DeepSeek, the Chinese AI startup that surprised Silicon Valley last year, has claimed the top spot on Ramp's trending software vendors list for June 2026. It overtook competitors including PheedLoop and Fireworks AI, according to data released June 4.
For the first time, American companies are making direct payments to DeepSeek, moving beyond the earlier pattern of self-hosting its open-source models. Ramp CEO Ara Kharazian described this transition as a notable shift toward reliance on hosted infrastructure.
Adoption among US businesses jumped from roughly 0.1% in April to push DeepSeek past every other trending software vendor by June. This follows a brief spike to about 0.3% in January 2025 after the R1 model launch, which normalized quickly.
The trend reflects growing corporate demand for cheaper AI alternatives. Companies are diversifying vendors, hedging their bets, and sometimes replacing primary providers with cost-effective options.
For investors, the move from self-hosted open-source to direct payments signals DeepSeek is building a real commercial business in the US, with recurring revenue and customer lock-in. However, a Chinese AI company processing data for American businesses will likely face regulatory scrutiny given ongoing tensions around technology transfer and data sovereignty.