On April 17, as reported by foreign media outlet The Information, citing sources with inside knowledge, Chinese AI large-scale model company DeepSeek has embarked on its inaugural external equity financing round. The company is aiming for a valuation surpassing $10 billion and is set to raise a minimum of $300 million. This strategic move signifies the formal entry of the technology firm, which has predominantly depended on internal funding, into the fierce global AI capital competition.

Established in 2023 by quantitative trading powerhouse High-Flyer Quant, DeepSeek had, in the past, declined external investments on numerous occasions, thanks to the financial backing from its parent company. However, the recent change in its funding approach is primarily propelled by the skyrocketing costs of research and development, as well as the potential loss of key talent. The raised funds are earmarked for investment in computing power, the development of the next-generation V4 model, team stabilization, and the acceleration of commercialization efforts.

As of now, DeepSeek has not issued any official statement in response. The potential investors for this funding round are predominantly domestic capital entities.