Manus, a Singapore-based artificial intelligence startup, has secured more than $500 million in a funding round co-led by Boyu Capital and IDG Capital. Existing investors Tencent Holdings, HSG, and ZhenFund also participated in the financing.
The funding was announced on October 8, 2026, by Butterfly Effect, the parent company of Manus. The investment follows the company’s return to independent operations after the reversal of its acquisition by Meta Platforms.
Manus was founded by Xiao Hong, Ji Yichao, and Zhang Tao. The company develops general-purpose AI agents designed to carry out complex digital tasks with limited human intervention. Its platform supports activities including online research, software development, data analysis, and workflow automation.
The company’s AI agents can plan and execute multistep tasks across digital environments, helping individuals and businesses automate work that would otherwise require manual coordination across multiple applications.
Manus originally launched its general-purpose AI agent in March 2025 and subsequently expanded its product capabilities. In September 2026, the company introduced Manus 2.0, an updated version of its platform, alongside Cue, a standalone application for personal AI agents.
The latest financing follows a significant change in the company’s ownership. Meta announced its acquisition of Manus in December 2025 in a transaction valued at more than $2 billion. Chinese authorities subsequently ordered the deal to be unwound in April 2026, and Manus formally resumed independent operations on September 1, 2026.
Following the funding announcement, Manus said it would continue recruiting employees in China and internationally as it develops its AI agent products.
The company did not disclose the financing round’s valuation or specific allocation of proceeds. Earlier reports had indicated that Manus was seeking investment at a valuation of approximately $4 billion, but that figure was not announced as part of the completed transaction.
