DeepSeek is a Chinese AI company. Depending on context, the name “DeepSeek” may also refer to the public assistant people use on the web or app, or to the model family and API ecosystem behind that assistant. DeepSeek’s official public web presence points users to chat access, app access, API access, and public research releases, which is why the same name appears in both consumer and technical discussions.
This page is an independent guide and is not the official DeepSeek website.
DeepSeek in one sentence
DeepSeek is an AI company and product ecosystem whose name can refer to the company itself, the assistant people use, or the models behind that assistant.
Quick facts
DeepSeek was founded in 2023. Reuters identifies Liang Wenfeng as the founder figure most closely associated with the company and describes DeepSeek as a Hangzhou-based startup. DeepSeek’s official public presence currently routes users to chat access, app access, API or platform access, research links, and a status page.
Is DeepSeek a company, a chatbot, or a model family?
The most accurate answer is all three. DeepSeek is a company with its own public profile and official site. It is also the name many people use for the public assistant they access on the web or mobile app. In technical discussions, the same name can also refer to the broader model family and the hosted endpoints associated with DeepSeek.
This is why the keyword can feel confusing. One person may be looking for the official assistant. Another may want company background. A developer may be looking for models, API access, or release information instead.
Who created DeepSeek?
DeepSeek was created in 2023. Reuters says the founder figure most closely associated with the company is Liang Wenfeng and describes DeepSeek as a Hangzhou-based startup linked to High-Flyer. For most readers, the key point is simple: DeepSeek is not just a chatbot label. It is a company with a research identity, a public product layer, and developer-facing access.
What products are part of the DeepSeek ecosystem?
DeepSeek is not just one chat interface. Its official public presence points users to web access, app access, API access, research releases, and a status page. That broader footprint helps explain why the brand appears in discussions about everyday chat use, developer workflows, and model research at the same time.
For a beginner, the easiest way to understand DeepSeek is as one brand with several entry points. Some people interact with it through the assistant. Others encounter it through app installs, API docs, or public research pages.
Main DeepSeek model families explained simply
DeepSeek’s public research footprint includes several recognizable branches. The V-series is the general-purpose line. The R-series is the reasoning-focused line. DeepSeek Coder is aimed at programming tasks. DeepSeek Math focuses on mathematical reasoning. DeepSeek VL and DeepSeek OCR extend the public footprint beyond plain-text chat into vision and multimodal work.
On the hosted side, DeepSeek also exposes productized access through named endpoints such as deepseek-chat and deepseek-reasoner. Those mappings can change over time, so a definition page like this should explain the structure, while a separate models or pricing page should handle the latest version-specific details.
Why the name “DeepSeek” can be confusing
The name is used across the company layer, the assistant layer, and the model layer. That means “What is DeepSeek?” is not only a beginner question. It is also a naming question. The right answer depends on whether the person asking wants the company, the product, or the models behind the product.
That is why this page should define the entity first and only then point people to the right next step. If the goal is access, the reader should go to your DeepSeek access guide. If the goal is technical comparison, the reader should go to your DeepSeek model families page.
FAQ
What is DeepSeek?
DeepSeek is an AI company and product ecosystem. Depending on context, the name may refer to the company itself, the public assistant, or the model family behind that assistant.
Is DeepSeek a company or a chatbot?
Both. DeepSeek is a company, and it is also the name many people use for the public assistant available through the web and app. In technical contexts, it can also refer to the broader model family and hosted endpoints.
Who founded DeepSeek?
Reuters identifies Liang Wenfeng as the founder figure most closely associated with DeepSeek and describes the company as a Hangzhou-based startup created in 2023.
Does DeepSeek have an app?
Yes. DeepSeek’s official public presence includes app access in addition to web chat and API access.
What models are associated with DeepSeek?
Public DeepSeek releases and collections include V-series, R-series, Coder, Math, VL, and OCR-related work.
Is DeepSeek only for developers?
No. DeepSeek has both user-facing and developer-facing routes. Its public presence includes chat and app access for general users, while the API and research footprint serve developers and technical users.
What is the official DeepSeek website?
The official DeepSeek site is deepseek.com, where the company surfaces Chat, App, Platform, API Pricing, Service Status, and Research.
Is DeepSeek open source or open weight?
For beginners, the safest way to frame it is this: DeepSeek operates hosted products such as web, app, and API, while also maintaining public model and research channels through Hugging Face and GitHub. In practice, many people describe released model checkpoints as open-weight.
Where should a beginner start?
A beginner should start with the official DeepSeek resources hub, then choose the web chat, app, models, or pricing path based on the task. That keeps broad navigation on the homepage and keeps this article focused on explanation.
Conclusion
DeepSeek is best understood as one AI brand with three layers: the company, the public assistant, and the model family behind it. Once that distinction is clear, the search term becomes much easier to understand. For official access paths, send readers to your main DeepSeek access guide. For technical breakdowns, send them to your DeepSeek model families page.
