Story perspectives

Manus AI Finalizes $500M Round Valuing It $4B

By Drooid · Sep 18, 2026, 10:42 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Manus AI is finalizing a $500 million funding round that would value it at $4 billion.
Tencent Holdings is negotiating to become the largest shareholder among existing investors HSG and ZhenFund.
Chinese regulators blocked Meta Platforms' $2 billion acquisition of Manus, prompting an operational split in May 2026.
In August, Manus deleted certain user data to satisfy regulatory requirements imposed after the Meta unwind.

History

Historical Context

China’s Cybersecurity Law, passed on Nov 7 2016 and enforced from June 1 2017 after Snowden-era concerns, mandates data localization and spot-checks on foreign tech. The State Administration for Market Regulation fined Alibaba 5% of its 2020 revenue—about ¥30 billion—and in 2026 blocked Meta’s $2 billion purchase of Manus AI, illustrating the law’s expanding reach over AI deals.

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Story summary

Manus AI is finalizing a $500 million funding round that would value it at $4 billion.
Tencent Holdings is negotiating to become the largest shareholder among existing investors HSG and ZhenFund.
Chinese regulators blocked Meta Platforms' $2 billion acquisition of Manus, prompting an operational split in May 2026.
In August, Manus deleted certain user data to satisfy regulatory requirements imposed after the Meta unwind.

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