Chinese AI startup Manus has raised more than $500 million in a major new capital round. The deal marks a new chapter for the company after its planned acquisition by Meta came to an end.
The capital round is the first major one for Manus since its separation from Meta. Boyu Capital and IDG Capital led the deal. Existing investors Tencent, HSG and ZhenFund also took part.
Manus did not share its new company value after the deal. Reports last month said the startup was close to a $500 million capital round at a value of about $4 billion. That figure would be about twice the value of the deal that Meta had agreed to pay for Manus.
The new deal matters for more than the money itself. It shows that investors still see value in AI agents and in Manus as an independent company. It also gives Manus fresh capital as it faces strong rivals in a fast-moving AI market.
A very different path from Meta
Manus became one of the most talked-about AI startups after a public demo of its AI agent went viral in 2025. Its product could handle tasks with limited human help. It could carry out research, work on software, create content and manage other tasks through a single system.
The startup first grew in China. Later, its staff moved to Singapore as the company sought a wider global market. That move helped Manus gain more attention outside China and made it a notable name in the global AI sector.
Meta then agreed to acquire Manus in December 2025. The deal had a value of more than $2 billion. At the time, the deal looked like a major success for the young AI company and a sign of how much large technology firms wanted strong AI agent talent.
But the deal did not last.
In April 2026, Chinese authorities ordered the acquisition to be undone. The decision came at a time of greater concern in China over foreign investment in advanced AI companies and the movement of Chinese AI talent to overseas firms.
The order forced both sides to reverse the deal. Meta had already started to work with the Manus team and its technology. The separation later required Manus to take steps to return to its own business structure.
Manus returns as an independent company
By August, Manus said it would once again operate as an independent company. The process was not simple. The company said some user data had to be deleted as part of its separation from Meta.
The return also meant that Manus had to prove that it could stand on its own after one of the biggest technology deals in its history fell apart.
That is where the new $500 million-plus capital round becomes important.
The deal gives Manus a large amount of fresh cash at a time when AI companies need major resources to build products, hire talent and compete for users. Manus has also said it plans to continue hiring people both inside China and abroad.
The fact that existing investors such as Tencent, HSG and ZhenFund joined the new round also sends a clear signal. These investors already know the company and have chosen to support it again after the Meta deal ended.
Who led the new deal?
Boyu Capital and IDG Capital led the new capital round.
Boyu Capital is a major investment firm with a long history of deals in China. IDG Capital is also a well-known investor in Chinese technology companies.
Tencent, HSG and ZhenFund were among the existing shareholders that took part. Their role is important because they had already backed Manus before the Meta deal.
The company has not shared the full terms of the deal. It has also not confirmed a new value for the business.
A report from last month said Manus was seeking about $500 million at a $4 billion value. If that figure becomes the final value, Manus would have a much higher value than before the Meta deal. It could also become one of the most valuable AI agent companies in China.
Why AI agents matter
Manus is part of a new group of AI companies that want software to do more than answer questions.
A normal chatbot can respond to a user. An AI agent aims to take action after the user gives it a goal.
For example, a user could ask an AI agent to research a subject, prepare a report, create a website or complete a series of online tasks. The system can then decide what steps it needs to take.
This idea has become a major part of the AI market. Large technology firms and smaller startups are all trying to build agents that can handle more work for people.
Manus became an early name in this area because its product showed that an AI system could handle a wider set of tasks with less direct help from a person.
That early success helped the company attract global attention. It also made Manus a valuable target for Meta.
Manus has more products now
The company has not simply returned to its old product after its split from Meta.
Manus recently released Manus 2.0. The company says the new version has a new system called Cascade at its core. The update is meant to give the AI agent better tools and a stronger base for more complex tasks.
Manus has also introduced Cue, a separate app built around personal AI agents.
Cue gives an AI agent its own email address, phone number, digital wallet and computer. This allows the agent to communicate with other services and carry out tasks based on limits set by the user.
The idea shows where Manus wants to take its technology next. Instead of an AI that only answers a request, the company wants software that can act on behalf of a person.
That could include tasks such as phone calls, online work and other actions that normally need direct human effort.
The Meta deal changed the story
The end of the Meta deal has made Manus a very unusual case in the technology world.
A startup that once looked set to become part of one of the world’s biggest technology companies is now back on its own.
Meta had agreed to pay more than $2 billion for Manus. The deal was one of the largest purchases in Meta’s history. Yet Chinese authorities later required the deal to end.
The case also showed the limits that Chinese technology companies can face when they try to move advanced AI technology and talent outside the country.
Manus had moved its staff to Singapore before the Meta deal. That move helped the company build a global presence, but it did not remove the wider regulatory issues around its Chinese roots.
The company must now find a path that works for both its global goals and the rules that apply to its business.
Manus has a lot to prove
The new capital gives Manus more time and more resources, but money alone will not decide its future.
The company must show that people will pay for its AI products. It must also show that its technology can work at a large scale and that it can compete with much bigger technology companies.
The AI agent market is becoming crowded. Meta has its own personal AI agent product. Other major AI companies are also building systems that can carry out tasks for users.
As AI models become more powerful, the difference between companies can become smaller. A startup therefore needs more than a good demo. It needs a product that people use often and are ready to pay for.
Manus also faces a second challenge: regulation.
Its history with Meta means that questions about ownership, technology, data and international expansion will remain important.
Analysts have said that Manus now needs to prove scale, profit and regulatory alignment before it can take its next major step.
Revenue has grown sharply
Manus enters this new phase with a business that has shown strong growth.
According to The Information, Manus had an annual revenue run rate of about $400 million to $500 million by June 2026. That was a major increase from about $100 million at the time of the Meta deal. Reuters also reported a figure of about $500 million based on The Information’s earlier report.
That growth could help explain why investors are ready to put more than $500 million into the company.
Still, revenue is not the same as profit. Manus will need to control its costs while it builds larger AI systems and supports a global user base.
AI products can require large amounts of computing power. That can make growth expensive, especially when users expect fast results and low prices.
A new test for Chinese AI
Manus is now more than just another AI startup.
Its story has become part of a much larger debate about Chinese technology, foreign investment and the global AI race.
The company started in China, built a global profile, moved much of its staff to Singapore, agreed to a multibillion-dollar Meta deal and then had to reverse that deal after Chinese authorities stepped in.
Now it has returned to the market with more than $500 million in fresh capital.
That gives Manus another chance to build its own future.
It also gives investors a chance to test whether an independent Chinese-founded AI company can compete at a global level without the support of a giant company such as Meta.
What comes next for Manus
The next stage could be very important.
Manus has the money to hire more people, improve its products and expand its reach. It has also shown that it can build products beyond its first AI agent.
The company has not announced a final plan for a public listing, but reports have said it has considered a possible Hong Kong listing. Before that happens, Manus will likely need to show stronger proof of long-term business strength.
For now, the focus is simple: build useful AI products, gain more users and prove that the company can make money on its own.
The $500 million-plus round gives Manus a strong financial base for that task.
The bigger question is whether Manus can turn that capital into a lasting global AI business.
For investors, the new deal is a vote of confidence. For Manus, it is a second chance.
After a $2 billion-plus Meta deal, a forced separation and months of uncertainty, the company is once again on its own.
This time, however, it has more capital, more products and a much clearer test ahead: prove that Manus can succeed without Meta.
Also Read – RobCo Crosses $1 Billion as AI Robots Gain Investor Trust