Chinese AI startup Manus is in discussions to raise $500 million at a $4 billion valuation after resuming operations as an independent company, reports The Wall Street Journal. Potential investors include IDG Capital, Boyu Capital, Contemporary Amperex Technology, Tencent, HSG, and Zhenfund. The firm is also considering a restructuring exercise to prepare for an initial public offering in Hong Kong.
This capital injection follows the collapse of a merger with Meta due to Chinese regulatory concerns over AI talent migration and export controls. Manus had relocated staff to Singapore in mid-2025 before announcing the acquisition deal in December 2025, which was subsequently blocked by Beijing. Early investors reportedly helped the company buy back shares at a valuation of about $2 billion during the separation process. The startup offers AI agents, chatbots, and vibe-coding tools for building applications, websites, and generating video content. Unlike many firms, it does not currently provide a unified platform for all these functions, focusing instead on specific agent capabilities.
- Valuation reflects a $4 billion target despite prior $2 billion buyback
- Founding team retains leadership of the restructured entity
- Users must now export and back up their own data
