Manus Secures More Than $500 Million as AI Startup Resumes Independent Operations

AI startup Manus has raised more than $500 million in a new funding round following its return to independent operations after the cancellation of Meta’s proposed acquisition of the company.

Butterfly Effect, the parent company of Manus, announced on Thursday that the funding round was co-led by Boyu Capital and IDG Capital, with existing investors including Tencent, Sequoia China and ZhenFund also participating.

Manus develops general-purpose artificial intelligence agents capable of performing tasks such as research, analysis and automation with limited human involvement.

The company has gained attention for developing AI systems designed to independently complete complex tasks on behalf of users.

The latest funding comes after Meta’s proposed acquisition of Manus, reportedly valued at more than $2 billion, was unwound following increased scrutiny from Chinese authorities over US investment in Chinese companies developing advanced artificial intelligence technologies.

In August, Manus announced that it would resume operations as an independent company.

As part of the separation process from Meta, the company also said it would delete certain user data.

According to a report by The Information in June, Manus’ annualised revenue run rate had risen to approximately $500 million, compared with about $100 million when Meta agreed to acquire the company.

The report also said Manus was considering a joint-venture structure incorporated in China, a move that could potentially support plans for a future listing in Hong Kong.

The latest investment highlights continued investor confidence in Manus as competition intensifies among AI companies developing autonomous agents and other advanced artificial intelligence technologies.

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