The AI agent startup is seeking $500 million and exploring an IPO in Hong Kong, after Beijing scuppered its $2 billion acquisition.
Manus seeks to raise $500 million on a $4 billion valuation, TechCrunch reports on September 18, 2026. The tour would bring together IDG Capital, Boyu Capital and the CATL battery manufacturer, alongside investors already present in the capital such as Tencent, HSG and ZhenFund.
This return to the market comes after a turbulent sequence. As a result of its autonomous agent, the Chinese company had moved to Singapore in mid-2025, before announcing in December 2025 its acquisition by Meta for $2 billion. Beijing blocked the operation, citing breaches of the rules on export control and foreign investment. The first investors then bought the shares around the same 2 billion valuation; users had to export and save their data during the separation.
Manus has resumed her self-employment this month and is studying an introduction to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange as part of her reorganization. At the time of Meta's announcement of the buyback, the company reported over $100 million in recurring annual revenues. His offer — conversational agents, code, design and video-generation tools — the place facing OpenAI, Lovable and Replit.
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