capital · May 14, 2026

DeepSeek Valuation Reaches $45 Billion in Funding Talks

DeepSeek's valuation climbed to over $45 billion on May 6, 2026, during talks with China's Big Fund for a lead investment. Founder Wenfeng Liang injects 20 billion RMB ($2.8 billion), comprising 40 percent of the total raise. Reports from April 22 placed the valuation above $20 billion, up from $10 billion in early April seed discussions. The funding marks China's largest AI round, involving state entities over VCs. Liang's control expands to 84.29 percent of the company as of May 14, 2026.