(Aug 11): The Chinese-founded artificial intelligence startup Manus said it would soon resume operating as an independent company, the latest step in efforts to unwind its purchase by Meta Platforms Inc after government authorities in China blocked the transaction.
In a message to users posted Tuesday, Manus said that some customers’ accounts may be impacted and outlined a series of steps it was taking to ensure a smooth transition. It warned that some user data may be at risk of being deleted and offered data-protection tools.
“Manus will soon return to operating as an independent company, which will see us continue to serve our millions of users around the world,” the company said. “This is part of our separation from Meta; we must take this step to comply with regulatory requirements in specific parts of the world.”
China moved in April to block Meta’s US$2 billion (RM8.19 billion) takeover of the Manus, a firm that was founded in China but had moved to Singapore in 2025 as it made gains in agent-driven AI. Authorities in Beijing ordered the deal’s cancellation amid growing criticism that China was at risk of losing valuable technology to a geopolitical rival.
The decision, outlined in a brief statement from the National Development and Reform Commission, marked a rare move to reverse an already completed transaction. It followed a directive barring major tech firms, including ByteDance Ltd and Moonshot, from taking American capital without approval and a clampdown on offshore Chinese companies seeking to list in Hong Kong.
Taken together, the moves represented a warning to other Chinese technology startups that they should think twice before selling stakes or transferring sensitive technology to US investors. The measures are taking effect as AI firms in China, including Moonshot and DeepSeek, continue to gain ground on their Silicon Valley rivals with chatbots that perform near levels of systems from OpenAI and Anthropic PBC.
Manus and Meta completed their operational split in May and halted data-sharing between the two companies, Bloomberg News previously reported. Manus’ founders have explored raising about US$1 billion to fund a buyback as part of their effort to meet Chinese government demands to unwind its combination with Meta.
Manus said in its message to users Tuesday that the company was preparing a new set of features that will add to the capabilities of its AI agents, without elaborating. “We look forward to continuing to serve and delight you in this next chapter,” it said.
Uploaded by Arion Yeow