DeepSeek (Chinese AI research lab) reportedly exploring new funding round at $71 billion valuation to expand AI infrastructure capacity.

DeepSeek is reportedly exploring a new fundraising round that would value the Chinese artificial intelligence startup at approximately $71 billion, just weeks after closing its first-ever external financing round. According to the Financial Times, the Hangzhou-based company has begun preliminary discussions with prospective investors, citing people familiar with the matter, though terms have not been finalized.

The potential raise follows DeepSeek's inaugural financing completed around the end of May, which raised about $7 billion at a $52 billion valuation including the new capital. According to previous reports, investors participated through a limited partnership managed by founder and CEO Liang Wenfeng rather than investing directly in the company.

The accelerated fundraising reflects DeepSeek's growing capital needs as it ramps up spending on AI infrastructure, including plans to develop its own data centers and acquire additional AI chips. The company is also investing heavily in AI agent technology, which has significantly increased demand for computing capacity.

Liang reportedly contributed roughly $3 billion of his own capital during the previous financing round, making him the company's largest investor. Other reported investors include Tencent Holdings, Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL), JD.com, NetEase, and venture capital firms including IDG, Monolith, and Shixiang. A state-backed national AI investment fund also reportedly acquired a minority stake.

The proceeds from the initial fundraising are being used to expand DeepSeek's computing infrastructure and recruit additional AI researchers as competition intensifies among global AI developers.

DeepSeek gained international attention in early 2025 after releasing high-performance, low-cost AI models that challenged assumptions about the cost of developing advanced AI systems. More recently, reports have indicated the company is developing its own AI chips in an effort to reduce reliance on suppliers including Nvidia and Huawei.

The company has also remained at the center of broader geopolitical tensions surrounding artificial intelligence. Recent reports indicate the Trump administration delayed plans to place DeepSeek on a U.S. trade blacklist, while China is reportedly weighing additional restrictions on access to leading AI models developed by American companies.

DeepSeek did not immediately respond to a request for comment.