(Yicai Global) Nov. 30 -- Pencil News has asserted that all the information in the report it published claiming that financial tech company Qudian Inc. [NYSE:QD], which floated in the US last month, may have fudged numbers on several of its financing rounds came from public sources.

The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) listed Qudian on Oct. 18. Four days later, Pencil News published an article indicating that Qudian was suspected of having misrepresented data on fundraising that took place before its initial public offering.

While Qudian said it raised several million, USD20 million to USD30 million, USD100 million and USD200 million in its series A, B, C and E rounds, they only brought in USD2 million, USD5.5 million, USD77 million and USD104.7 million, respectively, Pencil News reported. The firm said it raked in USD450 million (CNY3 billion) in pre-IPO backing, but it only got CNY2.123 billion, Pencil News reported. The firm never held a series D round, the media group said.

After Pencil News released its article, the media criticized Qudian and its stock price fell.

Qudian filed a lawsuit against Pencil News this month with the Haidian People's Court in Beijing, aiming to have the media organization pay it CNY100,000 in compensation and post an apology for 30 consecutive days.

Pencil News said on Oct. 29 that all the report's contests came from Quidan's prospectus and press conference, media reports and other public disclosures. The numbers in the report were calculated carefully, Pencil News said.