AI Startup Manus Raises $500 Million After Meta Deal Fails
Manus raised over $500 million in funding after Chinese regulators blocked a $2 billion acquisition by Meta Platforms Incorporated.
AI agent startup Manus raised more than $500 million in its first funding round after the collapse of a $2 billion acquisition by Meta Platforms Incorporated. The funding round was led by Boyu Capital and IDG Capital, with further investments from Tencent, HSG, and ZhenFund.
The acquisition failed after China's National Development and Reform Commission issued a directive prohibiting foreign investment in the project, forcing Meta to abandon the deal. Following the collapse, Manus moved its staff to Singapore after receiving backing from Benchmark.
Since resuming independent operations, the company launched Cue, a personal-agent application, and Manus 2.0, which features the Cascade execution system. While Bloomberg reported that the new financing could double the company's valuation to $4 billion, Manus has not officially disclosed its current valuation. The successful raise suggests sustained investor confidence in AI agents despite ongoing regulatory tensions between Beijing and Washington.
