{
  "id": 16046950,
  "title": "DeepSeek reportedly raises $15B days after US restrictions",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/22/deepseek-reportedly-raises-15b-days-after-us-restrictions",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-10-22T13:11:13.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "TechCrunch",
    "slug": "techcrunch",
    "url": "https://techcrunch.com/2026/10/22/deepseek-reportedly-raises-15b-days-after-us-restrictions/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Following a U.S. order for federal civilian agencies to remove DeepSeek's AI technology from their systems due to security concerns, the Chinese AI lab raised approximately $15 billion in funding just two days later, according to Bloomberg. Major investors in this significant funding round included CATL, a prominent battery manufacturer, and Tencent, the creator of the widely-used messaging app WeChat. Other undisclosed investors also participated in the transaction.\n\nThis recent funding marks one of the largest rounds in China's AI industry, following DeepSeek's $7 billion investment round in June, which valued the company at $50 billion. In July, the company reportedly sought an additional $1.5 billion, aiming for a valuation of around $71 billion, with plans for a potential IPO in China as early as the following year.\n\nBased in Hangzhou, DeepSeek has been intensifying its investments in AI infrastructure and open models to cater to both domestic and international markets. Despite facing restrictions in the U.S., the company's expansion could lead to increased competition among domestic rivals. The massive funding round underscores the global interest in AI companies, with investors pouring billions into these firms worldwide.\n\nOther recent AI funding rounds include Moonshot AI, a developer of the Kimi platform, which secured $2 billion at a $20 billion valuation in May, and Manus AI, which raised over $500 million earlier this month. Chinese companies Zhipu AI (Z.ai) and MiniMax have also made significant strides, with market capitalizations valued at roughly $29 billion and $7.2 billion, respectively, as of today. Founded in 2023 by Liang Wenfeng, who previously co-founded a quantitative hedge fund, DeepSeek gained international recognition in early 2025 with its free-to-use open-weight reasoning model, challenging the supremacy of U.S. AI companies. Liang Wenfeng still holds an estimated 81.6% stake in the company's Chinese entity, as per corporate ownership data provided by WireScreen. DeepSeek declined to comment on the reported funding.",
  "summary": "DeepSeek has reportedly raised $15 billion in one of China's largest funding rounds, just days after the US ordered federal agencies to remove its technology over national security concerns.",
  "key_points": [
    "U.S. order forces DeepSeek to remove AI tech from federal systems",
    "Chinese AI lab raises $15B in two days, led by CATL and Tencent",
    "Funding makes DeepSeek one of China's largest AI industry deals"
  ],
  "editors_take": "Securing massive domestic capital immediately after facing American security restrictions signals that Chinese investors are doubling down on local AI leaders to challenge United States technological supremacy.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}