manus

According to Caixin's disclosure, Tencent, Zhenge Fund, Sequoia China, and other major shareholders of Manus previously repurchased Manus shares from Meta for $2 billion. This $2 billion transaction price is close to the acquisition price announced by the American social media tech giant Meta in December 2025. Benchmark was the largest shareholder before the acquisition but will not participate in this repurchase of Manus. Benchmark's previous shares will be acquired by Tencent, which will become Manus's largest shareholder. Currently, Manus is operating normally.Yesterday, Manus announced that it will soon resume independent operations. To complete this transition and meet regulatory requirements in some jurisdictions, affected users must complete data backups by 7:59 AM Singapore time on August 23 and begin data recovery from 8:00 AM on August 25 to ensure normal usage thereafter. Manus also stated that it is preparing a series of new features to further expand the capabilities of general AI entities and expressed optimism about the development prospects after the company resumes independent operations.

Manus announced that the company will soon resume independent operations. To complete this transition and meet regulatory requirements in certain jurisdictions, affected users must back up their data by 7:59 AM Singapore time on August 23, and data recovery will begin at 8:00 AM on August 25 to ensure normal usage thereafter.Manus stated that affected users will be notified via email and in-app notifications; users who registered with an Apple ID or Facebook account should pay attention to in-app notifications. Affected users can perform multiple backups before August 23 and can continue to create data after the first backup, followed by re-executing the backup. Starting at 8:00 AM on August 25, the data recovery portal will officially open, and users can continue using their previous data after completing the recovery. During the transition period, affected users will incur no charges, and Manus will also provide rewards.For users not affected by this adjustment, no action is required, and they can continue to use Manus normally; the system will also confirm via in-app notifications that their accounts are unaffected. Manus understands that this adjustment may cause inconvenience to affected users and has provided detailed operational guidelines in the help center, while the customer service team will offer 24/7 support.Manus stated that it is preparing a series of new features aimed at further expanding the capabilities of general AI entities and expressed optimism about the company's development prospects after resuming independent operations.

According to informed sources, Tencent is in talks to become the largest shareholder of the AI entity company Manus.Most existing investors, including Tencent, ZhenFund, and Sequoia China, are discussing supporting a deal with a valuation of $2 billion to withdraw Meta's acquisition.

According to sources, Meta Platforms' previous acquisition of the AI company Manus for about $2 billion may be reversed due to a request from relevant regulatory authorities in China to withdraw the decision on the transaction. Early investors in Manus are currently planning to repurchase company equity at the approximately $2 billion price originally paid by Meta. This development could allow some original investors to regain control of the company and potential valuation reassessment opportunities.

According to a report by Bloomberg, Meta Platforms Inc. has completed the operational separation from Manus and has stopped data sharing between the two companies. According to informed sources, Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has effectively established a firewall between itself and the Chinese company Manus. The sources stated that since the beginning of this month, Meta has prohibited Manus and its employees from accessing the internal data systems of the American company. The sources also indicated that Meta's employees are therefore unable to use Manus's tools for internal projects. Due to the involvement of internal decisions, these sources requested anonymity.An internal memo seen by Bloomberg News shows that Meta is gradually winding down Manus's operations. The memo indicates that employees have been instructed to migrate existing Manus projects to Meta's systems and not to undertake new work on the artificial intelligence platform. Informed sources stated that these measures aimed at separating the operations of the two companies mark a step forward in the eventual divestiture of Manus.

According to Bloomberg, the three founders of Manus are exploring various options to meet Beijing's demand for the withdrawal of the deal acquired by Meta, including raising about $1 billion from external investors to repurchase the China-founded agentic AI business at a valuation of at least not lower than Meta's original acquisition price of $2 billion.Insiders say that the founders may cover the gap out of their own pockets and plan to establish a joint venture with new investors in China, followed by an application for listing in Hong Kong. Negotiations are still in the early stages, with several obstacles remaining, including how to separate the deeply integrated Manus technology and team from the Meta system, as well as the specific arrangements for the deal structure.

According to Benchmark Studio, after the China Securities Regulatory Commission issued inquiries to multiple companies regarding overseas shareholding structures, Chinese tech startups such as Moonshot AI and DeepRoute.ai are evaluating the feasibility of relocating their company registration from overseas back to China. They are currently discussing related plans with lawyers and have not yet made a final decision. Shanghai AI model developer StepFun has taken the lead in initiating the process of dismantling its overseas shareholding structure to expedite the regulatory approval process for its Hong Kong IPO.The direct trigger for this tightening of regulations was Meta's acquisition of the AI agency Manus, founded by Chinese individuals, for $2 billion—relevant authorities have ordered the cancellation of this acquisition, leading to a systematic review by regulators of the "domestic operation, overseas registration" company model.Dismantling the red-chip structure is complex, typically taking six months to a year, involving multiple steps such as repurchasing offshore equity, establishing joint ventures, and investors re-entering shares. Additionally, the lock-up period for joint ventures listed in Hong Kong lasts up to 12 months, which is twice as long as that for ordinary red-chip stocks. Analysts point out that if the red-chip structure faces comprehensive restrictions, it will significantly weaken the ability of Chinese startups to obtain dollar financing from overseas.

