Some of Manus's early Chinese backers, including investment firms HSG, ZhenFund, and Tencent, are reportedly planning to buy the AI agent startup back from Meta for the original $2 billion Meta paid. This effort comes amid a significant increase in Manus's annualized revenue, which has quadrupled or quintupled from $100 million at the time of acquisition to between $400 million and $500 million. This makes the initial $2 billion valuation appear significantly more favorable to the investors now trying to reclaim the company.
The push for a buyback is also driven by reported regulatory pressure from Beijing. Chinese regulators have been pushing for tighter control over foreign-owned AI firms and reportedly reviewed whether Meta's acquisition violated investment restrictions on AI companies, eventually ordering Meta to unwind the deal. Bloomberg has reported that Meta has already begun operationally separating the two companies, ending internal collaboration and halting data-sharing arrangements, in what is seen as a step towards complying with Beijing's demand.
Manus, which develops autonomous AI agents for complex task automation, was acquired by Meta in December as part of CEO Mark Zuckerberg's strategy for agentic AI. The company's staff had relocated to Singapore in mid-2025 before the $2 billion acquisition. The reported buyback effort and the regulatory pressure from China highlight how geopolitics are increasingly influencing AI dealmaking, especially concerning strategically important technologies and talent. Manus is also exploring a restructuring to become a joint venture incorporated in China, potentially leading to a listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
