China’s AI giant DeepSeek is reportedly pursuing the fastest IPO and listing by the end of the year, seeking a new round of funding with a valuation push of $71 billion.

According to Bloomberg, China’s leading AI enterprise DeepSeek is actively preparing for its first initial public offering (IPO) on the China mainland stock market, with applications potentially submitted as early as the end of this year. Meanwhile, after just completing a $6.7 billion mega round of funding, DeepSeek is seeking a new round of $480B-plus RMB capital injection at a valuation as high as $71 billion, signaling that it will give up on short-term cashing out and fully bet on breakthrough, forward-looking AI technology research.
(Background: Beijing is considering regulating DeepSeek and Mysterious Moon; China’s AI models are being grabbed by Silicon Valley for cheap)
(Additional context: China allegedly gives the green light to Alibaba, ByteDance, and DeepSeek’s purchase of Nvidia H200 chips; Trump loosens the restrictions for half a year before finally approving)

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• Submit IPO by the end of the year at the fastest pace, pushing to meet earnings report progress
• Valuation up to $71 billion, seeking a new round of RMB $50B injection
• Abandon short-term cashing out, fully betting on “breakthrough AI research”
• Life-or-death IPO battle between China and U.S. AI giants

The capital showdown in the artificial intelligence (AI) sector between China and the U.S. is heating up rapidly. On July 14, 2026 (Taipei time), the latest update from Bloomberg reports that China’s AI unicorn DeepSeek (Deep Seek), which has gained global acclaim for its low-cost, high-performance models, has officially kicked off preparations for an IPO, targeting China’s mainland stock market.

Submit IPO by the end of the year at the fastest pace, pushing to meet earnings report progress

DeepSeek, headquartered in Hangzhou, is currently in close talks with multiple accounting firms and bank advisory teams to advance its listing process. To meet the strict requirements for submitting an IPO application, the internal team is working at full speed, aiming to complete its full financial reports by end of December 2026.

If progress goes smoothly, DeepSeek may submit its application as early as the end of this year or the beginning of next year, and is expected to list in 2027. This would make it one of the most closely watched technology IPO deals in China in recent years.

Valuation up to $71 billion, seeking a new round of RMB $86B injection

On capital markets, DeepSeek’s ability to attract funding is also drawing attention. Just a few weeks ago, the company completed a funding round of $6.7 billion (about RMB 5 billion), setting the record for the largest first-round funding among China AI startups, with investors including industry heavyweights such as Tencent and CATL.

However, DeepSeek’s expansion is not stopping. According to sources, the company is currently seeking another round of financing in the unlisted market, targeting a pre-investment valuation of at least RMB 48 billion (about $71 billion), a significant jump from the previous $5 billion valuation. The current plan is to raise at least RMB 10 billion; and the actual amount may be increased further depending on investors’ enthusiasm, though specific details may still be adjusted based on market conditions.

Abandon short-term cashing out, fully betting on “breakthrough AI research”

Faced with massive capital inflows, DeepSeek’s executives have made their position clear to potential investors: the company’s top priority will be to invest in “breakthrough AI research,” rather than rushing to pursue short-term commercial cashing out. Since the beginning of 2025, when DeepSeek stunned the world with low-cost yet impressive performance models, it has been viewed by international markets as a leading player in China’s AI race capable of rivaling the United States.

Life-or-death IPO battle between China and U.S. AI giants

DeepSeek’s plan to go public stands in stark contrast to the capital deployment by U.S. AI giants. During the same period, U.S. firms Anthropic and OpenAI have reportedly secretly filed for IPO applications in June 2026, targeting a valuation as high as $1 trillion, but due to market volatility and regulatory reviews, the listing timeline may be pushed back to 2027. Meanwhile, SpaceX (with xAI business) under Elon Musk already set a record for the biggest IPO in history by writing its fundraising of $8.6 billion on June 12, 2026.

As DeepSeek accelerates its move from private markets to public markets, this not only reflects the astonishing growth speed of China’s AI industry under an infusion of massive capital, but also signals that the world may be entering an unprecedented “AI unicorn IPO frenzy.” Investors will closely watch the disclosures in its financial reports and the finalization of the next round of financing.