AI start-up Manus seeks $4B valuation after Meta split
What's the story
Chinese-founded artificial intelligence (AI) start-up Manus is looking to double its valuation to $4 billion. This would be the company's first fundraising since it was ordered by Beijing to part ways with Meta Platforms. The proposed $500 million financing round is expected to close soon, making Manus China's most valuable start-up in the AI space, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg..
Company evolution
What does Manus do?
Founded last year in China, Manus moved its staff to Singapore after getting support from Silicon Valley venture firm Benchmark.
The company develops general-purpose AI agents that automate desktop tasks.
Earlier this month, Manus announced it had resumed independent operations after splitting from Meta.
It also said its founding team would continue leading the company and developing generative AI agents for global users.
Operational changes
Regulatory compliance
Manus's operational split from Meta was completed in May. The company also halted data-sharing with its former parent company.
In August, it informed some users that their data would be deleted to comply with regulatory requirements.
The move comes as part of a broader effort by Chinese AI firms such as Moonshot and DeepSeek to catch up with their Silicon Valley counterparts.
Investor confidence
Future plans
Before the latest financing round, Manus's founders and existing investors Tencent, HSG, and ZhenFund bought back shares from Meta at the same $2 billion valuation.
Tencent became Manus's largest external investor after acquiring the stake originally owned by Benchmark.
With a $4 billion valuation, Manus would cement its position as China's most valuable AI agent maker and could even consider a public listing in Hong Kong.