Hangzhou, July 15, 2026
Chinese AI company DeepSeek preparing IPO on the mainland
The Chinese AI company DeepSeek from Hangzhou is preparing an IPO on the Chinese mainland and is aiming for a valuation of around 71 billion US dollars in a pre-arranged financing round, according to a Bloomberg report.
As Bloomberg reports, citing people familiar with the matter, DeepSeek could file initial IPO documents as early as this year. A listing on a Chinese mainland exchange – according to The Information, a listing in Shanghai is under discussion – could take place as early as 2027. The financial reports required for the application are to be completed by the end of December. Bloomberg also pointed out that the timing and scope of both plans could still change.
Planned financing round and valuation
At the center is a new financing round that, according to Bloomberg, is targeting a volume of at least ten billion yuan. At a pre-money valuation of 480 billion yuan – equivalent to around 71 billion US dollars – the final amount could be significantly higher depending on investor demand.
Already at the end of May, DeepSeek had closed its first external financing round after a report first published by the Financial Times, raising around seven billion US dollars at a valuation of 52 billion US dollars. According to the reports, participants in this round included Tencent, battery manufacturer CATL, JD.com, NetEase, IDG Capital, as well as a state-run AI investment fund from Beijing, the National Artificial Intelligence Industry Investment Fund. Founder Liang Wenfeng reportedly contributed around three billion US dollars of private wealth; his fortune is currently estimated at around 36 billion US dollars.