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SoftBank in Talks to Lead OpenAI Funding Round at $300 Billion Valuation

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SoftBank Group is in negotiations to lead a funding round for OpenAI, which could raise up to $40 billion, placing the artificial intelligence developer’s valuation at $300 billion, according to sources familiar with the matter. This potential round, which could set a record for a private company’s single funding round, is in the wake of growing competition from Chinese startup DeepSeek. DeepSeek’s new, affordable AI model has disrupted expectations about the costs of developing and deploying AI.

As part of the funding, SoftBank has valued OpenAI at $260 billion, a significant increase from its valuation of $150 billion just a few months ago. This funding is expected to be in the form of convertible notes, and similar to OpenAI’s previous round, it is contingent upon restructuring the company to remove control from its non-profit arm.

Leading the round would be a bold move for SoftBank, which has roughly $30 billion in cash to invest. While neither SoftBank nor OpenAI has commented on the discussions, it is believed that SoftBank could contribute between $15 billion and $25 billion directly into OpenAI. This money may also go towards OpenAI’s commitment to Stargate, a joint venture with Oracle and SoftBank aimed at helping the U.S. maintain a competitive edge in the global AI race, with plans for up to $500 billion in investments.

Despite the funding talks, DeepSeek’s low-cost AI model has raised concerns within the AI sector. The startup, using Nvidia H800 chips, developed its DeepSeek-V3 model for less than $6 million, spurring questions about whether OpenAI and other labs can retain their dominance as competition intensifies from more affordable alternatives.

 

Lawmakers Urge Trump to Consider New Curbs on Nvidia Chips Used by China’s DeepSeek

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U.S. lawmakers are calling on President Donald Trump’s administration to consider imposing new export controls on Nvidia’s AI chips, particularly the H20 model, which they allege is being used by China’s AI company DeepSeek. Republican John Moolenaar and Democrat Raja Krishnamoorthi, co-chairs of the House of Representatives Select Committee on China, sent a letter to National Security Advisor Michael Waltz urging a review of the U.S. export control system.

The lawmakers expressed concern that the H20 chip, which is not currently covered by existing U.S. export restrictions, is being used in DeepSeek’s newly released sophisticated AI model. This comes amid growing concerns in Washington over China’s rapid advancements in AI. DeepSeek, which recently launched a free AI assistant, claims its technology uses significantly less data and is far more cost-effective than incumbent models, potentially marking a shift in the AI investment landscape.

In addition to the lawmakers’ letter, the U.S. House of Representatives’ Chief Administrative Officer notified offices not to use DeepSeek’s technology, citing an ongoing review. The U.S. government has long been concerned that China could leverage AI for cyberattacks or even bioweapons development, prompting former President Joe Biden to initiate measures to limit China’s access to AI chips.

Nvidia responded, stating that its products comply with all U.S. regulations and that the company is open to collaborating with the administration on AI-related matters.

India’s IT Minister Praises DeepSeek’s Low-Cost AI, Draws Parallels with IndiaAI Mission

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India’s IT minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw, has praised Chinese startup DeepSeek for its groundbreaking low-cost AI assistant, highlighting the startup’s frugal approach as a model that resonates with India’s own AI ambitions. Speaking at an event in Odisha, Vaishnaw drew a comparison between the $5.5 million investment DeepSeek used to create a powerful AI model and India’s $1.25 billion commitment to the IndiaAI mission.

The IndiaAI mission, announced in March, aims to develop a robust AI ecosystem by funding startups and creating the necessary infrastructure to support AI innovation. Vaishnaw’s comments came as he pointed out the cost-effectiveness of DeepSeek’s approach, which took just two months and under $6 million to develop its AI model using Nvidia’s less-advanced H800 chips.

DeepSeek’s success has been a game-changer in the AI sector, surpassing OpenAI’s ChatGPT in downloads on Apple’s App Store. The startup’s impressive performance challenges the prevailing belief that China is far behind the U.S. in the AI race and raises questions about the high costs traditionally associated with building AI models.

Vaishnaw’s statement also appeared to counter remarks made by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman during a visit to India last year. Altman had expressed skepticism about India’s ability to develop a competitive AI model on a $10 million budget, calling it “totally hopeless” to compete on training foundation models. Vaishnaw’s comments are now drawing attention, especially as Altman is set to visit India again in early February amid a legal battle with Indian digital news and book publishers over copyright issues.