Hello from Hong Kong. This is Cissy, and I will be taking you through #techAsia this week.
The biggest news in the Chinese tech sector these days has been around DeepSeek, as everyone is wondering whether the AI start-up will finally release its long-delayed V4 model this week, and of course, what kind of chips it will be trained on. If its model performance turns out to be as good as expected — or even better — and it is trained on domestic chips, that would mean China’s homegrown chipmakers have made another stride in overcoming US technology restrictions.
DeepSeek is also reportedly looking to raise funds externally for the first time, according to The Information. The US media outlet said the company was valued at $10bn a few days ago, but on Wednesday it reported that Alibaba and Tencent are both in talks with DeepSeek over investment at a valuation of $20bn.