pledge never to steal DeepSeek’s workers or help them start their own companies.
This strict and unusual rule highlights the intense talent hunt in China. It also underscores how challenging it has become for tech companies to find good engineers.
Notably, DeepSeek used to avoid external investments so it could focus completely on basic research. However, the company recently lost several key researchers to AI and tech rivals who offered higher pay. As a result, Liang is now using this new funding deal to protect his team from further hiring raids.
DeepSeek Works to Protect Small Team from Rivals
