DeepSeek funding 2026 marks the end of DeepSeek’s era as a purely self-funded research lab. The Hangzhou-based AI company has raised $7.4 billion in its first-ever external funding round, achieving a post-money valuation of over $50 billion. The round was led by Tencent and CATL, China’s dominant battery manufacturer, and co-invested by China’s National AI Industry Investment Fund. This investment