Early Chinese backers of Manus reportedly plan to buy the company back from Meta at the US$2 billion price Meta reportedly paid, after Chinese authorities ordered the deal reversed.

Manus, a Chinese AI startup, builds general-purpose AI agents for tasks such as market research, coding, and data analysis.

Before Meta approached Manus, the company was reportedly considering a funding round at around US$2 billion. Benchmark led a US$75 million funding round in April 2025.

Meta announced the acquisition in December 2025. Terms were undisclosed, though reports valued the deal at more than US$2 billion.

Meta sought the company’s talent and technology for AI agents across its consumer and business products.

Chinese scrutiny began with a Ministry of Commerce review in January 2026 and escalated to an order from the National Development and Reform Commission on April 27, 2026.

The move reflected broader concern over foreign ownership of Chinese AI talent and intellectual property.

🔗 Source: Reuters

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