DeepSeek advances $7.4B funding round at up to $59B val; China AI funding fever; Moonshot AI seeks $30B; Z.ai GLM-5.2 tops GPT 5.5; Z.ai launches ZCode coding tool; DeepSeek developing own inference chip
Key Questions
What valuation did DeepSeek achieve in its latest funding?
DeepSeek is raising $7.4 billion at a $52-59 billion valuation led by Tencent and CATL. The round features an unusual structure allowing founder Liang Wenfeng to retain control via lock-ups.
How much has Moonshot AI raised recently?
Moonshot AI raised $2 billion at a $30 billion valuation, a 7x increase in six months. The company reports $200 million ARR with monthly revenue doubling.
What new model did Z.ai release and how does it compare?
Z.ai's GLM-5.2 model topped OpenAI's GPT 5.5 on key benchmarks. The company also launched the ZCode coding tool with 750B parameters and MIT license to undercut US rivals on price.
Is DeepSeek developing its own AI chip?
DeepSeek is developing a custom inference chip to reduce reliance on Nvidia and Huawei. This follows similar moves by OpenAI and Anthropic toward proprietary silicon.
What was China's Q1 2026 AI funding level?
China's AI funding reached 110 billion yuan in Q1 2026, up 185% year-over-year. Asian AI funding totaled $11.2 billion in the same period.
DeepSeek confirmed raising $7.4B at $52-59B valuation (Tencent/CATL lead) with an unusual deal structure: founder Liang Wenfeng retains control via lock-ups and limited voting rights. Moonshot AI raises $2B at $30B valuation (7x in 6 months, $200M ARR, doubling monthly). China AI funding hit 110B yuan in Q1 2026 (+185% YoY). Asian AI funding $24.3B in 2025, $11.2B Q1 2026. DeepSeek operates lean 300-person team, pragmatic about lagging US labs. Z.ai (Zhipu AI) GLM-5.2 model tops OpenAI GPT 5.5 on key benchmarks, and now launches ZCode coding tool with 750B parameters, 1M context, MIT license, undercutting US rivals on price. DeepSeek developing its own inference chip, following OpenAI/Anthropic custom silicon trend, adding pressure on Huawei's domestic chip dominance.