Tencent in Talks to Become AI Startup Manus’ Largest Shareholder

Manus, a general-purpose AI agent startup founded by a Chinese team and later based in Singapore, built its profile by automating multi-step work such as research and software development. Meta Platforms agreed on Dec. 29, 2025, to acquire the company for about $2 billion. The transaction became a test of Beijing’s ability to prevent advanced AI technology and talent developed by Chinese founders from moving under the control of a U.S. technology group.

China’s National Development and Reform Commission ordered the parties on April 27, 2026, to unwind the purchase. Meta subsequently separated operations and stopped sharing data with Manus. On Aug. 11, Manus said it would resume independent operations and directed users to back up post-acquisition data before a cleanup and system reset scheduled for Aug. 23-25. The founders are weighing a fundraising-backed buyout, while Tencent Holdings is reportedly discussing a controlling stake. Beijing is also poised to lift travel restrictions imposed in March on co-founders Xiao Hong and Ji Yichao.

Manus, a Chinese-founded AI startup now based in Singapore, develops general-purpose agents that can carry out multistep tasks with limited human input. Meta Platforms agreed in December 2025 to acquire the company for about $2 billion, a deal that would have transferred a strategically important AI business to a U.S. technology group. China’s Office of the Working Mechanism for Security Review of Foreign Investment barred the acquisition in April 2026, citing concerns over core AI technology and requiring the transaction to be unwound.

Tencent Holdings is in talks to buy a stake in Manus from Meta and become the startup’s largest shareholder, the Financial Times reported on July 10, citing two people familiar with the matter. Former investors including Tencent, ZhenFund and Sequoia China are discussing fresh funding at the same $2 billion valuation used in Meta’s acquisition. Meta has begun separating the companies’ operations and halted data sharing, while the proposed ownership percentages and final transaction terms have yet to be agreed.

Manus was founded by a Chinese team before shifting its operational base to Singapore. Meta planned to acquire the company for $2 billion, gaining its AI agent technology and talent. Because the deal involved the cross-border transfer of code, research and development staff, and sensitive artificial intelligence technology, it became an important test of Beijing’s export controls and efforts to prevent critical resources from leaving the country.

As of July 19, 2026, the Chinese government had investigated whether the transaction violated export rules covering sensitive AI technology. It ordered Meta to unwind and dismantle the acquisition and restricted relevant senior executives from leaving the country. Meta also barred two-way access between Manus and its internal systems. The founder was separately reported to be raising $1 billion to buy back the company, which could later pursue an IPO in Hong Kong.