DeepSeek, an AI laboratory based in Hangzhou, has led a funding round for a Chinese robotics startup, valuing the company at $400 million. This investment aligns with the lab's strategy to integrate its AI software with physical hardware, following its previous acquisition of a 2.31% stake in Unitree Robotics for $20.8 million in August 2026.
The company's own financial history includes a mid-June 2026 funding round that raised approximately ¥50 billion, or $7.4 billion, resulting in a post-money valuation of nearly ¥400 billion, or $59 billion. Founder Liang Wenfeng personally contributed ¥20 billion to this initial capital raise.
Reports from early October 2026 indicate that DeepSeek is currently in discussions for a second funding round. The company is reportedly targeting at least ¥80 billion, or approximately $12 billion, as it prepares for a potential IPO in 2027.
The market also notes that Deep Robotics, a separate entity that raised ¥500 million in December 2025, maintains no corporate ties to DeepSeek despite the similarity in their names.
