DeepSeek eyes $15B AI round amid OpenAI, Anthropic valuation surge

DeepSeek is close to securing at least 80 billion yuan (about $12 billion) in a new funding round, with term sheets suggesting the total could reach 100 billion yuan (~$15 billion). Major backers include Tencent Holdings and battery maker CATL, following strong showings from its V4 Flash AI model that rivals OpenAI and Anthropic while keeping operating costs low. The company plans to expand its computing capacity and deploy 160,000 Huawei AI accelerators at a data centre under construction in Inner Mongolia.

This fundraising frenzy mirrors a broader AI investment wave: OpenAI recently closed a $122 billion round at an $852 billion valuation and is now negotiating another $30 billion at a target $1.4 trillion valuation, while Anthropic, after a $965 billion private valuation, is aiming for an IPO price between $1.8 trillion and $2 trillion despite reporting $4.6 billion revenue and a $42 billion loss in 2025. Such massive capital inflows could drive up demand for AI talent and cloud services worldwide, affecting costs and opportunities for Nigerian tech firms.

Will Nigerian startups pursue partnerships with these AI leaders, or focus on building homegrown AI solutions that address local needs and capture value in the global boom? Keep an eye on announcements from DeepSeek, OpenAI and Anthropic for potential collaboration programs or open‑model releases that could be leveraged locally.

SOURCE: https://nairametrics.com/2026/10/06/deepseek-nears-12-billion-funding-as-investors-bet-big-on-ai/