Manus is back with renewed financial resources. Butterfly Effect, the parent company of the artificial intelligence startup, announced on Thursday, October 8, that it had closed a funding round of over $500 million. The round was led by Boyu Capital and IDG Capital, with participation from existing investors, including Tencent, HSG, and ZhenFund. The valuation used and the precise use of the funds were not disclosed.
Founded in China and later based in Singapore , Manus develops artificial intelligence agents capable of performing search and automation tasks with limited human intervention. This funding comes as the company resumes its independent operations following the cancellation of its acquisition by Meta, a deal valued at over $2 billion.
A return to independence imposed by Beijing
In April, Chinese authorities ordered the unwinding of the acquisition by the American group, amid increased scrutiny of foreign investment in advanced AI technologies. Manus subsequently announced in August its return to independent operation and the deletion of certain user data as part of its separation from Meta. This new funding round marks a step in this reorganization.
The company may also consider a Hong Kong IPO . According to information reported in June by The Information and picked up by Reuters, Manus was exploring a joint venture structure registered in China that could facilitate this prospect. The media outlet also mentioned an annualized revenue rate close to $500 million, compared to approximately $100 million at the time of the acquisition by Meta. However, these estimates do not represent final annual revenue figures, and no listing timetable has been announced.
