DeepSeek spent early 2025 proving that a good AI model did not have to cost a fortune. This week it has been busy proving it can spend one. In a handful of days, the Chinese lab reopened a multi-billion-dollar fundraising. It took a stake in the country’s best-known robot maker. And it told customers it would charge them more.
An $8bn round, reopened
DeepSeek has restarted its second funding round, seeking close to $8bn, Bloomberg reported. The raise values the Hangzhou startup at about 500 billion yuan, or $74bn. Monolith Management, an early backer of the Chinese AI champion Moonshot, is in talks to join.
The round is a restart, not a fresh start. DeepSeek paused the process last month after leaked remarks from founder Liang Wenfeng to investors caused friction. The valuation has climbed since its first external round earlier this summer. That round closed near 350 billion yuan and roughly doubled Liang’s net worth to about $36bn.
The company wants to raise about as much again. Discussions are ongoing, Bloomberg cautioned, and the size, timing, and investor list can still change.
