
DeepSeek raises record $7.4 billion in first external funding round
Investors receive no voting rights and are subject to a five-year lockup period during which their holdings cannot be transferred.

Investors receive no voting rights and are subject to a five-year lockup period during which their holdings cannot be transferred.

The startup’s focus is not on predicting the next word but on predicting what happens next in the physical world.

Behind the milestone is a financial profile defined by strong growth and sustained losses.

Founder and chief executive Liang Wenfeng has pledged 20 billion yuan of personal capital, accounting for roughly 40% of the round, the report said.

Media reports on May 22 said the latest round had expanded to 70 billion yuan ($10.33 billion), with a pre-money valuation of about $45 billion.

Earlier discussions had suggested a baseline valuation of $10 billion, though negotiations remain ongoing and final terms could still change.