Manus to resume independent operations after China blocks $2B Meta deal

The AI startup will return to independent operations after Chinese regulators forced Meta to unwind its $2 billion acquisition.

Manus said it will resume operating independently as it separates from Meta Platforms after Chinese authorities blocked the technology giant’s $2 billion acquisition of the artificial intelligence startup.

In a message to users Tuesday, Manus said the separation was necessary to comply with regulations in certain jurisdictions. The company warned that some customer accounts could be affected and that some user data may be at risk of deletion, while directing users to data-protection tools.

Manus said it would return to independent operations and continue serving users worldwide, adding that the separation was necessary to comply with regulations in certain parts of the world.

China moved in April to block Meta’s takeover of Manus, which was founded in China and relocated to Singapore in 2025 as it gained traction in agent-driven AI. Authorities ordered the transaction canceled amid concerns that China could lose valuable technology to a geopolitical rival, Bloomberg reported.

The National Development and Reform Commission outlined the decision in a brief statement, marking a rare reversal of a completed transaction. The action followed a directive barring major technology companies, including ByteDance and Moonshot, from accepting American capital without approval and tighter controls on offshore Chinese companies seeking Hong Kong listings.

Bloomberg said the measures represented a warning to other Chinese technology startups considering stake sales or transfers of sensitive technology to US investors as domestic AI companies, including Moonshot and DeepSeek, compete with US developers.

Manus and Meta completed their operational separation in May and halted data sharing between the companies. Manus’s founders have explored raising about $1 billion to finance a buyback as part of efforts to meet Chinese government demands to unwind the transaction, according to Bloomberg.

Manus also said it was preparing features that would expand the capabilities of its AI agents, without providing details.

The company said it expected to continue serving users as it entered its next chapter.

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