Manus, an AI agent startup, has secured over $500 million in a new funding round. The investment was led by Boyu Capital and IDG Capital, with participation from existing backers including Tencent, HSG Capital, and ZhenFund. The company, owned by parent firm Butterfly Effect, did not disclose its current valuation.
The financing follows the collapse of a $2 billion acquisition deal by Meta. In April 2026, Chinese regulators blocked the transaction, citing a prohibition on foreign investment in the project. Meta had already begun integrating Manus technology and staff before the authorities ordered the companies to separate.
Manus reported an annualized revenue run rate between $400 million and $500 million as of June 2026, up from approximately $100 million in December 2025. The startup has since launched Manus 2.0, featuring the Cascade execution system, and a personal AI agent application called Cue.
The company, which moved its headquarters from China to Singapore, now faces direct competition from Meta’s Muse agent. While Manus may consider a public listing in Hong Kong, its immediate focus remains on scaling operations and navigating complex regulatory environments between Washington and Beijing.
