CATL and Tencent Back DeepSeek's $12B Funding Round Ahead of Targeted 2027 IPO
Original title:CATL and Tencent back Deepseek's ballooning funding round as the AI startup eyes a 2027 IPO
According to Bloomberg, Chinese AI startup DeepSeek is nearing the completion of a funding round expected to raise at least $12 billion, with backing from battery giant CATL and tech conglomerate Tencent. The aggressive capital injection coincides with internal plans targeting an initial public offering in 2027, marking a pivotal transition from an agile, efficiency-oriented lab into a heavily capitalized enterprise preparing for long-term commercialization.
Why it's worth reading
The multi-billion-dollar backing from CATL and Tencent signals DeepSeek's rapid shift from an agile open-weights research lab into an institutionalized player preparing for the public markets.