
Manus seeks $4B valuation in new $500M fundraise as it resumes independent ops
Chinese AI startup Manus, which earlier this year had to break off a merger with Meta, is in discussions to raise $500 million at a $4 billion valuation now that it has resumed operations as an independent company, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing anonymous sources. Potential investors in the round include IDG Capital, Boyu Capital, battery maker Contemporary Amperex Technology, as well as existing backers Tencent, HSG and Zhenfund, the Journal reported. Manus is also said to be considering a restructuring exercise to prepare for an IPO in Hong Kong.
- ▪Chinese AI startup Manus, which earlier this year had to break off a merger with Meta, is in discussions to raise $500 million at a $4 billion valuation now that it has resumed operations as an independent company, The Wall Street Journal r
- ▪Potential investors in the round include IDG Capital, Boyu Capital, battery maker Contemporary Amperex Technology, as well as existing backers Tencent, HSG and Zhenfund, the Journal reported.
- ▪Manus is also said to be considering a restructuring exercise to prepare for an IPO in Hong Kong.
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| Original publisher | TechCrunch |
| Canonical URL | https://techcrunch.com/2026/09/18/manus-seeks-4b-valuation-in-new-500m-fundraise-as-it-resumes-independent-ops/ |
| Publication time | Fri, 18 Sep 2026 16:35:49 +0000 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-09-18T16:38:45.312Z |
| Last seen | 2026-09-18T16:38:45.312Z |
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| Summary source text | contentText |
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Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Chinese AI startup Manus, which earlier this year had to break off a merger with Meta, is in discussions to raise $500 million at a $4 billion valuation now that it has resumed operations as an independent company, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing anonymous sources. Potential investors in the round include IDG Capital, Boyu Capital, battery maker Contemporary Amperex Technology, as well as existing backers Tencent, HSG and Zhenfund, the Journal reported. Manus is also said to be considering a restructuring exercise to prepare for an IPO in Hong Kong. Manus, which went viral following a demo of its AI agent last year, relocated its staff to Singapore in mid-2025 before announcing a $2 billion acquisition deal with Meta that December.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at TechCrunch.