DeepSeek funding round explained: what Bloomberg has reported

DeepSeek, the Chinese AI company, is reportedly close to completing a very large funding round. If the report is accurate, the company is raising money from major investors before it offers its shares to the public. Neither DeepSeek nor its investors have confirmed any of this.

Bloomberg reported on 6 October that DeepSeek is finalising a funding round of at least $12 billion, or 80 billion yuan. The details reached us through AI Weekly's summary of the Bloomberg report.

According to the report, Tencent and the battery maker CATL are among the biggest backers. The final total could approach 100 billion yuan, so the round may end up larger than the current figure.

The funding comes ahead of an IPO. That stands for initial public offering, the moment a company first sells its shares on a stock market. Bloomberg said DeepSeek is preparing a listing in Hong Kong, targeted for the first quarter of 2027.

All of these details come from Bloomberg's report as relayed by AI Weekly. We found no confirmation from DeepSeek, Tencent or CATL.

The notes on this story say nothing about DeepSeek's products, prices or access, so there is no confirmed change for people who use its tools today. The report is about the company's finances, not its models or apps.

What is known is limited to the funding and the listing plan. Nothing in the report says how DeepSeek will spend the money, and it does not describe any change to what you can use or what it costs.

The next thing to watch is whether the round is confirmed and what total it reaches. Bloomberg said the amount could approach 100 billion yuan.

The other date in the report is the Hong Kong IPO, targeted for the first quarter of 2027. Until DeepSeek or its backers comment, treat the figures and the timetable as reported, not confirmed.