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Liang Wenfeng

DeepSeek says it is training a 2 trillion-parameter model and planning an 8 trillion-parameter version
DeepSeek names domestic-chip training a key bet while still relying on Nvidia
DeepSeek’s new funding round targets a 500 billion yuan valuation, with markets betting an IPO could push it past 1 trillion
DeepSeek
2026-09-09 02:09:11

DeepSeek financing round values company at about $71 billion as secondary SPV access fees climb above 15%

DeepSeek is raising a new round at a pre-money valuation of about $71 billion, according to a BlockBeats brief citing Beating AI. Just one month ago, the company completed a first funding round of $7 billion at a valuation of about $52 billion, implying an increase of roughly 37% in a month. Demand appears to remain strong even though the new round reportedly comes with a five-year lock-up and no voting rights. Investors unable to secure direct allocations have begun seeking indirect exposure through institutions that already obtained quota. Those firms are setting up special purpose vehicles, or SPVs, to pool outside capital. The brief said some first-layer vehicles are charging a 6% entry fee, second-layer structures are charging 8%, and lower-tier channels are asking for more than 15%. In addition, they may take as much as 40% of investment profits. The report contrasted those terms with more typical SPV arrangements, which usually charge around a 2% upfront fee and 20% carried interest. The secondary structures were not initiated by DeepSeek, the brief said. Financial Times was cited as saying founder Liang Wenfeng has started personally reviewing the final investor list and checking the capital providers behind it, with the aim of preventing shares from ending up in the hands of unidentified entities and reducing governance risks tied to a complicated shareholder structure ahead of a possible future IPO.

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DeepSeek financing round values company at about $71 billion as secondary SPV access fees climb above 15%
DeepSeek Plans 2027 STAR Market IPO at $52B Valuation; Founder Pivots Fund to Pre-IPO
DeepSeek
2026-08-25 10:43:08

Zhong Shanshan indirectly backed DeepSeek through his investment vehicle, with the stake estimated at about RMB 354 million

DeepSeek’s first financing round is drawing renewed attention as the company moves into a second round, with more details emerging about who got in early. Public ownership records cited in the report show that Zhong Shanshan, China’s richest man and founder behind the Nongfu Spring and Wantai Bio businesses, indirectly invested in DeepSeek through a chain of entities linked to Guanzi Venture Capital. Based on the structure described in the article and Tianyancha corporate data, the investment is estimated at roughly RMB 354 million. The report says DeepSeek’s first round, completed in June, included state-backed capital, market-oriented institutions, internet companies, and a RMB 5 billion commitment from CATL. It also names industrial capital from firms such as Andon Health, By-Health, and Septwolves. For Zhong, the DeepSeek deal stands out because it is described as his first move into the AI large-model segment, even though Guanzi Venture Capital had previously appeared as a pre-IPO shareholder in AI chip company Lightelligence. The article also maps a broader technology investment footprint under the Yangshengtang system, including Qiantang New Materials Laboratory and the Kunshan Gewu Zhizhi fund, both of which have been active in hard-tech areas such as new materials, photonic chips, superconducting equipment, embodied intelligence, and solid-state batteries.

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Zhong Shanshan indirectly backed DeepSeek through his investment vehicle, with the stake estimated at about RMB 354 million
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