Looking for the next Manus? Start here

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In focus

• Chinese-founded, Singapore-based: Are these AI companies on your radar?
• ​​These Chinese founders are making their mark across SEA, says an earlier report
• DBS and Granite Asia launch a new fund for IPO-bound AI startups in Asia

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Hello reader,

As a journalist, I spend most of my time chasing details of events only after they have unfolded. When a major deal closes, I race against time to break down every angle – just as any colleague would.

But recently, I’ve been asking myself: What if I could get ahead of the news cycle by trying to predict the next big thing before it happens? That question became more pressing after Meta acquired Manus, making it Southeast Asia’s first billion-dollar AI startup deal.

So, we put together this list of 16 AI startups – all started by Chinese founders with strong track records, backed by top-tier VCs, and currently building in Singapore, just like Manus once was.

Some of the founders on the list are former senior executives at Chinese tech giants like Alibaba, like the founders behind data platform Singdata. Others scored successful exits in China before making the move, like the founder behind enterprise AI startup Wiz.ai.

One founder has even pulled off a bigger exit than Manus. That’s none other than Orion Arm’s Raymond Wang, who sold his food delivery startup Ele.me to Alibaba in a US$9.5 billion deal.

If history offers any clue, more Manus-style billion-dollar exits are on the horizon.

We know our list isn’t exhaustive. If you know a Chinese founder building AI in Singapore who deserves a spot, let us know.

Duc Tran, data journalist

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Top Story

The next Manus might be on this list

The Manus deal may have made Chinese founders building in Singapore the next big investment thesis, and the startups on this list might just back that thesis up.

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