China’s Manus raises over $500M in first funding round since split with Meta

Manus' recent funding round provides capital for its independent operations following the unwinding of its Meta acquisition. The company had relocated staff to Singapore in mid-2025 before the $2 billion acquisition deal was announced in December of that year. Chinese authorities ordered the deal's termination in April, citing concerns over AI talent retention.

The capital injection suggests investor confidence in Manus' standalone potential, even as the company navigates the post-acquisition landscape. Manus resumed independent operations in August and was reportedly required to delete some user data as part of the split. The reported consideration of a Hong Kong IPO indicates a potential long-term strategy for public market access.

Manus has been developing AI agents and tools, similar to offerings from companies like Cursor and Replit. Its recently launched Manus 2.0 introduces a new architecture and products, including Cue, a standalone app designed to give personal AI agents capabilities such as email, phone numbers, digital wallets, and cross-service task handling. This product focus indicates an emphasis on expanding agent autonomy and integration.