Manus Seeks $4B Valuation in $500M Round as It Resumes Independent Operations

Chinese AI startup Manus is in talks to secure $500 million in a new funding round that would value the company at $4 billion, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal citing anonymous sources. The fundraising discussions follow the startup's transition back to independent operations after the unraveling of its acquisition by Meta. Potential participants in the round include IDG Capital, Boyu Capital, battery manufacturer Contemporary Amperex Technology, and existing backers Tencent, HSG, and ZhenFund. The company is also reportedly exploring a corporate restructuring process in preparation for an eventual initial public offering in Hong Kong. Manus gained prominent visibility last year following a public demo of its AI agent. It subsequently relocated its workforce to Singapore in mid-2025 before agreeing to a $2 billion acquisition by Meta in December, while generating over $100 million in annual recurring revenue. However, Chinese regulatory authorities halted the transaction amid concerns over the outflow of domestic AI research talent and potential infractions of export controls and foreign investment regulations. Following Beijing's intervention, Manus decoupled from Meta, with early backers aiding the company in repurchasing its equity at a valuation of approximately $2 billion. In August, Manus notified users to export their data as records generated post-acquisition had to be erased to comply with jurisdictional regulatory mandates. Now operating independently under its founding leadership, Manus develops AI agents, vibe-coding environments, and generative tools competing in areas similar to OpenAI, Lovable, and Replit.