https://www.live-feeds.com/feed/deepseek-to-raise-at-least-12-billion-in-tencent-backed-fundingContinuously updated, source-cited coverage. https://www.live-feeds.com/feed/deepseek-to-raise-at-least-12-billion-in-tencent-backed-fundinghttps://www.live-feeds.com/feed/deepseek-to-raise-at-least-12-billion-in-tencent-backed-funding#u110420Thu, 08 Oct 2026 10:40:26 +0000Chinese artificial intelligence startup DeepSeek is nearing a funding round of at least 80 billion yuan, equating to approximately $12 billion, backed by major investors including Tencent and CATL. The capital raise surpasses the company's initial internal targets and precedes a planned initial public offering scheduled for early 2027. This financial surge arrives as Chinese open-weight artificial intelligence models continue to capture users in the United States, positioning domestic firms to build substantial capital reserves while American rivals pursue trillion-dollar valuations.Why i