DeepSeek Pauses Series B Funding After Founder Objects to Leaked Internal Statements

According to Bloomberg, Chinese AI startup DeepSeek has paused its Series B funding round after notifying potential investors that planned investment agreements will not proceed as scheduled. The delay comes days after founder Liang Wenfeng reportedly objected to leaked statements attributed to him regarding U.S.-China AI competition that circulated widely online.

The founder's dissatisfaction with the disclosure of his internal remarks—reportedly made during Series A investor meetings—contributed to the decision to halt the funding process, though DeepSeek may resume fundraising efforts in the future. The company completed its Series A round in June, raising $7 billion.