Fundraising

• DeepSeek has suspended its second round of fundraising following the viral spread of leaked comments made by founder Liang Wenfeng. • The controversy centers on Liang's remarks regarding the company's reliance on Nvidia hardware, highlighting the challenges Chinese AI firms face amid chip export restrictions. • This pause is significant as it disrupts the capital flow for one of China's most prominent AI developers during a critical phase of growth and competition.

• DeepSeek has abruptly halted its second round of fundraising following the leak of private remarks made by founder Liang Wenfeng during an investor meeting. • During the meeting, Liang emphasized that the company's primary objective is the pursuit of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) rather than prioritizing market share. • This decision is significant as it signals a strategic shift toward long-term research goals over immediate commercial expansion and capital accumulation.

• DeepSeek has suspended its second funding round following the viral leak of comments made by founder Liang Wenfeng. • The leaked discussions centered on the company's heavy reliance on Nvidia chips and the existing gap in AI capabilities between China and the West. • The pause comes as DeepSeek, owned by Zhejiang High-Flyer Asset Management, prioritizes open-source development and aggressive pricing over immediate revenue.

• DeepSeek has suspended its second round of fundraising after comments attributed to founder Liang Wenfeng regarding the AI competition between the U.S. and China went viral. • The decision was communicated to prospective investors shortly after the viral posts sparked significant attention and debate. • This move highlights the volatility of the AI sector and the sensitivity of geopolitical tensions surrounding technological supremacy between the two superpowers.

• Chinese AI startup DeepSeek has paused its second fundraising round shortly after securing a record $7 billion in previous funding. • The decision follows the viral spread of comments attributed to founder Liang Wenfeng regarding China's AI industry and its competition with the United States. • This pause highlights the volatility of the AI investment landscape and the potential impact of public statements on corporate financing.

• DeepSeek has suspended its current fundraising efforts following the viral spread of alleged comments made by its founder regarding AI in the US and China. • The startup gained global attention in 2025 by developing a cutting-edge, efficient AI model that requires significantly fewer computing resources than its competitors. • This breakthrough is significant as it proves Chinese firms can compete with Silicon Valley leaders despite strict US export restrictions on advanced hardware.

• Nvidia launched its first bond issuance in five years, aiming to raise $20 billion to fund the development of advanced AI processors. • Investor demand far exceeded expectations, reaching $85 billion and significantly surpassing the company's initial fundraising goal. • The surge in interest is driven by the "red hot" demand for Nvidia's chips, which are essential for tech companies building and running complex AI models.

• Alphabet has increased its equity fundraising target to $84.75 billion, up from an initial plan of $80 billion announced earlier this week. • The capital will be used to expand data centers and computing capacity to support the development of advanced artificial intelligence systems. • This move reflects strong investor demand and highlights the intensifying race among major tech companies to build massive AI infrastructure.

• Fundraising and potential IPOs from AI leaders like OpenAI, SpaceX, and Anthropic are prompting investors to seek new growth opportunities across Asia. • While chip giants like TSMC, Samsung Electronics, and SK Hynix have already seen massive gains, capital is now shifting toward components, servers, packaging, connectivity, and energy infrastructure. • Ken Wong of Eastspring Investments notes that these secondary AI-related sectors are becoming more attractive as some primary chipmaker valuations have risen too sharply.

• The Justice Department announced an expanded criminal investigation into fundraising and expenditure patterns of Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign and related political action committees, focusing on compliance with federal campaign finance and foreign‑donor laws. • Investigators are examining at least a dozen large donations that may have been routed through shell corporate accounts or foreign‑linked entities, according to law‑enforcement officials briefed on the probe. • White House spokespeople framed the action as part of “routine post‑election review,” while Trump allies accuse the department of partisan bias and warn that any charges could ignite a political firestorm ahead of the 2026 midterms.