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Chong Ming Lee

The Chinese-founded artificial intelligence start-up Manus announced on Tuesday that it had formally resumed independent operations, more than four months after Beijing blocked its US$2 billion acquisition by Meta Platforms.
The company’s founding team would continue to lead Manus as an “independent agent lab”, the firm said in a blog post on its website, as it sought to move on from a months-long saga that has sent ripples through the Chinese and global technology sectors.
The announcement came three weeks after Manus notified users that it was erasing some data generated on or after December 29 – the date the company was acquired by Meta – “to comply with regulatory requirements in specific parts of the world”.
Manus said on Tuesday that affected users could restore their data through the company’s “restoration portal”.
“For some users, this transition required backing up and restoring data, as well as navigating a temporary interruption to access. We know this took you additional time and effort, and we are very grateful for your patience and trust,” it said.
The resumption of independent operations marked what the company called the start of its “next chapter”, after the collapse of its Meta deal that could set a precedent for global deal making involving Chinese-founded tech start-ups.
Launched in March 2025, Manus is a developer of autonomous AI agents capable of handling complex tasks such as web research and writing reports.


Its parent company, Butterfly Effect, was founded in mainland China in 2022, but the firm rebranded as a Singapore-based company last year, laying off China-based staff and removing its digital footprint in China.
By relocating to Singapore, the start-up was able to sidestep US technology export and investment controls, allowing it to raise capital from US ventures and access frontier AI models from providers like OpenAI and Anthropic.
The move likely also paved the way for the company’s acquisition by Meta for US$2 billion in December, a rare example of US-China cooperation amid a fierce tech rivalry between the two countries.
But the transaction raised red flags in Beijing, triggering a months-long investigation. In April, China’s National Development and Reform Commission told the parties involved in the deal to cancel the transaction.
Last month, Manus announced it would delete some user data as part of its transition back to independent operations, though it did not disclose how the transaction would be unwound.
Chinese tech giant Tencent Holdings was in talks to become Manus’ new largest shareholder, the Financial Times reported in July, with other former early-stage investors – including ZhenFund and HSG – also involved in the talks.
Manus vowed on Tuesday to continue advancing its technology. “We will continue to push the boundaries of what general AI agents can do, turning new capabilities into products that help you take on complex tasks and accomplish more in your day-to-day life and work.”


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The AI start-up said its founders would continue to lead the firm as an ‘independent agent lab’, after Beijing torpedoed its acquisition by Meta


The AI start-up said its founders would continue to lead the firm as an ‘independent agent lab’, after Beijing torpedoed its acquisition by Meta.


Manus resumes solo operations after collapse of US$2 billion Meta deal

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The AI start-up said its founders would continue to lead the firm as an ‘independent agent lab’, after Beijing torpedoed its acquisition by Meta

The AI start-up said its founders would continue to lead the firm as an ‘independent agent lab’, after Beijing torpedoed its acquisition by Meta