Report: Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited plans to participate in DeepSeek's first round of financing

According to The Information, Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL) is planning to participate in the latest round of funding for Chinese AI developer DeepSeek. Two people with direct knowledge revealed that the investment plan is in sync with CATL's strategy to accelerate the sale of electrical equipment to AI data centers.

DeepSeek's fundraising target for this round is about 500 billion yuan (approximately $7.35 billion), which could be completed as early as next month. The Information previously reported that after the transaction, DeepSeek's post-investment valuation is expected to exceed 350 billion yuan (approximately $51.4 billion).

JD.com and NetEase are also discussing participation in this round of financing, but the final participants and investment amounts have not been determined, with negotiations still ongoing. CATL has declined to comment on the above news.

Aiming for Future Business Synergy

In addition to automotive batteries, CATL has identified AI data centers as an important direction for growth, continuously supplying them with backup batteries and energy storage systems. Earlier this month, its affiliate announced a strategic investment of $942 million in China data center operator 21Vianet. In addition, CATL has also invested in Zhongheng Electric, which focuses on power supply systems for data centers.

When building data centers, DeepSeek needs to align with the Chinese government's policy orientation of promoting the use of green energy in computing facilities. CATL's energy storage and backup power solutions can effectively increase the proportion of renewable energy (wind and solar power) used by data centers, making it an extremely attractive strategic partner for DeepSeek.