Beijing killed Manus’s $2.5 billion exit. Now the startup wants twice that from a fresh set of backers.
The Chinese-founded AI agent company is in talks to raise approximately $500 million at a $4 billion valuation That figure is roughly double the valuation at which early investors bought back Manus’s shares after the forced separation from Meta
Prospective investors include IDG Capital, Boyu Capital, and battery giant Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL). Existing backers Tencent, HongShan, and ZhenFund are also participating, according to the Wall Street Journal. Tencent could emerge as Manus’s largest external shareholder, though terms remain fluid and the round has not closed.
Meta agreed in December 2025 to acquire Manus for approximately $2.5 billion, after the startup reported annualized revenue surpassing $100 million and had relocated most of its staff to Singapore. China’s National Development and Reform Commission blocked the transaction in April 2026 on national-security grounds. Regulators cited concerns about AI technology, data, and high-end talent flowing to a geopolitical rival, and ordered the deal unwound.
Meta and Manus completed their operational separation and halted data-sharing by May 2026. Manus notified users to export their data, as the company was required to delete information generated after Meta’s acquisition to satisfy regulatory conditions.
Manus’s founding team resumed control of the company, and early investors facilitated a share buyback at around a $2 billion valuation. The startup now operates independently from its Singapore headquarters.
The company competes in a crowded agentic AI field, offering tools for coding, app and website building, design, video generation, and browser automation, in the same space as platforms like OpenAI and Replit. Manus is also reportedly considering a restructuring to support a Hong Kong IPO, which would keep its capital-markets activity in a Beijing-friendly jurisdiction.
For investors and founders tracking Chinese AI, the implication is direct. With Western acquisition routes now carrying serious regulatory risk, domestic and regional capital has become the realistic path to liquidity for China-linked AI startups, and Manus stands among the most visible examples of that shift.
