PANews reported on April 18th that, according to Jinshi, news continues to circulate within the industry that DeepSeek, a leading AI company in China, may be launching its first external funding round. A recent report from a tech and business-focused media outlet states that DeepSeek is in talks to attract external capital for the first time, hoping to bolster its cash reserves and gain a competitive edge in the high-cost race to develop cutting-edge AI models. Previously, the company had repeatedly rejected investment offers from leading Chinese venture capital firms and tech giants. However, according to two sources, the startup has recently begun contacting investors, planning to raise at least $300 million at a valuation of at least $10 billion.

In response, an individual from a large state-owned equity investment institution stated, "We have received feedback that the news that DeepSeek is launching its first external financing round is very likely true, but we are currently unable to invest in it." They added, "We cannot disclose more information at this time." Furthermore, from noon to afternoon on April 18th, we contacted two senior executives of Huanfang Quantitative through personal phone calls and WeChat messages to verify the financing news regarding DeepSeek, but as of press time, neither executive answered their calls or responded to their WeChat messages.