DeepSeek is now writing checks, not just cashing them. The Hangzhou-based AI lab has led a funding round that values a Chinese robot AI startup at $400 million.
The investment comes only months after DeepSeek closed its first-ever external funding round. In mid-June 2026, the lab raised approximately 50 billion yuan, or nearly $7.4 billion.
That round set a post-money valuation near 400 billion yuan, around $59 billion.
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Founder Liang Wenfeng personally put in roughly 20 billion yuan, a sizable share of the total raise.
In August 2026, DeepSeek paid 140.8 million yuan, approximately $20.8 million, for a 2.31% stake in Unitree Robotics. Unitree is one of China’s best-known makers of legged and humanoid robots.
Unitree was valued at approximately 61 billion yuan, about $9 billion, at its IPO on the STAR Market.
The research around the Unitree deal frames it as part of a push into AI for robotics. That includes joint work on advanced AI models built for humanoid machines.
The new $400 million startup round fits that same template. It gives DeepSeek another seat at the table where AI software meets physical machines.
One naming note is worth flagging. Deep Robotics, a separate Chinese company, raised 500 million yuan, around $70 million, in December 2025 for robot development. Despite the similar branding, Deep Robotics has no reported ties to DeepSeek.
As of early October 2026, DeepSeek was reportedly in discussions about a second funding round. That round is said to target at least 80 billion yuan, or approximately $12 billion. It would come ahead of a potential IPO in 2027.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Diego Almada Lopez. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.