According to CCTV News, the Office of the Foreign Investment Security Review Mechanism has legally made a decision to prohibit the foreign acquisition of the Manus project, requiring the parties involved to withdraw the acquisition transaction. Manus was initially developed by the Chinese company Butterfly Effect and became an overnight sensation after its release in March 2025. In June of the same year, it moved its headquarters to Singapore and ceased domestic operations, and in December 2025, it was announced by the American company Meta that it would acquire it for approximately $2 billion.Zhou Mi, a researcher at the Ministry of Commerce's Academy, stated that Manus moved the project to Singapore through funding and corporate transfer before selling it to an American company, which raises suspicions of intentionally evading regulation. If such practices are not controlled, more companies will follow suit, harming national development interests and security.Zhou Mi emphasized that China has consistently maintained an open attitude towards foreign investment but takes a cautious stance on sensitive investments involving key technologies and data security, stating that "evading regulation in a malicious manner will ultimately not achieve the intended purpose."

According to The Wall Street Journal, Meta is preparing to withdraw its acquisition of the AI startup Manus, after China banned the deal on national security grounds. Manus is a Singapore-based startup related to China, focused on developing AI agents.Meta completed the acquisition for $2.5 billion last December and has quickly integrated the related technology into its own systems. If the deal is ultimately canceled, both parties will need to separate the integrated technology and systems.

According to Jinshi reports, the Office of the Foreign Investment Security Review Mechanism (National Development and Reform Commission) has made a decision to prohibit investment in the foreign acquisition of the Manus project in accordance with laws and regulations, requiring the parties involved to withdraw from the acquisition transaction.

According to a report by Jinshi Data, the Ministry of Commerce held a regular press conference on the 2nd, where a reporter asked what measures China would take regarding Meta's acquisition of Manus and related issues of multinational operations by enterprises. He Yadong, spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce, responded that the Chinese government supports enterprises in conducting multinational operations and technological cooperation as needed, and such activities must comply with Chinese laws and regulations and follow legal procedures.

According to Xinhua News Agency, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce, He Yadong, responded to questions regarding the review of Meta's acquisition of the artificial intelligence platform Manus, stating that the Chinese government has always supported enterprises in conducting mutually beneficial and win-win multinational operations and international technological cooperation in accordance with the law.It should be noted that enterprises engaging in foreign investment, technology exports, data outflow, cross-border mergers and acquisitions, and other activities must comply with Chinese laws and regulations and follow legal procedures. The Ministry of Commerce will work with relevant departments to conduct an assessment and investigation of the consistency of this acquisition with laws and regulations related to export control, technology import and export, and foreign investment.

According to the Financial Times, Chinese officials are reviewing Meta's $2 billion acquisition of the artificial intelligence platform Manus, assessing whether the deal violates technology export controls. Two insiders revealed that officials from the Ministry of Commerce have begun evaluating whether the transfer of the Manus team and technology to Singapore and subsequently selling it to Meta requires an export license under Chinese law.Reports indicate that the review of the deal may focus on whether the Manus team developed technology subject to export controls within China. Although the review is still in its early stages, if the assessment concludes that an export license is required, the Chinese government may have the authority to intervene in the deal, which could potentially lead to the termination of the transaction in extreme cases.

Cobo co-founder and CEO Shen Yu expressed on social media that it is not surprising that Manus founder Xiao Hong is a BTC holder. In 2013, he was one of the interns we recruited at Huazhong University of Science and Technology, and we worked together on Yibite."In the past decade, from Bitcoin to AI Agent, the times have changed, and the boundaries of companies have become blurred: rather than 'hiring employees,' it is more about 'identifying vectors'—finding individuals with ideas, strong execution, and rapid growth acceleration, and establishing connections early."

According to @Lyangminn, Manus founder Xiao Hong is not only a BTC holder but also an early evangelist. In November 2013, shortly after entering university, Xiao Hong wrote a long popular science article on "The Other Dimension Software World": "What is Bitcoin? How to Use It? Download Bitcoin Wallet Client." At the end of the article, he left his Bitcoin address and received a total of 0.02231 BTC in tips over 11 years, which is currently worth 2000 USD.According to previous reports from ChainCatcher, which was acquired by Meta for billions, Manus founder Xiao Hong is a seasoned BTC holder.