DeepSeek launches V4 Pro AI model, raises API prices amid rivalry

Beijing: Chinese AI startup DeepSeek on Thursday officially released its V4-Pro-0813 model, as the company pushes to regain ground against fast-moving domestic rivals.

DeepSeek said the new V4 Pro model “greatly enhances agent capabilities” and is now available through its API, app, and web channels. The launch comes as DeepSeek also expands hiring, computing capacity and fundraising efforts.

The release is being closely watched after the company’s cheaper V4 Flash model unexpectedly outperformed the April preview of V4 Pro in several independent tests. That result was unusual, given that Pro is designed as DeepSeek’s flagship, more capable product — suggesting the startup has made rapid improvements between the preview and the official launch.

Alongside the rollout, DeepSeek announced it will raise API pricing for both V4 Pro and V4 Flash models and will introduce peak and off-peak pricing.

The move signals intensifying competition in China’s AI sector, where cost, performance, and agent capabilities are becoming key battlegrounds.