according to insiders, deepseek has successfully raised over rmb 50 billion (approximately usd 7.4 billion) in its first strategic financing round, pushing the company’s post-investment valuation beyond usd 50 billion. this round employs an innovative structural design, with funds injected through a special-purpose limited partnership entity. founder and ceo liang wenfeng serves as the general partner and maintains actual control of the platform, thereby ensuring the founding team’s decision-making authority while attracting substantial capital.
all external investments must be channeled into a limited partnership controlled by liang wenfeng, rather than directly acquiring equity in deepseek. investors are required to commit to a five-year lock-up period and will not participate in corporate governance or hold any voting rights.
additionally, multiple sources confirm that liang wenfeng himself has invested rmb 20 billion from his personal funds, making him the largest investor in this round. tencent plans to contribute rmb 10 billion, while catl intends to inject rmb 5 billion; both are expected to become the two largest industrial strategic investors in this financing round.
