DeepSeek founder prioritizes AGI over profits amid funding round

Friday 22 May 2026 - 14:30

By: Dakir Madiha

DeepSeek founder prioritizes AGI over profits amid funding round

A founding figure of the Chinese artificial intelligence company DeepSeek has told potential investors that long-term research into advanced AI systems takes priority over short-term revenue generation. The company aims to advance toward artificial general intelligence while continuing to release open source models, according to information shared in investor discussions during an ongoing fundraising process.

Liang Wenfeng, who transitioned from hedge fund management into artificial intelligence development, presented DeepSeek’s strategic direction during meetings with investors. He stated that the company’s primary mission is to push the boundaries of AI capability rather than focus on immediate commercialization. The position reflects a deliberate distance from the pressure faced by many competitors to demonstrate rapid and recurring income streams.

The fundraising effort has expanded significantly since early discussions in the spring. Initial estimates placed the target at around 300 million dollars for a valuation near 10 billion dollars. Subsequent reports indicated a sharp increase in expected valuation, with figures rising toward tens of billions of dollars as major institutional investors evaluated participation. The round is also expected to bring several billion dollars in new capital to strengthen computing infrastructure and model training capacity.

DeepSeek, which emerged from a quantitative trading background before entering the AI sector, has built its identity around open source development. Its earlier model releases challenged assumptions about the cost structure of competitive AI systems. The company’s approach continues to position it as a research-driven actor in a market increasingly shaped by commercialization pressures and capital-intensive scaling.

Liang has previously suggested that artificial general intelligence could emerge within the next decade and that DeepSeek is structured to accelerate that timeline. The company is also preparing new iterations of its models, including an upgraded version expected in the near term, as it seeks to maintain momentum in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.