Manus seeks $4B valuation in new $500M fundraise as it resumes independent ops

Manus, a Chinese artificial intelligence startup that gained attention after a widely seen demo of its AI agent, is in talks to raise about $500 million at a valuation near $4 billion, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing unnamed sources. The company has recently resumed independent operations after efforts to integrate with Meta collapsed earlier this year when Chinese authorities intervened. Manus relocated staff to Singapore in mid-2025 and reached a reported $2 billion acquisition agreement with Meta in December of that year, but regulators later blocked the transaction over concerns tied to export controls and foreign investment rules. Following the failed deal, early investors helped Manus repurchase shares at roughly a $2 billion valuation. Potential participants in the new financing include several strategic and financial investors, among them IDG Capital, Boyu Capital, and battery maker Contemporary Amperex Technology, as well as some of Manus’s existing backers such as Tencent, HSG, and ZhenFund, the Journal said. The company is reportedly also considering a restructuring to position itself for an initial public offering in Hong Kong. Manus develops AI chatbots and “agent” products that enable users to build apps, generate designs and presentations, and create video, offering functionality similar to services from firms like OpenAI and Replit. The startup previously told users they would need to export and back up their data after the split from Meta, saying it had to delete data generated after Meta’s acquisition to comply with regulatory requirements in certain jurisdictions. Manus did not immediately respond to requests for comment.