Chinese AI lab DeepSeek has reportedly raised around $15 billion, according to Bloomberg as relayed by TechCrunch. Reported investors include CATL and Tencent. The round came two days after the US ordered federal civilian agencies to take DeepSeek technology off their systems over security concerns. DeepSeek did not immediately comment.
The report notes the company raised over $7 billion in June at a $50 billion valuation, and has reportedly discussed a Chinese IPO as soon as next year. It plans to spend more on AI infrastructure and open models for home and overseas markets.
Many Indian developers and startups use open-weight Chinese models because they are cheap and strong. This story is a reminder that government restrictions and security reviews can affect which models enterprise clients will accept. Teams should check licensing, data handling and client rules before building products on any model.
Source: TechCrunch.