Manus eyes $500M raise at $4B valuation, aiming for top AI-agent spot

Eight months ago, Manus was weeks away from becoming part of Meta. Now it’s raising half a billion dollars on its own terms. The startup, built by Singapore-based Butterfly Effect, is targeting a $500 million funding round at a post-money valuation of $4 billion. If it closes at that number, Manus would claim the title of China’s most valuable AI-agent startup, a category that has become one of the most competitive corners of global tech. From Meta’s inbox to independence The backstory matters here. Meta had agreed to acquire Manus for over $2 billion in December 2025. Beijing blocked the deal, and the two companies spent the following months untangling themselves before completing a full operational split around May to June 2026. The company had already raised roughly $75 million in a Benchmark-led Series B back in April 2025, at a valuation of around $500 million. The new round, if it closes, would represent an eightfold increase in valuation in roughly a year. Manus CEO Xiao Hong, along with co-founders Ji Yichao and Zhang Tao, has steered the company toward independence following the blocked acquisition. What Manus actually does The product sits in the agentic AI category, whic...