Manus seeks $500M funding round at a $4B valuation

In short: Manus, a Chinese AI startup, is reportedly in talks to raise $500 million at a $4 billion valuation as it runs independently again.

What happened

Manus is discussing a new fundraising round that would bring in about $500 million, according to The Wall Street Journal, as reported by TechCrunch. The talks would value the company at about $4 billion, based on unnamed sources.

The report says possible investors include IDG Capital, Boyu Capital, battery maker Contemporary Amperex Technology, and existing backers such as Tencent, HSG, and Zhenfund. Manus is also said to be considering steps that could prepare it for an IPO in Hong Kong, which is when a company sells shares to the public for the first time (like putting a business up for sale in small pieces).

Manus previously agreed to a $2 billion acquisition by Meta in late 2025, after moving staff to Singapore in 2025. Chinese authorities later blocked the deal, citing concerns tied to export controls and foreign investment rules. Since then, Manus has been separating from Meta, and the report says early backers helped it buy back shares at around a $2 billion valuation.

As part of the separation, Manus told users in August to export and back up their data because some data had to be deleted to meet rules in certain places. This month, the company said it has resumed independent operations and its founding team will stay in charge.

Why it matters

Manus sells AI tools like chatbots and app-building features, similar to services from firms such as OpenAI and Replit. If the fundraising goes through, it could give Manus more money to build products and expand, and it could also shape what users can expect around data storage and account continuity when big ownership changes happen.

Source: TechCrunch AI