DeepSeek has made AI affordable. It is now seeking to raise $8 billion and is acquiring robots.

      In early 2025, DeepSeek demonstrated that an effective AI model does not necessarily have to come with a hefty price tag. This week, the company has been focused on showing its capability to spend significantly. Within just a few days, the Chinese lab restarted a multi-billion-dollar fundraising effort, acquired a stake in the nation's leading robot manufacturer, and informed clients that prices would be increasing.

      Reopening an $8 billion funding round

      According to Bloomberg, DeepSeek has recommenced its second funding round, aiming to raise approximately $8 billion, which places the Hangzhou startup's valuation at around 500 billion yuan, or $74 billion. Monolith Management, an initial supporter of the Chinese AI firm Moonshot, is negotiating to participate.

      This round is a continuation rather than a new beginning. DeepSeek had briefly paused the fundraising last month due to some contentious comments from founder Liang Wenfeng to investors. The company’s valuation has grown since its initial external funding round earlier this summer, which concluded with a value close to 350 billion yuan, nearly doubling Liang's net worth to about $36 billion.

      The company seeks to secure a similar amount again. Ongoing discussions could still alter the amount, timing, and list of investors, Bloomberg cautioned.

      The purpose of the funding indicates a significant change. DeepSeek intends to allocate part of the capital to construct its own data centers, starting with a large facility in Inner Mongolia. The lab, which built its reputation on efficiency, now requires its own computing resources. On the same day the funding round was reintroduced, the company also alerted users about a forthcoming substantial price increase. DeepSeek is subtly reshaping its narrative around affordable AI.

      A robotic investment in the same week

      The second significant move highlights a new direction. DeepSeek has invested 140.8 million yuan, roughly $20.8 million, in Unitree Robotics’ Shanghai IPO, according to Reuters' report on a stock exchange filing. This investment secures a 2.31% share of the strategic placement of the offering, accompanied by a 36-month lock-up period, suggesting a commitment rather than a mere trading action.

      In addition, DeepSeek and Unitree Robotics have entered into an agreement to collaboratively develop AI models for humanoid robots. The two Hangzhou companies will combine DeepSeek’s models with Unitree’s expertise in motion control and embodied intelligence, supporting each other in respective services. The aim is to tackle one of the toughest challenges in the field.

      Can a robot "brain" comprehend an unfamiliar room and translate an instruction into a reliable action?

      This collaboration is significant. DeepSeek’s models excel in coding, mathematics, and reasoning, yet these capabilities primarily lie in language rather than in multimodal systems that interpret the physical environment. Its VL2 vision research was never integrated into its primary offerings, and another visual-reasoning project appeared and abruptly disappeared in April without an explanation. Unitree provides the essential missing element—robots and the limited physical-world data they produce.

      A high price for the hardware

      On Thursday, Unitree announced its IPO pricing, the culmination of a listing process tracked by TNW since its earlier 50-billion-yuan target. It aims to raise about 6.1 billion yuan, equivalent to $904 million, at a valuation close to $9 billion, as reported by Reuters. This positions it as the first humanoid robot manufacturer to go public on the mainland. Current investors already include entities affiliated with Tencent, Alibaba, and China Mobile.

      The financials are substantial. At a share price of 150.80 yuan, the offering boasts a price-to-earnings ratio of 219, while the industry average hovers around 39, according to Chinese source Cailian Press. Revenue more than quadrupled to 1.7 billion yuan in 2025, making humanoid robots the company's largest product line. However, the first-quarter profit, excluding one-off items, saw a decline of 52.6% due to rising research and marketing expenses. Sales in the U.S., accounting for 13.3% of last year’s revenue, remain vulnerable to new American restrictions on Chinese robotics.

      When these three actions are viewed together, a discernible pattern emerges. The firm that has established that AI can be economical is now raising billions, creating data centers, and increasing prices. It is also investing in robots. DeepSeek appears to be wagering that the next phase will not be economical at all. Whether the market that embraced the lower costs will accept the new pricing remains an open question.