China’s DeepSeek hires dealmaker as CFO ahead of possible IPO

DeepSeek plans to hire Yan Wentao, a partner at venture-capital firm GL Ventures, as its first chief financial officer, two people with knowledge of the matter said, as the Chinese AI startup prepares for a potential initial public offering.

Reuters reported last week that Hangzhou-based DeepSeek had hired Chinese brokerage CITIC Securities to prepare for a possible listing on ‌Shanghai’s technology-focused ⁠STAR Market.

A ⁠CFO typically plays a central role in managing investor communications, financial controls, capital allocation and disclosure ​processes required for a listing.