# Manus reportedly seeks $500 million raise at $4 billion valuation

Digest AI · Business & Funding · published 2026-09-18T16:35:49Z

Canonical: https://digestai.news/story/manus-reportedly-seeks-500-million-raise-at-4-billion-valuation

## Summary

Manus, a Chinese AI startup that split from a planned Meta merger, is reportedly in talks to raise $500 million at a $4 billion valuation, according to the Wall Street Journal citing anonymous sources. Potential backers named include IDG Capital, Boyu Capital, battery maker Contemporary Amperex Technology, as well as existing investors Tencent, HSG and Zhenfund.

The company is also said to be weighing a restructuring to ready a Hong Kong IPO after the blocked acquisition. Manus went viral last year with an AI‑agent demo, moved its staff to Singapore in mid‑2025 and announced a $2 billion deal with Meta in December, reporting over $100 million in annual recurring revenue. Beijing halted the deal over export‑control concerns, prompting early investors to help buy back shares at roughly a $2 billion price. Users were asked in August to export their data after the firm deleted post‑acquisition content to meet regulatory rules.

Manus continues to offer a chatbot and “vibe‑coding” tools for building apps, websites, designs, presentations, video and a browser assistant, positioning itself alongside OpenAI, Lovable and Replit. The founding team remains in charge, and the startup has not commented on the fundraise.

## Key points

- Manus is reportedly in talks to raise $500 million at a $4 billion valuation, WSJ says
- Potential investors include IDG Capital, Boyu Capital, Contemporary Amperex Technology, Tencent, HSG and Zhenfund
- Manus is considering restructuring ahead of a planned Hong Kong IPO after ending its Meta deal

## Why it matters

The fundraise shows Chinese AI firms can attract large capital and pursue public listings despite recent regulatory setbacks, shaping competition in the global AI market.

## Sources

1. [Manus seeks $4B valuation in new $500M fundraise as it resumes independent ops](https://techcrunch.com/2026/09/18/manus-seeks-4b-valuation-in-new-500m-fundraise-as-it-resumes-independent-ops) (TechCrunch AI, 2026-09-18)

## Cite

Digest AI, "Manus reportedly seeks $500 million raise at $4 billion valuation", 18 September 2026, https://digestai.news/story/manus-reportedly-seeks-500-million-raise-at-4-billion-valuation

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