The Pulse
Manus Seeks $500 Million at $4 Billion Valuation After Meta Split
AI startup Manus is discussing a $500 million funding round that would value the company at about $4 billion. The Singapore-based company is also weighing a Hong Kong listing after resuming independent operations following the collapse of i
AI.info Team ·
Manus Starts Over With a $4 Billion Price Tag
Manus formally resumed independent operations on September 1. Eighteen days later, the AI startup is seeking roughly $500 million from investors at a valuation of about $4 billion, according to people familiar with the discussions cited by The Wall Street Journal.
The financing would give Manus fresh capital after Beijing forced the company and Meta to unwind an acquisition announced in December 2025. Manus is also considering a restructuring that could prepare it for a public offering in Hong Kong, according to the Journal.
Prospective investors include IDG Capital and Boyu Capital. The talks are not final, and the terms could change before any transaction closes.
A Deal That Lasted Less Than a Year
Meta announced its agreement to acquire Manus on December 29, 2025. Manus said at the time that it would continue operating from Singapore and that its subscription service would remain available through its existing products.
“Joining Meta allows us to build on a stronger, more sustainable foundation without changing how Manus works or how decisions are made,” Xiao Hong, Manus’s chief executive, said in the company’s announcement.
China’s National Development and Reform Commission later prohibited the foreign acquisition and required the parties to withdraw from it. The commission did not identify Meta by name in its one-line statement, but the decision addressed the transaction involving the Chinese-founded, Singapore-based startup. The Associated Press reported that the ruling followed concerns about the transfer of advanced technology.
Meta said the transaction had complied fully with applicable law. Manus did not respond to the AP’s request for comment at the time.
Manus Puts Its Founders Back in Charge
Manus announced its return to independence in a September 1 post on its website. “Manus has formally resumed independent operations,” the company wrote, adding that its founding team would continue to lead the business.
The separation also created a difficult transition for users. Manus told some customers to back up their data before a deletion period in August, saying the measure was required to comply with regulatory requirements in specific jurisdictions. The company later opened a restoration process for affected accounts.
The company’s help center identifies December 29, 2025, as the acquisition date and says certain task data and generated materials created after that date could be deleted for affected accounts. Manus said users who were not affected did not need to take action.
From Viral Agent to Broader Product Suite
Manus first drew attention with a general-purpose AI agent designed to carry out multistep tasks such as research, coding and document production. Its current product lineup includes tools for building websites and applications, generating presentations and video, operating a browser and conducting research.
The company’s own product pages position Manus alongside services such as Lovable and Replit, which also target software creation through natural-language instructions. That puts the startup in a crowded market where investor interest depends not only on demonstrations but also on recurring revenue, infrastructure costs and the ability to retain users.
Manus said in December 2025 that it had passed $100 million in annual recurring revenue and had reached a $125 million revenue run rate. Those figures were published before the Meta separation and are not a current financial statement for the independent company.
Hong Kong Could Become the Next Funding Route
A Hong Kong listing would give Manus an alternative to another private-market round, although the company is only weighing the option. The proposed financing would value the startup at roughly twice the $2 billion valuation associated with the Meta transaction, if the new round closes on its current terms.
That contrast captures the unusual position Manus now occupies. Beijing blocked a sale to a major U.S. technology company, yet the company is seeking a higher private valuation while rebuilding as an independent business with Chinese roots and operations centered in Singapore.
For now, the immediate test is whether Manus can turn its renewed independence into a completed financing. The $500 million round remains under discussion, and no Hong Kong listing has been announced.