Manus has raised more than $500 million after its proposed $2 billion sale to Meta fell apart. The funding gives the AI startup fresh backing, but leaves one important number private: its valuation.
A new round after the Meta deal
Butterfly Effect, Manus’ parent company, announced the raise and said Boyu Capital and IDG Capital led the round. Existing investors Tencent, HSG, formerly known as Sequoia China, and ZhenFund also took part, alongside other investors.
The company did not disclose its valuation. It had previously been reported to be discussing a $500 million raise at a $4 billion valuation, but the newly announced round does not confirm that figure.
Butterfly Effect said it plans to keep hiring both in China and overseas. The financing is its first since Manus resumed independent operations after the Meta deal ended.
From acquisition talks to independence
Manus drew attention with a demonstration of its AI agent in 2025. Its staff moved to Singapore in mid-2025, and the company announced a proposed $2 billion acquisition by Meta that December. At the time, Manus was reported to have more than $100 million in annual recurring revenue.
The deal did not close. In April, Chinese authorities ordered Manus to unwind it, amid concern in China about AI talent and researchers moving to the West. Manus returned to independent operations in August and said the separation required it to delete some user data.
The company has also been reported to be considering a public listing in Hong Kong. That remains a possibility under consideration, not an announced plan.
Products beyond the agent demo
Manus sells AI products and agents, including a chatbot and tools for building apps and websites, creating designs and presentations, and generating video. The company describes its offerings as similar to products from Cursor, Lovable, and Replit.
It recently introduced Manus 2.0, which the company says uses a new architecture and a new harness for its products and capabilities. It also launched Cue, a separate app that gives personal AI agents email addresses, phone numbers, digital wallets, and computers.
Cue is designed to let agents communicate, carry out tasks across services, and make payments within limits set by users. The product points to a version of personal AI that can do more than answer prompts, although handing an agent access to accounts and payment tools makes those limits rather more than a settings-page detail.
What is clear: Manus has secured a large new round, resumed operating on its own, and is continuing to develop agent products.
What remains unclear: The company has not revealed its valuation, and its reported Hong Kong listing plans are not confirmed. The funding is a meaningful reset after the failed acquisition, but it does not settle what the business is worth, or how far its agents will get beyond demonstrations and bounded tasks.