DeepSeek Nears $12 Billion Funding Round Supported by Tencent and CATL

DeepSeek, a Chinese AI lab, is on the brink of securing a significant funding round amounting to at least 80 billion yuan, approximately $12 billion, as reported by Bloomberg News on Tuesday. Among the major investors in this round are Tencent and CATL, the renowned battery manufacturer, according to insider sources cited by Bloomberg. Originally targeting to raise around 50 billion yuan, DeepSeek witnessed a surge in demand following the introduction of its latest model, potentially driving the final funding total close to 100 billion yuan. DeepSeek has yet to officially confirm the funding round. If successful, this round would…