DeepSeek, the Hangzhou-based AI startup behind the open-source DeepSeek models, completed its first external funding round on June 16, 2026. The round raised approximately 51 billion yuan ($7 billion) at a valuation of nearly 400 billion yuan ($55 billion). Investors include founder Liang Wenfeng, Tencent, CATL, NetEase, JD.com, Monolith Management, IDG Capital, Zhenge Valley Investment, Shixiang Technology, and the National AI Industry Investment Fund. Liang Wenfeng structured the deal so that most external investors contribute through limited partnerships he manages, with a five-year lock-up and no voting rights; only the National AI Industry Fund receives direct equity and voting rights. Previously funded solely by High-Flyer Quant, DeepSeek plans to use the proceeds for AI infrastructure expansion, R&D, employee equity incentives, and accelerating commercialization.
Google has announced a new Google Home smart speaker, the first to integrate its Gemini for Home AI assistant, priced at $100 and set to ship on June 25. The spherical speaker delivers 360° sound, an advanced microphone system that adapts to the room, and capacitive touch controls. Internally, it uses a quad-core Cortex-A55 processor, 1GB RAM, and 4GB storage. Gemini for Home supports natural conversational interactions, multi-step voice commands, and real‑time correction when a user changes their request mid‑sentence. Paired with a Google TV Streamer, two speakers can form a stereo surround system.
At Li Auto’s Livis Day on June 15, 2026, base model head Zhan Kun stated that except for Tesla FSD, no domestic smart driving system is in the first tier. He personally tested Tesla’s FSD V14.3 in Silicon Valley in May 2026 and confirmed a significant technological lead. Li Auto announced its roadmap: the vision-language-action model ‘Mach VLA’ will receive a major update in Q3 2026, and by Q4 its full-scenario driving capability will align with Tesla FSD V14. The Li L9 Livis already runs Mach VLA 2.1 on the in-house Mach M100 chip (5nm, 1280 TOPS per chip). Xpeng also targets FSD V14.2 level by August 2026.